Interesting thread. This one has plagued me for a while, and sometimes I get a little upset when called timid (should probably have a break:) ).
However as a counterpoint to the point of this thread, I had one of the most amazing fights and subsequent CH200 backslapping events ever.
The "old" Islands map was up and I was winging with Silat, something I usually dread as he uses me as bait, however this night the boot was on the other foot. I've been flying the F4U-4 a lot lately, and am astounded that more people don't fly it. It is a hidden gem. We were doing the A10-A9 run, and I was some 10k higher than Lew and he was in big trouble. Just as I was about to jump in, a slightly higher "Typhoon" (I say that because they usually turn into "Tempest" at 400yds) engaged me. We twisted and turned, and I kept milking the F4U-4's E rentention ability until I started getting angles on the Tiffie (phew NOT a Tempest).
As is the dogfighter's wont, we slowly lost alt while we jousted, ACMing for all our worth. I noticed 2 Spits and a La7 hovering around the fight, so I figured the guy I was fighting must have warned them off. I have no idea how long the fight went, but it felt like hours, when my honourable (and pinged) opponent tried to escape by tunnelling through a small hill. Blimey! Danodano! Not only was it a superb fight, the guy was good too!
Silat had been playing with some guys slightly lower than my fight, and was now bogged down by the guys who had being staying out of my fight with Dano. Plus I was low and slow. Bugger. By now Dano and I had exhanged and greetings on 200, and marvelled at being allowed to have a decent 1vs1 fight that could have gone either way. I called Silat to see if he needed help to extract himself, and just then he lost an engine (P38 - what a surprise). BUgger again. I turned back to help, low on alt and E and thinking, drat what a way to finish a great fight with Dano, bounced by his buddies. Somehow though we managed to take the (now 5) guys down, one by one, until the La7 popped Silat. I managed to get the La7, just as more guys arrived, and I ran out of ammo. All the while Dano, who has come back, is staying out of the fight, offering gentle encouragement.
He let me go once the fight was over. The whole engagement lasted about 10 minutes, but it was one of those sweat drenched, peel your fingers off the joystick fights, that happen about once a year, usually because one of the good guys makes it special.
CH 200 doesn't HAVE to be pointless chest beating contest. In fact you can both, opponents that is, use it to your advantage if you are respectful.
Voch5