Has anyone else noticed....

[thndregg]

La7 usage (kills+deaths combined) has dropped considerably since that plane was updated.

Figures. The less cartoonish it looks, the less it's used.

[NEARY]

I only fly russian. In the MA/DA i have seen only a few la's, In the DA the guy in the LA-7 always gets the most kills, (i have been flying the yak lately). but in the MA i like flying the la-7 i can go against a horde,get a kill or two, then run away from the ganging. I pretty much only fly the la-7 for these reasons.

[Krusty]

It feels much less responsive in yank-n-bank since the upgrade, and feels much more sluggish and mushy pulling high Gs through turns. Used to be a real EZ-mode plane, now less so.

All perspective, naturally. Perhaps the old LA7 had low-fi data sampling over the wings or whatever, so that when they remodeled it, and redid all the stats (same stats, new model) the little things like "feel" and "responsiveness" were changed.

Whereas all the numbers are met, maybe just the little things got changed, intentionally or not.

Feels totally different. First time I upped it after the redo I could barely turn and get behind a con, felt like I was the underdog in every fight.

[1Boner]

In Oct 07, total kills for La-7 were 33,568.

The kill numbers were pretty consistant up until march of 08. (the month of the La-7 update)

One month later the numbers had dropped aprox. 10,000 kills, to 20,437.

In Oct.08 total kills were 14,629.

And Nov 08 seems to be on track to see the lowest # yet, with one week left the total kills for the La7 are a mere 8343.

Looks like the update was the culprit.

I was wrong.

I hate it when that happens. ( It happens alot)

[Rich46yo]

My gut feeling is I'm seeing far less LAs.

There must be some other dynamic at work here because I don't see any performance lag with the update and certainly improved graphics wouldn't cause it. Its still a one dimensional defense fighter like its always been. I cant figure out what the dynamic would be and would have to see hard data regarding performance change. Cause I myself cant feel it and I fly them a lot.

[Shane]

as a long-time Lala pie-let...  who was on break when the La7 was updated (came back in aug/sept) it seems pretty much the same to me, except i don't remember those dam leading edge slats popping out so much at higher speeds when banking, manuvering.  I recall tilt mentioning these slats were gravity (AoA) activated or something and that many pilots taped/welded or bolted them closed.  Might've been 109's too.. i dunno

The LA7 was never an "easymode" any more than the pony/fw190d9 is if you fly them at speed and maintain that speed.   

Can the La7 do awesome stuff?  Sure, but it requires at least some understanding and "work."

I think the KI-84, spixteen, 109k and f4u series have drawn away some of the La pilots/kills.

[Bruv119]

LA7   night tonight then lads 

Please direct any whines towards the OP 

[Kazaa]

I'm not a huge fan of slates when it comes to the La7, when I get slow and pull for the shot they will always pop out and in, screwing up my shot. 

[skribetm]

i used to fly the LA7 a lot, and yes when it was updated i stopped flying it. i just felt it responded poorly to slow turns after the update, among other things. it surely didn't feel the same after the update. i hope a CM can enlighten us on this, or most probably i think it's just meh.   =)

[dedalos]

A huge decrease in the La7's you normally see? I remember seeing them constantly... this tour I've only killed one and none have killed me. By contrast I've killed 14 SpitXVI's. Going across the board of squadies, it seems that this is true for the rest of them too (thanks, new stat pages )

Not that it really matters, it's just kinda funny that a plane that was once so common that it almost felt as if you couldn't go two sorties without seeing one now seems so rare.

I took a break for a week.  I should be on tonight.  Let me know where you are at and we could arrange a death to a LALA for you 

[RumbleB]

I've noticed what seems to be a steady increase in the use of all of the planes that like to come in high, boom and zoom.  It seems there is a trend to fly what I would call "more safely" or perhaps "more timidly".  Seems like a lot of P51s, Typhies, and 190s lately.

lol m8, that's how it's always been

[MajIssue]

I've noticed what seems to be a steady increase in the use of all of the planes that like to come in high, boom and zoom.  It seems there is a trend to fly what I would call "more safely" or perhaps "more timidly".  Seems like a lot of P51s, Typhies, and 190s lately.

Timid? The object of any form of Military combat is to make the OTHER guy die for HIS country. Getting kills and landing them in not IMHO timid but smart. If one were to follow the pfactordave "rules", "one" would fly his "E" fighter low and slow into a furball so that pfactordave could wax "ones" tail and send "one" to the tower to ponder why "one" was so stupid as to fly an "E" fighter low and slow into a furball where pfactor dave could get an easy shot.

Just kidding Dave!

[Bosco123]

Here are my top 5 kills this tour so far:
1. P51D:27
2. Spit16:21
3. Niki:15
4. F4U1-D: 12
5. F6F, Lanc & LA-7: 9

So it just barley reaches my top 5.

[PFactorDave]

Timid? The object of any form of Military combat

If we were talking face to face, I would have stopped you right there and pointed out that it's a game.   

I stand by timid though.  It is a very timid way to play the game when you don't engage unless you are 5k+ above your target, then return to that advantage after every pass.  Little risk involved.  But whatever, to each his own.  I just find it incredibly boring.

[MaSonZ]

Here are my top 5 kills this tour so far:
1. P51D:27
2. Spit16:21
3. Niki:15
4. F4U1-D: 12
5. F6F, Lanc & LA-7: 9

So it just barley reaches my top 5.

my top 5 are (aircraft only):

1. Spit 16:35
2. P51D:27
3. N1K:23
4. Seafire:20
5. A6M5B, F6F5, IL2, Spit VIII, Typhoon IB: 15

La7 places # 6, tied with Hurricane MKIIC at 12 kills of it. go back to January 2008 and it was #3, February (when they updated it), it was #2, and in march, after the update it was #5. slow, but gradual decrease.