P38 damage- Tac, need you in here

[Urchin]

I was fighting last night in a 109G10.  Happened to go up against Tac in his P38- there was another friendly there as well, don't remember what kind of plane it was (I think it was a spit).  

Anyway, Tac made a very nice barrel roll, only problem is that I got a quick shot off at him from about 100 yards with the 30mm.  I showed only ONE (1) hit from the "hit sprite".  It was on his left wing, right beside the engine.  However, as I took a look at him going down, it really looked like he had lost both wings from it (he had what looked like oil and fuel smoke coming out of both wings).  Tac- do you remember what damage that shell caused?  It was the fight where you hit me with your 20mm and knocked off an aileron.

[hblair]

The tater gun is even more powerful than I had envisioned.

1 ping = buh-bye.

Gotta love it!

 

[Urchin]

Naw, I asked him about it in the MA today- he said that I blew off the rudder, elevator, left aileron and left engine.  I think he also said he had a fuel leak on an empty tank, but I don't think my single 30mm shot could have caused that as well.  

I can see taking out the left aileron and left engine together with a single hit, but aren't the elevator and rudder back on the boom, sort of far away from the wing?  

I still don't know why I saw smoke coming out of both sides of his plane, maybe I only saw the fuel leak on the empty tank (if it was on the right side).

[LePaul]

P-38s are frustrating like that.  I've been flying many when one ping does the *both engines go na-night* kinda thing.

I was chasing one in a La7 last night, put one shot BETWEEN the fellas tails and saw both tails come off.  Felt kinda bad...from my view, that should have been a miss

[1776]

Geez, don't you guys know that all you have to do to shoot down a 38 is squint your eyes, think mean thoughts. Bingo, elevator falls off!!  Think second evil thought, squint harder and one of the engines will fail!!  No 50 cal or cannon needed!!

I still like the plane but it sure is hard on my ego   It does make a kill thrilling when that rare occurence happens.

Signed, suffering in silence, hopeing for a fix,

OZkansas

[lazs1]

I know that if I hit a P38 with anything from any angle.... he is out of the fite.   I don't know of any othe plane I can do this to.  In the case of the booms.... I don't have to hit anything, just hit somewhere in between em.

glad I don't fly p38's.
lazs

[skernsk]

The LW cannon is way overmodelled.  I wish HTC would do something about that

[Tac]

"he said that I blew off the rudder, elevator, left aileron and left engine. I think he also said he had a fuel leak on an empty tank, but I don't think my single 30mm shot could have caused that as well."

Yes the fuel leak was on the opposite wing. Empty AUX tank leaving a nice vapor trail  

You fired 30mm? Geez, that thing mustve had WaffleTech (tm) richocet ammo! wow!

"Geez, don't you guys know that all you have to do to shoot down a 38 is squint your eyes, think mean thoughts. Bingo, elevator falls off!! Think second evil thought, squint harder and one of the engines will fail!"

LOLLOLOLOLOL!!! So true!

I would understand fatal damage if they hit the roots of the tail booms or hit it with some large caliber guns... but 38's really die way too easily. Even on 38 vs 38 fights, I dont even try to go for a shot, I just spray a bit in its direction, any ping will pull it to the ground.  

Even with its obvious porking, I still love it.

Im glad I fly P-38    

[tshred]

I can't tell you how many times I have returned to base with a damaged P38, not as many as I should have flying with the motto "to the death!".

I admit the damage model is a little porked on the aft end of it, and sometimes I've had both engines shot out when it seemed like that shouldn't have happened, but I don't think it's as bad as been posted here. It will take some punishment in my experience.

Unless of course you HO a dweeb C  

ts

[Urchin]

Well, this sort of comes back to the "hit sprites" thing that confuses me.  I FIRED more than one round (I'm no whoever that guy was that fired one round into a P51 and got the engine)- but I only SAW one hit.  

I cannot comprehend how ONE hit (no matter how large) can take out that many different things on the airplane.  My friend thinks that maybe I hit the engine and it blew up, with pieces hitting the rudder and elevator.  Told him that AH didn't model stuff like that, but it is a hell of a lot more plausible than the 30mm ricocheting around like it apparently did.  

How DOES Aces High model bullet strikes?  Do only the tracer rounds make little "flashes" when they hit, but it counts other "normal" rounds as hitting as well?

[Karnak]

Earlier this Tour I ahd a P-38 hold together for me, but there was just too much for it in the end.  Normally they fall apart quickly, which is why I noted the one that stayed together.

I got a Tempest in one recently.  

[Kweassa]

Porked damage model vs. One of the most lethal guns in AH at 100 yards

 ...

 Interesting bout  

 ps) Damage model quirky.. but it'd have done something pretty nasty to a fighter anyway, even if the P-38 damage model was tougher.. I remeber blowing a whole F4U-1C rear end with 1 ping(ammo counter was -5. Maybe 2~3 rounds hit?) at about 175 yards..


 ps2) Once I blew up a P-51D with 109G6 MG131 with about 30~40 rounds dumped, 4 pings(probably 20~30 rounds hit??) at 75 yards.

 Come to think of it.. LW guns more powerful than I thought it was.. once close enouff  

[AKSWulfe]

Why do I seem to be the only one that doesn't experience these quirks?

Seriously, I've taken many hits in a P38 and lived. Taken many hits to the 190A5's engine and not lost it. I guess it's all about getting hit in the first place though... the easier you make it for them to hit you, the easier your plane will fall apart.
-SW

[Pei]

Urchin, Tac
Did you check to see if there was a second shooter on the Grassy Knoll?  

[ 08-29-2001: Message edited by: Pei ]