Author Topic: Who flies P-38 exclusively or nearly so? (Read 2600 times)

clerick · « **Reply #75 on:** December 19, 2006, 03:57:43 PM »

w007! Then count me in brothers!

Shuffler · « **Reply #76 on:** December 19, 2006, 04:29:54 PM »

There may be a slight technicality involving any possible initiation of Clerick... See Section 12 Item 9 Paragraph 2 of the SAPP Indoctrination Procedures Manual. That in itself is a minimal requirement and we have no idea of his past with sheep.

Guppy35 · « **Reply #77 on:** December 19, 2006, 05:11:42 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Shuffler
There may be a slight technicality involving any possible initiation of Clerick... See Section 12 Item 9 Paragraph 2 of the SAPP Indoctrination Procedures Manual. That in itself is a minimal requirement and we have no idea of his past with sheep.

There's been a lot of reports of missing sheep in the Rochester area. That might be an indication.

pluck · « **Reply #78 on:** December 19, 2006, 05:18:29 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by clerick
i want to join the SAPP!! is there an initiation? Eat goldfish? get paddled? Thank you sir may i have another!

initiation-yes
eat goldfish-no
paddling- depends
thank you sir may i have another-certainly

think we are just getting started, we haven't elected a PR representitive yet, but i did miss the last meeting. personally i'm holding out for chief whiskey inspector, but i can't get into the details:noid

LEADPIG · « **Reply #79 on:** December 20, 2006, 03:40:37 AM »

I have two things to say ..... that being

and

Benny Moore · « **Reply #80 on:** December 21, 2006, 09:52:42 PM »

So what can you all tell me about the P-38's best climb speed and angle? The Pilots Manual has a chart for various weights, altitudes, and power settings, but I'm not sure if the Aces High II P-38 has the same climbing ability as the real P-38.

Back in Pacific Fighters (terrible game), I discovered that the P-38L's best climb speed was about 180 M.P.H. However, the P-38 in Aces High is somewhat different. In Aces High, I estimate that with a light P-38L my best climb speed is about 175 M.P.H. But I'm unable to outclimb, long-term, the better Zeke fliers (they always end up far behind me but slightly above me), so I know I must be doing something wrong. Should I be climbing slower, or what?

I have the same sort of problem with my zoom climb. In Pacific Fighters, I determined that my best climb angle was the same angle that my ship was at when I was climbing at best climb speed - somewhere around twenty degrees. But again, in Aces High this "feels" too shallow, and doesn't get me above ships like the Hurricane and the Zeke - ships that I should be able to outclimb. What am I doing wrong?

Raptor · « **Reply #81 on:** December 21, 2006, 10:06:19 PM »

Sounds to me like you are describing a typical climb meant for long term altitude gain. In this area fighters such as 109s perform much better. When people say the P38 has a great climbing ability, it is typically meant vertical ability to hang on its prop. Here is where you will see it's true advantages. It has no torque, and two powerful engines, which allow it to stay in a nose up position longer and under better control than most single engine fighters.

Benny Moore · « **Reply #82 on:** December 21, 2006, 10:35:58 PM »

Right. In the game I came from, the long-term climb was the only way to outclimb ships such as the Zeke. If you both started on the deck at equal energy states, by keeping your angle shallow you would eventually end up about a thousand feet higher than him by the time you almost lost sight of him behind you. A combat turn or a Immelmann would then let you reverse and re-engage with a 1,000 foot altitude advantage.

In Aces High, however, this doesn't appear to work. It seems that either the Zeke climbs better than the Zeke in Pacific Fighters, or I'm doing something wrong. Should I be able to out-climb, long term, a Zeke if we start out with equal energy states? I'm not talking about the steep hammerhead rope trick.

Here's the picture I used for my P-38 lessons (don't laugh, I really was "the P-38 man" in Pacific Fighters, mostly because no one flew it). The drawing is not at all to scale.

Raptor · « **Reply #83 on:** December 21, 2006, 10:46:32 PM »

You wont necessarily outclimb it long term. It will be around the same actual climb, but the P38 will be going faster so will gain seperation in the long run. At higher altitudes a P38 should outclimb a zero like you're talking about.

Also depends on which zeke you are talking about

Benny Moore · « **Reply #84 on:** December 21, 2006, 10:50:33 PM »

Hmmm ... in Pacific Fighters, the higher you got the harder it got to do this maneuver. I told my "students" to try to drag the Zeke down to the deck, turn a few circles with him to blow his energy, then go to step one in the picture.

I tried this with a very good Zeke pilot in Aces High the other day, and although I went all the way up to 20,000 feet he stayed with me (although, as you said, horizontal seperation increased). I finally gave up and started close-in dogfighting with him.

Raptor · « **Reply #85 on:** December 21, 2006, 11:06:24 PM »

Diving to the deck isn't a bad idea, the P38 can retain E better than the zero and would be able to regain more alt than the zero. That is of course, assuming the zero followed you all the way down.

Benny Moore · « **Reply #86 on:** December 21, 2006, 11:20:18 PM »

Care for a few friendly fights?

Raptor · « **Reply #87 on:** December 22, 2006, 12:14:50 AM »

Benny Moore · « **Reply #88 on:** December 22, 2006, 12:17:11 AM »

Excellent! Check the eight player servers for Blue Sky: Maximum Realism. I'm throwing it up right now.

[edit]And a fine time we had in the sky! Though we never did get around to the Zeke versus Lightning stuff. I was having too much fun. That was some excellent flying, Raptor. If ever you get a joystick, I don't know what I'll do. You'll be able to knock me down with one hand tied behind your back - literally. You know, there's a good reason real airplanes have a stick or yoke and not a mouse. I salute you, sir![/edit]

Benny Moore · « **Reply #89 on:** December 22, 2006, 04:49:08 AM »

If you're following this thread, you've probably seen this. But in the case that you have not, it would be a great shame for you to miss this. I've watched it many times and it never fails to bring me great joy.

http://p38whitelightnin.com/gallery/vid/LEFTY-384K.WMV

As you watch the beautiful display Lefty put on for us, remember that he risked his life in a B-17 a little over sixty years ago. It was his generation of Americans (and you Brits, Ozzies, Canucks, and the rest) who are responsible for us being able to do what we do. I have a hunch that if they were as complacent as my generation is, we would not be able to own computers because they cost many Reichmarks. And that would probably be the least of our worries. Salute, Lefty, and thank you.