adapt your style to the plane, or the plane to your style?

[toonces3]

Hi all.
This is something I've been thinking about alot lately.  I've been playing about a year now.  I've tried most of the planes in the lineup, although I've definately flown some more than others.  Still, I think I've given most of the lineup a fair try.

Now that I've been playing a while, and beat most of the total NooBiness out of myself, I think I've developed some of my own style of playing the game.  I have my own way of approaching fights and conducting a dogfight. 

Additionally, I've come to feel that certain planes just inherently seem to 'fit' my way of playing better than others.  What I mean is this:  I can up most almost any fighter in the game and land some kills.  But, there are some planes that I find much more success with than others.

For example:  I have really, really tried to like the jug.  My squad, the 348th FG was a P-47 squad in WW2 and so for history sake I've tried to fly and be proficient in the plane.  But, I simply cannot adapt myself well to the style the plane demands.  I have an idea of how the fly the plane, and I have great squad mates who are proficient in the plane and can coach me through a successful sortie, but I don't 'enjoy' the flight, and I don't feel comfortable in the plane.

However, a plane I find an absolute joy to fly is the Ki-84.  I put this plane on and I feel like I can...just fly...without having to manage my style so much like I do in the jug.  I spend less time thinking about what I'm doing and I'm flying more instinctively. 

Furthermore, I simply stink in 50 cal planes.  Try as much as I want, I just don't enjoy success in the pony.  I can get assists all day, but I have real trouble keeping those guns on an opponent long enough to get the kill.  Cannons are my friend.  I probably have more air-air kills, and a better K/D in the Mossie than the P-51. 

Anyway, I think that there's a few way to approach this game.  The really good players are going to land kills in anything.  Heck, I saw SHawk land a few kills in a C-47 the other day!  But I think for those of us that are sort of middle ground, there may be a struggle between either adapting how you fly to a plane, or picking a plane that simply suits your style.  For me, I think I'm finding alot more success by finding the planes that just fit how I like to play best. 

I'm interested to hear how you guys feel about this.

[hammer]

While you are learning, pick a plane whose strengths compliment your style. Once you are comfortable, start branching out. Your ultimate goal is to be able to adapt your style to match the strengths of the plane. Once you can do that, you will be one of those who can be successful in anything. One of my most recent fun tours was going out and getting kills in every fighter.

Regards,

Hammer

[Bosco123]

Lately, I have been doing the same thing toonces. I have been flying airplanes that I just don't usually fly. I have been realy tring the Niki and it ust dosen't seem to fit what I want out of it, even though I have enjoyed flying cannon airplanes.

Now I have tried to fly the F4U1-C. I absolutly love that plane. No matter if I die or land, I always end up getting 5 kills or more. LA's I hate and cain't fly. A6M's I have been flying and I seem to land some kills in them all the time. Hurris and spits can be enjoyable sometimes, especially the MK1 series.
            I still love the A-8's and G6, in the DA G-6 is the best plane for me. It is always fun to fly them all, because when KOTH comes around I have a feel for all of them.

[BaldEagl]

I have style?  Uh... OK.

[Shuffler]

Main thing is to have fun.
If you have more fun flying any plane that fits you.. go for it.
If you like a plane and want to learn to fly it... go for it.

I picked a plane I really liked and learned to fly it.

[Gremlin3]

I have a few picked favorites after trying most of them. Although I don't fly anything great in these few I do better than others.
BF109K
BF109G2
Yak9U
F4UA
SPIT 16
A20
B25H
P51B and hopefully someday the P39Q
Maybe these are interesting? Fast? I don't know but they are comfortable.

[humble]

There are two conflicting elements at play here...

Familiarity builds confidance and that free's you up to explore the possibilities in that one plane...

"Stlye" is not readily transferable across dissimiliar plane types.

So a guy who "masters" the jug isn't normally going to fly the k1-84 nearly as well (assuming he can even keep the wings on).

As a general rule most pilots do better in planes that exploit an in plane lift vector well (think T&B). It's a bit harder to learn planes that require more out of plane manuevers to succeed. The 2nd factor is planes that are what I call "tip stable" on the edge (read hard to stall a wing) allow more aggressive moves to achieve a shot and are a better gun platform. Thats why the Hurricane is so deadly. It makes an average pilot uber and requires almost no "thinking"...

Now once you get a feel for the benifits of "out of plane" & "stall a tip" the tremendous 3 dimensional capabilities of some of the "lesser" birds become stellar. To a degree I uae the combination pretty well in the A-20. As i'm continueing to brush up my "DA game" again its amazing how much importance the high AoA, low speed touch plays even in phone booth fights. The guy who can get even 75ft of vertical with a tip stall (and control it) while on the edge has a huge edge...you just cant fly a plane "around" as fast as it can be "flipped".

So to try and answer your question there is a steep learning curve and progression comes in stages. The Jug is a very hard plane to learn early. The Ki-84 is a monster in good hands. I'd focus on the 109F4 as a good plane to learn the combination of verticals/throttle/flap & rudder. A well flown 109F can kill anything it finds (or that finds it) unless the other guy is a top notch stick. It also is very adaptable and you can learn alot of ways to fly one plane.

[Guppy35]

I think you speak to a couple of things.

There are guys out there who learn a plane and exploit it's strengths even if it's not the best bird in the game.  I can think of guys I hate to see in certain birds because I know they can do magic things with them because they've taken the time to learn them.  That includes any number of Jug drivers who can do things in it I can't because I don't know the Jug like they do. 

Most people like to succeed as quickly and easily as possible.  it explains the La's, Spit 16s, etc.  If that's how they have fun, who am I to complain?

But I think they miss out on a big part of things by never stepping out of those birds and being willing to get clobbered for a while while flying a less then uber bird and learning how to make it work.  For some folks that kind of 'cyber risk' is worth the challenge/reward of doing more with less.  Sadly too many are worried about their 'cyber' lives and never leave the training wheels behind

Bottom line though, is it's your dime and you have to have fun however you choose.

[texasmom]

I just recently decided to learn how to fly instead of GV all the time. I like the YAK... because of the clear 6 view (which is the only time I really get to see any other planes); so I guess that would be me picking the plane based on my style: dodging while looking behind me. 

[Yossarian]

I tend to go for cannon armed planes, because I can never hold my guns on a target for long enough to get a lot of hits in.

<S>

Yossarian

[Latrobe]

<-- makes everything fly like a Spitfire 

[zorstorer]

<-- makes everything fly like a Spitfire 

Flaming into the ground missing a wing?

[MORAY37]

Totally depends on what feel like doing that moment.

Ki84 has definately become my go-to ride.  Plays to my own strengths as well, I see why you like it.  Good vertical performance, stable, rudder kicks nicely when you need.  Guns are crappy, but I don't shoot until i'm 200 out or less.  And the gas mileage...LOL.  1/2 tank keeps you in the air for 24 mins.   I've flown two sectors on 9 gallons, at 18 K ultra conservative, and landed under power.

I use the Yak9t for tuning up my gunnery.  Fly that bird for a week or so, and it's amazing how good your gunnery gets. Don't even use the MG.... just that big beautiful cannon.

For perk flying the Tempest is gold.  I jump in one any time they are under 40.

When I'm feeling really frisky....I up a D3A.  Not many people understand that it was also used as a fighter and will outturn many rides built late.  Slow and ultra crappy guns.... but fun to fly and surprise people in.  Got two spixteens the other night.. they thought they could turn with me.  LMAO.

[dunnrite]

Flaming into the ground missing a wing?

ROFLMAO

[Ack-Ack]

I think a "flying style" develops over time and experience.  I guess my fighting style is a blend of both Energy and Angles fighting, which allows me to switch seemless between both in the middle of a fight.  As such, those that run into me can usually tell that it's me at the controls.

If you pay attention to how certain people fight, you can then pick up some tell tale signs that might give away their next move.  For example, ManeTMP.  After watching him a few times, it became easy to spot when he would try and do a barrel roll reversal.  He'd slip his plane just prior to the maneuver and once this "sign" was recognized, it was easy to avoid the reversal and get the kill.  


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