190D-9 OTD Speed

[PJ_Godzilla]

WMLute: There is no reason you can't furball in a Dora.  All you have to do is fly the D9 to it's strengths.  The D9 is a wonderfull Energy fighter.  Incredible roll, great speed and climb.  The 190 series is one of the most maneuverable planes in the plane set.  Just don't flat turn 'em.  There are many other ways to get around a circle other than a flat turn.  Learn to do so, and you will find the D9 can hold it's own vs. most anything you come up against.

Okay, this is more like it. I've been learning. There was an SFO last Friday in which I winged up with a more experienced pilot from my squad. He and I were in Spits and took on a 109 that came in looping like a circus act. I found it extremely amusing and tried to follow him in the vertical. My element lead shot the 109 down before I cashed the dividend check of trying to vertically hang with a 109 while flying a Spitty.

FF to Sunday. I'm flying my D9 in the MA and happen on a 109 that starts right in on the same vertical circus act. I know the Dora is likely a better vertical fighter than the Spit and the 109's an early model. Thus, I get in a looping scissor with him. At the third oscillation and after kicking over the top inverted, I have a minor epiphany. The roll rate on the Dora is so good that, when hanging vertically and at low speed, it is entirely possible to pick any heading on the compass rose posthaste - i.e., in the vertical, rolling is a good way to turn.

I killed the little circus clown and landed the victory after a head to head merge at the top of the loop. The next day I got a Spit up at around 20k - blew half his wing off on the first snapshot. A half hour later, I snapshot a P-51 after the second head to head pass. I never knew I'd killed him until the system awarded me the victory. All I saw was him going down with a thin trail of smoke.

This is an entirely manageable airplane, given sufficient imagination.

I don't worry too much about Spits anymore - mostly you find 'em on the deck at low speed - but the Hawgs and Ponies are always dangerous.  That said, there is talk of a Mk XIV and an uber -38 with it's own high roll rate.

[Knite]

One thing to keep in mind too is that top speed changes at EVERY elevation...

So while you're running on the deck with WEP, hitting a top speed of 368 (376mph-8mph for DT rail), if he's sitting at even 2500ft, he could be hitting 381mph w/WEP, so he's closing on you at over 12mph. Add in the fact that he can dive down from that once he closes in, and you can see how a slightly higher con with lower top speed can still catch you.

Best way to catch up to another plane isn't to fly at him, but fly above him.

[Dano]

Godzilla, welcome to the next level of dogfighting and get ready for your k/d ratio to skyrocket!

It is truly amazing how many people think, or maybe assume, the measure of a plane's maneuverability rests on how well it can complete a horizontal, 360 degree turn (circle).

When I hear people, like yourself, talk about flying a FW in the vertical and it's roll rate I think to myself "that guy is going to be dangerous if I ever run into him 1v1."

There are so many ways to get kills in a FW from BNZ to TNB, offensive starting position to defense stating position, tracking shots to snap shots. Which is why I feel it is the best pure dogfighter in the game right now.

At any rate, enough of my opinions. It does this old FW jock good to hear new blood learning the FW and realizing its strengths and weaknesses and how to exploit them.

I know you didn't ask, but one piece of advice, always be cognizant of your "circles" in a dogfight. In other words, realize that, given the same aircraft with the same conditions (speed, alt, load out, etc), a vertical circle (loop) will ALWAYS be a "shorter" circle than a flat (horizontal) circle. One reason is because the vertical circle actually looks like a lower case cursive E, whereas a flat circle is a true circle and hence longer. By cognizant I mean always be aware of what type of circle (loop or flat) would benefit you best at any given time during the dogfight.

Ok, two pieces of advice, always try to maintain enough E to perform at least one loop and learn to perform a double immel and at what speed it requires you to be at to do so.

<S> And good hunting!
<Get down of his soap box> 

[Cajunn]

Another thing the OP could of done was chopped throttle, you know he was in wep trying to catch you, then set up for the over shoot, that's what I would of done. But I suck so don't listen to me