Jumpin on the P-38 bandwagon

[38isPorked]

The P-38 suffers from no torque thanks to its counter-rotating props. The Zero, just like any other plane without c-rotating props, does roll better to a side thanks to its Torque. US pilots learned that the zero could not manouver well at high speeds, and a favourite tactic used against it was high speed manouvers. The F4U Corsair, if in trouble, would merely nose down and dive away from the Zero.

The Zero, like the 109 and F4U , is "harder" to turn to one side because of the torque. The F4U, having a better high speed handling than the zeke (who's controls were very slugish above 300mp or so), would get above 300mph with the zeke on its tail and TURN to the right (using your example, I dont remember which side it was).. a turn the zeke would not be able to follow, allowing the Corsair to escape.

In AH the roll rate is influenced by Torque. Get a 109G10 reaaal slow and WEP it. You will feel the torque.. it takes a lot more pulling the stick to make the plane bank to one side. The La-7 also has this. The N1k is the only plane I dont see as having a torque effect for such a monster engine.

-Tac
(this is my out-of-home bbs account..no way in heck am I leaving me bbs info on U. systems)

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Ra, my bad, I thought u were talking about the Stabilator of the P38. You where indeed talking about the vertical stabilizator?
(or maybe the P38 doesn't have a stabilizator, it's an elevator? ).

[Steven]

Tac or any other P38 nut,

I am interested in hearing any tips on fighting the P38 vs the 190 and 109.  Until last night, wasn't too nervous about them but one guy I encountered in a 190 handed my twin-booms to me and sent me packing.  I just started flying the P38 this month and am interested in hearing tips from those who have experience.

[ra]

Frenchy,

I was just using 'stab' as short for horizontal stabilizer.  The P-38 doesn't have a stabilator, it has a horizontal stabilizer and an elevator.  When the stab gets shot off the elevator goes with it.

P-38's are rare in AH, but when you do see one there is a good chance you will soon see it toppling end over end with nothing left between the tailbooms.  It is an Achille's heel the P-38 didn't have.

ra

[Chibo20]

There must be a glitch somewhere with the 38 i remember gettin both  tails blown clean off by an ost and the thing was flying smooth even when I turned......hell I even landed it.....with one flap gone..........don't raise a fuss I don't want that, but thats just what happened....this was with patch 5null

[38isPorked]

The 109/190 are the easiest planes to kill when you in a 38. You can out-turn the later models and you can keep up with anything the earlier models do...except dive (when, or should I say IF HTC decides to fix the dive flaps, they wont be able to pull that either!. 5+ tours waiting for this and counting) and top speed.

Force them into sciscors or turnfights. You'll eat them easy. Best when you low alt, so the cowardly waffles dont dive to momma's ack.

Dont zoom up with a g10 or d9 (you recognize them because the dont turn as much and zoom up reeeeal fast). Dont dive following a 190. You can follow a 109 on a dive, but only if you are inside d300 range.. if he's d500+ and dives, he's gone.

Stay above them in any situation. If they dive away, you stay level or do a slight dive to get speed...and watch them. In the MA someone else will dive after them and make them turn or zoom climb to evade ..and thats when you dive on them, as they go up.Many 109's and 190's dive away, see you at d4.0, think they are safe and zoom up to re-engage... and they dont realize that the d4.0 is because of alt separation, not horizontal.. ive seen many waffles climb up and find me at d300 range in 2 seconds...and i'd be at 400mph while they will be at 250mph from climbing.

The 38 should never follow a 109 and 190 in dive (IF the dive flaps were fixed you could try, but you'd still lose as the 109/190 fly at 500'ish and retain that E much, much longer than you ever will.. and you will have burned your alt and your E for nothing). As a general rule. See the above for an exception with the 109's.


If you fighting above 25k, remember your fowler flaps give you a great turning ability.

[ 11-28-2001: Message edited by: 38 ]

[Steven]

I figured vs a 190 the last thing you'd want to do is try to scissor him due to his fast roll rate.  

I did recently come across some variant of 109 at low altitude and tried to circle fight and the guy kept right on my six and even damaged me a bit before I was able to get away.

How do you generally get the fight to slow down when you need that?

[38isPorked]

The more a 190 rolls when losing speed, the deeper he digs his grave. 190's will hardly go past 1 or 2 sciscors. You out-accel them, so if you cut engine to half during the top part of sciscors (bottom part, full wep to regain E) and the 190 TRIES to keep up, it will kill itself, they either stall or disengageOf course, this is when you try and shoot them.

Puke, I said the 38 can keep UP with the earlier models in turns.If you got out-turned by a g10 or a d9, you were not using flaps or had something hanging from your plane  . The P38 can keep up with the 109 and 190 in turns..because it turns a tad better and accels MUCH better than they do (except a g10 on wep)... if you cloverleaf (pull some g's on the turn, then stop pulling while WEP to regain a bit of E, pulling again..with use of flaps of course) them you get many shots into them If the 109 is on your 6, you wont shake him off by doing a circle fight. That's what sciscors and spiral dives are for *G*. To get them slow? Ermm.. I think your best bet will be to lure them into turning.. and turning. Again, remember that all i've said so far is when they are coming at you from 6 oc AND have alt/e adv.

Many of them bite the hook.. the 38 is so big, so porked and generally so poorly flown in the MA that they go straight in and follow you into any manouver...like sciscors or turns. When I see a 109 or 190 NOT get into turns, but instead dive away and keep his speed higher than mine, I know the guy knows the 109 and 190. I can even ID who's on the plane... Fester LOVES to do  90 degree dives on his 190 and then pull up, fart and climb to my 6. I hate him. Very much  

[ 11-28-2001: Message edited by: 38 ]

[Raubvogel]

P-38s catch rounds very nicely. My Wurger likes to eat them very much.

[popeye]

I thought the P-38 got a bit tougher in 1.08.  Maybe just my imagination.

[Pyro]

I've made some durability changes to the P-38 for the next patch.

[gripen]

Originally posted by 38:

If you fighting above 25k, remember your fowler flaps give you a great turning ability.

Well, the P-38 of the AH might do that but the real P-38 losed it's maneuverability at high altitude due to comressebility. The combat flaps helped at low altitude and at low speeds.

gripen

[ 11-28-2001: Message edited by: gripen ]

[Animal]

wooohooo pyro!!  

[Tac]

Thanks Pyro! Hey, while I got you here, did you get that 5 meg e-mail with info about the dive flaps I sent about a month ago?? Yea or nay only thing I ask  

Gripen, wrong. The 38 suffered from compresibility, but that has nothing to do with the flaps. 38 flaps had a lock which would NOT allow them to deploy past 250mph (early 38's ripped their flaps off when pilots did not retract them). The plane compresses at 410-420 mph up high.

However, the plane indicated 250 mph, but its real speed easily was 350, near 400 (redline indicator). So in reality it would gain great manouverability at normal combat speeds. The late 38J's and L versions took care of the compression problem in combat with the dive flaps. Pilots were then able to enter compression without the danger of locking up until they hit thicker air... and their dive flaps PULLED the nose UP at 3 or 4 g's if they were deployed when the plane was compressed (if deployed before it would let the pilot pull the nose up..sort of like what AH has now). I just wish the AH 38 had the 3-4g after-compression nose up effect (which is the 5 megs I sent Pyroman   ) .

"I thought the P-38 got a bit tougher in 1.08. Maybe just my imagination"

The single-ping engine death problem plaguing many planes was fixed. The reason why you grazed a 38 and killed it in earlier versions was because you'd blow the tail off or kill both engines in one whack. The tail seems to have been toughened up a bit (I mean the Tail Booms), but the stab is still removed by a couple .303's.

[ 11-28-2001: Message edited by: Tac ]

[Sundog]

Just a question for '38'. How do you think the anti-compressibility flaps are broken in the AH P-38? Just curious as to what you think is wrong with them.