Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: AKcurly on November 15, 2001, 02:46:00 PM
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Usually when Glassess starts droning about LW stuff, I just squelch 1. He is too darn unhappy about the efficacy of allied 50cal when compared to axis 12mm. Been there, listened to it and etc.
However, last night Glassess stated that LW iron required you to think more when flying it. And I got to wondering ... :)
There are many aspects to a fight -- so many, there's no point in even talking about it here.
The LW have 2 planes (ta 152 and 190 d9) from which you can easily get 400-500 yard kills IF your opponent is dumb enough to fly straight and level. However, for me, it's a waste of ammo to take a 400-500 yard deflection shot in a d9.
On the other hand, I routinely take 400-500 yard deflection shots in ponies and hellcats and I have a reasonable expectation of landing a good fraction of the burst.
If they'll fly straight and level, I can inflict considerable damage out to 1,000 yards.
Regardless of flight characteristics ... successful LW gunnery has to be accomplished around 300 yards or less.
To me, this says you have to plan your attack in such a way that you have a 300 yard shot. That is not the case with 50 cal 6 shooters.
So, much to my horror, I think I agree with Glasses. ;) Quick, someone tell me I'm wrong!
AKcurly
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There are lots of planes in the set that require you to get inside 300 yards. LW does not have a monopoly on this. They just squawk louder about it. :)
As for effectiveness of planes with lots of .50's... Well that's the benefit of big huge planes with many guns and tons of ammo. LW planes enjoy the benefits of small aircraft, warp-friendly roll/yaw rates and unmatched rate of climb.
And don't forget about MG 131. They can hit and damage out to 1000 yards or so. Fortunately there are only two of them per plane. :)
[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: funkedup ]
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I tried a G6 on a bet and found that it was the easiest plane to fly. Hooli had told me that and now I believe him.
lazs
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Lazs, after flying Hellcats, where one mistake blows all your energy, and you can't get it back, G6 with its amazing climb rate and acceleration is pretty easy. That spinner cannon is like a laser beam. :)
[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: funkedup ]
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If the G6 is so damn easy, then why do rookies choose Spit 9's? Answer: Easiest plane to handle, easiest to shoot from, easiest plane to make a mistake in and still recover.
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I've been flying the 190-a8 (100% fuel, drop tank and 30mm/20mm combo) for the upcoming scenario a lot. Never flew the bird before and I'm finding it's a sweet shooting ride. I just have to try and stop furballing with it as if it were a Zeke. I did really find that all my time in Yak, shooting with only a fist full of rounds, has come in quite handy :) IMO, if anyone needs to think and talk about lining up the shot and making bullets count in advance it's the Yak and 202 drivers. The others just say they do it cause it's ingrained to, well.. you know ;)
Westy
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I love the 190-A8, unfortunatley, with all the late war stuff, its outdated for the Main.
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Originally posted by Ripsnort:
I love the 190-A8, unfortunatley, with all the late war stuff, its outdated for the Main.
Interesting there, the A8 and the d9 are my favorite rides, and i would have to say it is not outdated for the MA. This plane is fun as hell to fly and I love it when someone wants to go for a HO with me in it.
AGJV44 has Fw 190A-8 56 kills Died in Fw 190A-8 14 times
Wotan (squad mate) has Fw 190A-8 45 kills and died in Fw 190A-8 10 times.
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Easiest plane to shoot from is P-47. Nothing even comes close. Just point your nose at 'em and turn on the hose. :)
[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: funkedup ]
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If the G6 is so damn easy, then why do rookies choose Spit 9's? Answer: Easiest plane to handle, easiest to shoot from, easiest plane to make a mistake in and still recover.
Nobody said the G6 was the easiest... but it is no slouch either. Many planes in the arena are less forgiving.
AKDejaVu
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The P-51 Mustang requires the higher degree of skill and finesse to kill with.
In addition, the most handsome of pilots fly it while the homers and girlscouts fly the LW rides.
Character man...it's all about character. When was the last time ya heard a Pony driver whinin about his ride?
LW turds cry and moan about this and that all the while gettin popped by the Cadillac of the Skies!
:D
(http://www.13thtas.com/rudesig.jpg)
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I gotta try that G6. But, don't your knees get cold in those short pants?
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bs rude
Urchin jumped in a p51 last ran up all kinds of kills even some on guys that fly 51s regularly. p51 is as easy ya can get.
It each plane set there are guys who know there aircraft and can whoop ya.
but if ya just wondered off the street and after flyin with a mouse fer 2 days and now have yer 1st 2.99 joystick spits hogs and 51s are where you'll end up. The newbies in the hogs and 51s will die a little before the "pull stick to belly" spitfires but not by much.
109g6 is easy to kill with the idea is to kill and survive same with the a8 things can go from good to bad so fast that if you dont keep an idea of how the hell to get out your already ded
a g6 cant use speed or its climb to escape g6 climb is the worst climber of all 109s (better then alot of main planes) same with an a8.
One thing I've noticed glasses is usually right.............
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when your knees look as good as mine.... it's a small price to pay. Still... not a good idea to wear em in the bars I go to.
lazs
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G6 is by far not the easiest LostWaffle plane in the set.
G10 is by far the easiest to fly. In trouble? point that nose skyward and climb like a homesick angel.
Got a Pony closing on you? Hey! Just level out, hit WEP and see ya later.
Simply put, G10 can zoom, climb and out run just about anything. The Dora-9 is a close 2nd with regards to easy to kill with and live with. Then 109G6, then 190A8, 190A5, 109G2 and 109F4.
Now, if you want to talk about relative to other planes- naturally TnBers are the best at evading and attacking.
Then again, it's all how you choose to fight. If I flew a SpitIX the way I fly a P38L, I'd be dead right quick 'cuz of all the La7s, P51Ds and other faster aircraft flying about.
It's all relative...
-SW
[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: SWulfe ]
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Wotan........................ .......Gotcha!
:D
(http://www.13thtas.com/rudesig.jpg)
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LOL Swulfe, that is a friggin AWESOME quote. That is going in my Sig!
G10 is by far the easiest to fly. In trouble? Point that nose skyward and climb like a homesick angel.
I do agree that the G10 is the easiest plane to live in, it is not an easy plane to get kills in though, in my opinion. Easiest plane to get kills in, in my opinion, is the 109F4. Slap gondolas on that puppy and TnB, you'll fool the hell out of people and rack up the kills. Of course, a Spit will kill you at the end of every sortie, but you'll have fun flying it.
I'd rank em like this.
Easiest to live in:
G10,D9,A5,G2,F4,G6,A8.
Easiest to get kills in:
F4,A8,A5,D9,G2,G10,G6 (I hate the G6, can you tell?).
By the way.. I don't really think it is true that you have to "think harder" in a LW plane, you just have to think differently. I'm sure Leviathn/Todd/DMF thinks REALLY hard about how to conserve speed and energy and such, because he can get that SpitV to surprisingly high speeds (and stay there). In most of the LW planes, you don't HAVE to think about that, the acceleration does it for you. Instead, you have to think about angles and snapshots, and leaving yourself a way out of the fight at every second.
The P51 flies a lot like your "typical" LW plane, in my opinion. The only difference is it is easier to hit with your guns (which, incidentally, screws my aim up royally when I hop back into a 109 or 190).
Every plane has its strengths and its weaknesses. The Spit is just slow, that is its weakness. Even in a 190A8, I can pretty much ignore them unless I get low and slow and they jump me (in which case I curse, then bail out :)). The 190s can't turn for toejam, that is their weakness. The 109G10 actually has my vote for "most well-rounded" LW plane. It doesn't really have any weaknesses, besides a small fuel and ammo load. I don't count the poor high speed handling as a weakness, because you can honestly get used to it and it ceases to be a factor. Anyway, I've blabbered for long enough.
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Real men fly the 109F4!!!
So far my favorite ride, for I get killed in it alot.
Death can be very humbling!! :)
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I always thought the 109s were impossibly hard to fly - and for a new pilot, I think they are. As a result, I didn't fly them for the last year, except for an occasional buff killing mission in the G10, which mainly reinforced my thought that they were no good.
So the last two nights, I've flown the F4, G2 and G6 in an attempt to shake myself out of a nasty rut in the C.205, and I actually think they are all great... I think that the biggest difference is that my experience with flying in general, and with AH in particular, has finally gotten to the point where the plane fits the way I fly. 19 and 5 in the 109 in the last two nights... not bad for a crappy pilot like myself.
I think that the strengths of the 109 aren't as evident as in the pony or the spitfire, and as a result take bit more practice and experience to master, but once you have that, you can do equally well in a 109 as in a spitfire or a P51.
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Of all the pilots in AH, the good 109 drivers are the ones I admire the most.
I obviously don't fly the 109 much cause I always thought the G2 was the best all around.
ra
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I think I swallowed the hook rude......
:o
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Well if you guys read R.shaws book on aircombat you would have read this:
'practicle aspects of the energy fight:
there are some practical considerations which complicate matters in actual combat.One of these is the difficulty of maintaining sight of the opponent.Extension/pitch-back tactics result in great distances bing generated between fighter and bogey.Additionally, the pilot of the energy fighter spends much of his time looking over his shoulder at the bogey, making visual tracking even more difficult.Looking over his shoulder also complicates aircraft control for the pilot of the energy fighter.For example, it is difficult to judge a wings-level attitude for commencing a pitch-back while looking backward.The aircrafts speed and altitude also may have to be judged by feel, since the pilot may not be able to afford to take his eyes off the bogey for a peek at the gauges.This can be hazardous during a low altitude engagements, as more than one pilot has extended himself right into the ground while looking over his shoulder.'
he goes on to say:
'Another consideration is the possibility of other hostiles in the area.The energy fighter is exceedingly vulnerable to such threats at slow speeds near the top of the pitch-back.Also since the pilots tend to concentrate their lookout along the horizon, the pilot of an aircraft manouvering verically almost assures he will be seen by nearby fighters in a wide altitude band, making an attack by unseen enemie even more likely.
All these practical considerations present severe limitations to the use of energy tactics and make their employment even in sterile situations very difficult; they require much training for proficiency.'
so there you have it.From the horses mouth as it were.Energy fighting is harder and can be more dangerous.As energy fighting is all you can really do in most LW stuff id say they are harder to fly well.Add to that their guns dropping off at 300 yards like an elevator from the towering inferno movie and you have a sound basis for the arguement.
:) your witness proscecution............
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Yeah, but Shaw's talking in general terms, and he has all-aspect missile-birds in mind. As he points out, the tactics stay the same, but their effectiveness differs according to the changing technology.
In any case, he makes three arguments:
A. It's hard to maintain sight of the opponent.
Response: Not at these engagement speeds, and with this icon system
B. It's hard to look back and at the instruments.
Response: not in aces high, where we snap back and forth with ease.
C. At the top of the climb, at slow speeds, the attacker is vulnerable to third-party attacks.
Response: not given this icon system and the closure speeds of these AC. In any case, with inflight radar, your position is broadcast to everyone.
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Actually C is somewhat true, but as Dinger points out, A and B don't apply here.
C is true because when you are zooming your belly is exposed to half the arena and you are blind on that side. You can minimize this visibility problem while rolling during the zoom, but it's still a problem.
Also during the zoom you are spending a fair amount of time way below corner speed, so if you do get bounced, you have few evasive options. You're basically ballistic for 5 sec or so if you are really "pumping" for maximum energy.
Back on topic, Hazed's argument falls apart. Not because LW aircraft tactics aren't limited in tactics (he's right on that) but because LW aircraft aren't the only ones limited in the same way.
In a Spitfire, which can outrun only Zekes and Hurricanes at most MA engagement altitudes, survival requires keeping a significant energy advantage over any bandits. Which dicates B&Z or Pitchback/Extension tactics if you are interested in survival. A good Spit stick can turn and kill plenty of them, but once the (rather small) ammo supply is depleted it's time to run. And unless Joe Spitfire has a significant initial energy advantage, something like 75% of planes in the MA can run him down with ease.
Whereas a La-7 or Tempest or Yak-9U can risk duking it out and still have a hope of extending from co-E bandits because of their incredible acceleration and top speed. Even if they make a mistake they still have a chance to escape. So they can use a broader array of offensive tactics without forgoing a safe RTB.
[ 11-15-2001: Message edited by: funkedup ]
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G6 is a fun ride, been playing with it lately..
(http://www.bf109.com/gallery/favourites/gall01favemed.jpg)
More 109 stuff here....
(http://www.bf109.com/images/title.gif) (http://www.bf109.com/)
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It has been said there are only two sure things in life (i.e. death and taxes). Whoever said that never met some of the guys that whine nightly on open channel.
Online there are two quite different certainties.
1) Nightly you will hear how Bishops and Knights gang up on rooks (Whine).
2) Nightly you will hear how American Iron is portrayed with such a significant advantage over LW Iron (Whine).
This has become so regular, and so certain, that not only can you set your watch by it, but you can quote the authors beforehand.
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Each plane has a style of engagement and disengagement. A way to fly it in, kill, and get out. It varies versus each plane. Naturally, some planes do it better than others- but once you learn those two principle factors, killing and surviving becomes second nature with that ride.
Learning each plane has it's benefits, in that in your primary or favorite ride, you can better understand how to engage and when you need to disengage.
As far as weapons go, having a lot of experience in both planes armed with the Browning M2 .50 and the MG151/20 in AH, I can say with certainty that when you understand the trajectory and flight path of the two rounds that killing with either is very easy.
-SW
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Not all LW guys are whiners, but most are! :D
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When I fly a Brownings armed fighter I can easily deflection-shoot at 800yds. Everytime I say WOW! :) Very fun. AcesHigh then becomes a completely new simulation.
When you usually fly axis and are tired of AcesHigh, then take an allied fighter and go hunting. Its .... uhm ... relaxing :)
[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: gatt ]
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Originally posted by Sachs:
AGJV44 has Fw 190A-8 56 kills Died in Fw 190A-8 14 times
Wotan (squad mate) has Fw 190A-8 45 kills and died in Fw 190A-8 10 times.
If i will meet them with my friend in 2 on 2 they will be pretty dead .... k/d still mean nothink
I will no more fly 190A8 after big week due to 10 mins until you get some altitude... average glidder climbing better :D
[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: EagleC ]
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For me, the 109G2 and P51B are two peas in a pod. I can pretty much fly them interchangeably and get the same amount of kills per sortie without altering my flying style (that is, if you could call it style :D).
SOB
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After last night, I find it almost impossable to agree with anything GLasses has said. Glasses, I'll write you a check right now for the first months use of the " better Sim" you are going to write on one condtion. You leave AH and not come back. I'm more then willing to contribute to your endevore as long as I don't have to listen to you belittling the work of another designer. If I was HT, I simply would credit your account for this months fee and close the door to you. What you are doing is walking in to the House that HT built and pissing on the floor. I have said this before to you and to a few other. If you don't like this game, if you feel you can do better, then leave! Stop paying that 15 bucks and get on with your life elsewere.
Vati
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Realistic BBS banter mode on.
If Glasses and the like ever flew .50 wagons exclusive and got used to them, it would hurt.
LW rides are sweet, but dull on the snap shot.
Unlike a AH icon fool that says, it's not what you fly,fly what you want, it's actually what you adapt to.
Don't encourage them.
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I forgot about the G6, and A8.
Retract that. Shhhhh.
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Most of the things I've would of posted are now said . The LW crowd have to be more aware of their surroundings, much more aware of how they're going in shoot and look at aspect of the target, go in less than 450yards to make the kill and zoom considerably farther away to get any survivability.
My delightful co AHer Seawulfe said that the g6 is one of the easier planes to fly here in the Arena,I beg to differ. The 109G6 is one of the most unforgiving aircraft in the LW plane set combat wise. You cannot extend away when in trouble, nor can you out climb them, no the HUB mounted 20mm is not a laser as funked has said,sure you may get concentrated fire if and when you fire all guns(including mgs) but you need to be very very precise on how and when you fire making a split second decision on whether to make the shot,since with the Gondolas the G6 is even more of a sitting duck.
G10 up to a certain point may get you out of trouble at high alt, at least it rules there, and can leave ponies asfixiated trying to catch you only a good burst of The "Laser" as I've grown to call it can bring you down from a thousand yards.
A Yak and La7 can TNB from 30k all the way down to the deck and build up speed faster than a dog attached to firecrackers, no doubt about that. You don't need to think anything about approach engagement and exit just go in Turn ,Zoom ,Turn some more, and accel away, those planes are what Checkers is to Chess. Both planes may have considerable shorter ammo load but by no means it's hard to get at LEAST one to two kills per sortie,plenty of times I've had flight surfaces(or even whole parts) of the aircraft blown off in excess of 800yards.
The point I make is ingress, engagement and egress is far more a challenge in any LW aircraft,especially if you mess up,sometimes is little you can do than hope that a team mate comes and rescues you from your fate, or you can make the other guy run out of bullets while maneuvering.
Vati en light of your statement and mine in the MA I was utterly disgusted with the way Lag has been increasing with the added customer intake firing walls of bullets only to get maybe a radiator shot off or just and aileron (which BTW where mostly hits) was really frustrating that night,what would of been a sure kill, just went home slightly damaged. And again I like the game there are some aspects I don't like and while I 'm paying , you can bet I'll use the rest room here. :)
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The Bf109G6 is a very good plane if you have learned to fight and live before, its just as slow as funkeds spits but it doesnt turn as well or climb as well as a MkIX, its a very bad plane if you are a new guy who only knows to fly spits in turns or run away in La7s, P51s or Bf109G10s.
I like the Bf109G6. Its the classic 109 and the best looking 109 as well. :)
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G6 is better than the G2 for survivability, especially if you fly a G2 with gondolas.
And well, I'm 20/4 in the 109G2/R6 this tour.
-SW
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Originally posted by GRUNHERZ:
I like the Bf109G6. Its the classic 109 and the best looking 109 as well. :)
Agreed.
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Well... G6 or F4 are not the best to be caught out alone in but... they are very effective for engaging in small and medium furs that occur about halway between bases. I am much more comfortable mixing it up than I am in my -1. A hog is inferior in most situations in the arena and harder to fly well and manage. The 109's are very forgiving and with such good acceleration can reach friendly ack quickly if it is oh, half a sector or less away. The U.S. planes won't even reach their top speed in that time.
The G10 and d9 don't count. They don't belong in a mid war arena. They belong with P51's, la7's Ta152's and -4' 262's and such in a late war "area" only of the map. Who would fly such things against mid war planes anyhow?
lazs
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funked ? what a hell ? :) leave the Lw alone :)
btw what is your new handle not see u long time
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Hi Minus, I have the same handle. I only fly evenings US time due to my job. Hope to see you soon.
Glasses, 109G spinner gun is a short range laser, but a laser nonetheless. More like a scalpel. I agree with most of your other comments if you ignore D-9 and G-10. Those two (especially G-10) can make mistakes just like La-7 and get away with a few LWarps and that on-all-the-time LWEP.
Grunherz, G-6 is about 20 mph faster than Spit IX on the deck, and has better acceleration and climb. Even Bf 109F-4 has 10-15 mph on the Spit IX down low. But compared to La-7, Typhoon, P-51, etc, they are all slow.
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I've often wondered why the 109G10, LA7, Pony, and a couple others aren't cheap perks.
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I'd be all for perking the G10, PonyD, La7, Tiffie, etc. The only thing that counts against it is that people are, by human nature, always looking for an advantage. You perk the La-7, P-51D, 109G10, 190D9, Yak-9U, and Tiffie, and then people just hop into the next fastest plane and BnZ in that.
I really like a "solution" that someone proposed a while back (can't remember who, maybe Lazs). Perk everything. Not an expensive perk, but perk everything. Or perhaps leave the early war versions unperked, and the mid and late war planes perked. Of course, I really seriously doubt that this would happen, but I think it would be neat to try out.
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i love all the 109s - my favorite changes from month to month but the attraction has been enough to keep me in them tour after tour. after a while its hard to fly anything else - it throws you off :)
speaking of attraction, you guys seen this site? MUST-VIEWING for 109 enthusiasts...
http://www.one-o-nine.com/index-1024.htm (http://www.one-o-nine.com/index-1024.htm)
(http://www.one-o-nine.com/pics-bf109g/bf109g_18-sw.jpg)
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SpitIX climbs better in my experience, that is I see a higher number in the spit IX climb rate gauge than I do in the 109G6s.
The Spit IX semms faster at alt but I agree the 109G6 seems a bit faster than spit on deck but im not sure its 20mph. One thing is for sure the 109G6 markedly outdives the Spit IX this makes sense as 109G6 should also initially outdive a Spit XIV.
The 109G6 is a good experts plane but a poor begginer plane, what you do and if you can survive in the 109G6 is more a reflection of the pilot than the planes ability. Its not fast it doesnt turn great and it doesnt climb great but does everything OK and lests the pilot figure it all out.
As for the 30mm, well I love it and if im in sync with the gun I can get nearly 600yard 90 degree snapshots with it (this is very very rare tho).
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(http://www.hitechcreations.com/models/charts/spit9speed.gif) (http://www.hitechcreations.com/models/charts/109g6speed.gif)
(http://www.hitechcreations.com/models/charts/spit9climb.gif) (http://www.hitechcreations.com/models/charts/109g6climb.gif)
[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: funkedup ]
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Funked.. I hate to break this to you, but those charts don't seem to be all that accurate (in general that is). I believe the chart for the 190A8 says it can get 3.something K fpm initially.. that is a wet dream. Maybe on 25% gas and 2 20mm cannons you can, but you aren't going to get much over 2750 on 100% gas, a DT, and 4 cannons.
I'm reasonably certain that the same thing applies to the 109G6. Adding the gondolas and the DT add weight, which drastically affect the climb rate. The Spit doesn't have gondolas, so it's charts are more accurate to what people actually see in the game.
On a sort of related note, someone JUST did some climb tests with the 109s. Here are the results they got.
I just did some rough climb tests:
Climb time to 20k 25% fuel
109F-4: 5'53 / WEP: 5'05 (average ft/min: 3399/3934)
109G-2: 5'41 / WEP: 5'01 (average ft/min: 3519/3987)
109G-6: 5'53 / WEP: 5'11 (avegare ft/min: 3399/3859)
109G-10: 5'36 / WEP: 4'27 (average ft/min: 3571/4494)
If you'll notice the charts, the 109G6 doesn't seem to drop below 3500 fpm until 20k. However, this person got an average of 3859 fpm (which is, oddly enough, BETTER than what the chart says it should do, at least I think so). This was on 25% fuel though, which means that he probably was out of gas right as he hit 20k. Also, there would be a lot less weight on the plane than had he loaded it out with a typical MA configuration.
So I guess I have to ask.. HOW exactly are these climb charts made? 25% gas and absolutely nothing attached to the hardpoints? It would be useful to know I think.
[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: Urchin ]
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Urchin:
Actually the charts are extremely accurate. I believe Pyro stated that the flight model calculations are used to produce them. If there is a discrepancy between the game performance and the charts then you should make a bug report. I did this (N1K2-J had climb rate error) and Pyro fixed it.
The charts are done for the same conditions generally used in real life flight tests. 100% internal fuel and standard ammo load. No external tanks, bombs, rockets, gun pods, etc.
Also those climb figures you posted are average figures. I.e. altitude divided by time. The figures on the charts are instantaneous figures. They tell you what the maximum ROC is at each altitude. They don't directly tell you anything about the time to climb to that altitude.
Finally, climb rate is very sensitive to the weight of the airplane. So comparing 100% fuel tests to 25% fuel tests is not useful.
[ 11-17-2001: Message edited by: funkedup ]
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This kinda thing: http://www.hitechcreations.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=9&t=002764 (http://www.hitechcreations.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=9&t=002764)
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Back to the topic.
US guns and cannons: can shoot very far.
LW guns, VVS guns cannot.
It doesn't take a genius to learn that if you can open up at 500 instead of 300, you'll get more kills.
Won't comment on plane types, just the guns.
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For sure I hear many more LW plane whines than any other.
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Yeah Well mino sometimes the whines considerend here are some fair arguments but then again I speak to the "Laser" people.
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S!
I don't consider myself a LW flyer, although I do fly their planes a lot.
I notice nobody mentions the 190A5?
Sure the G10 is a monster, and the D9 isn't far behind, but the A5 is really a fine plane.
I've been flying the A5 lately as practice for BIG WEEK, (I wanted to fly a Jug but I registered late...)
I usually fly it without the outboard FF Cannon. (more than 2 cannon with the damage the way it is in AH is overkill) I load a droptank, and 3/4 fuel.
When you do that, you've got a plane which can be really dangerous. You climb to 20,000, drop your tank and engage. At 20,000 ft, the A5 is a quick plane, topping out at around 420mph. By the time you are down to lower levels, you are at 50% fuel, and with the A5 at 50% fuel, you can outturn a lot of planes.
Plus your climb and acceleration is excellent. And of course, that roll rate... :)
With the A5 you can run WEP almost forever. The engine just doesn't get hot.
You can outturn La-7's, Jugs and D9's, you can outvertical P-51's and P-38's, outrun Spits and Zekes.
The only planes which are a big problem are N1K2's and 109's, especially the F4.
Plus the 190 doesn't have the biggest range.
But overall, a good plane.
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You can outturn La-7's, Jugs and D9's, you can outvertical P-51's and P-38's, outrun Spits and Zekes.
I'd like to comment on this one.
In the A5, you can outturn the D9 in a sustained turn. Of course, a smart D9 driver will keep speed up and do not hard turns but long, slow ones. Hit wep, bring it above 5k, and you'll be able to b&z the A5. Not kill him easily mind you, since he has the turning advantage, but at least have the offensive.
The LA-7 easily outturns the A5 at all altitudes. The difference is lowest between 0-5k where the A5 really shines. Not sure if the LA-7 outaccelerates the A5 below 5k, but it certainly does above 5k. It also has top speed, better low speed handling and better high altitude maneuvering. It should have: it's a much later plane than the A5.
The D11 will, in a sustained turnfight, outturn the A5 at all but the lowest altitudes. It has much superior low speed characteristics and can use its flaps to gain the advantage. The two other P-47s will be outturned by the A5 at quite low altitudes, but again, the use of flaps can cause the 190 pilots to drop so much speed he simply cannot follow. Break off or stall in. Depends on altitude. The A5 has roll rate and a great diving snapshot ability that the P-47 lacks. On the other hand, the P-47 has better guns. I made a comparison on the proper forum (aircraft and vehicles) a while back between these planes. Also got some secret testing which yielded interesting results - results I'll keep for myself since I want to live when fighting P-47s :).
The P-51 outturns the A5 handily. In the vertical, given the same speed and g pull on the pullup, there were some tests done before, and IIRC, the results were very similar. As altitude increased, the advantage fell on the P-51. And, the P-51 easily wins a loop fight. The A5, however, can outaccelerate the P-51 at low altitudes and with a little smart flying (not going into specifics, wanna keep this one a LW secret too) get a good shot on a P-51 that chooses to saddle up. And, of course, much better roll rate.
It is important to keep in mind that the A5's engine really isn't optimized for high altitude - it's very good up to 5k, good tfrom 5 to 10, and bad from there up.
The P-38 has acceleration and turn rate on the A5. Again, at low altitudes, the A5 shines. The P-38 will also outloop the A5. I've seen Zigrat, Tac, Citabria and others use the P-38 really well: it usually has one advantage over each plane (except things like the LA-7) and as with the G10, if a good guy is behind the stick, it is a very lethal plane that just isn't very newbie friendly and takes time to get used to.
The A5 is a relatively slow plane, especially for a B&Z'er. It's faster than the dedicated turn fighters like the Spits, Hurricanes and zeros, but that's where the speed advantage really stops. The Spit XI is faster at high altitudes. YAK's, LA's, P-51s, P-47s etc are faster.
It's a great plane, but it shows that it's not a late war über plane.
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Most of the things I've would of posted are now said . The LW crowd have to be more aware of their surroundings, much more aware of how they're going in shoot and look at aspect of the target, go in less than 450yards to make the kill and zoom considerably farther away to get any survivability.
This is only a LW thingie? Hmmm...didn't know that.
Good SA is the sign of a sharp pilot...not related to the ride.
Try to setup a shot in any ride at 300ias or better and tell me it's easy to find the aspect for that shot without some thought.
Pull the trigger at 450? I never pull until inside of 300...my convergence is set at 225-250-275. I don't drive LW.
If you LW gals are gonna tell stories, at least make them entertaining :)
(http://www.13thtas.com/rudesig.jpg)
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(http://www.matthoffman.cc/bb/glasses1.jpg)
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Pointless post of the day #2.
SOB
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LOL! one of the less enlightened days. Back when....
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Rude, I've had my convergence set at 125 - doesn't make my guns potential any less :)
Ask animal: I hit 'im consistantly out to d1.4 in the Ta :).
Also, have flown in the TA - in Spits, because we lacked some spit pilots. Ask my fellow squaddies how they liked my 250mph 500 yard snapshots :).