Brewster B-239 and the I-16

[Clone155]

I got into a very long turn fight with another Brewster (<S>  Santaana), had my flaps waaay out and was having a blast.  Then I got rammed by somebody trying to pick me, knocked my tail feathers off.  Plane pitched up, I kept the throttle full...  Floated down and landed like a helicopter, plane settled right side up pretty as you please.  I think I fell at least 500 feet, maybe more!   

On another topic, the I16 is looking to have a bleak future with the poor fuel consumption...

[Lusche]

On another topic, the I16 is looking to have a bleak future with the poor fuel consumption...

I think it can make a good NOE defense plane, and you will see it a lot on CV vs land base battles.

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I have only a little time in it yet, but to me it seems the I-16 is way more stable than I would have expected, both from what I have read as well as watching original footage of that plane in action.

The B-239 is a low-speed monster. May become the dread of all A6M5's in latewar

I'm pretty sure particulary the Brewster will see a lot more sustained usage after the novelty wears off than the P-39

[moot]

It feels like the same sort of artificial stability that the F4U isn't supposed to have at departure.  The I-16 does have a pretty loose departure, so it's not completely uncharacteristic.

[WWhiskey]

So far I must say I like both airplanes. Best of all they really duel each other out really well. The Historical recreations including the two should be awsome. We'll see how it works out. I'll say this already however and that is I like the 235 more then the FM2. I think the 235 handles better.

 yea i thouhgt i very funny, the fm2 will now have to run and B.And Z.

[Saxman]

I sort of wish HTC had made a separate B-239 and F2A-3, rather than just making it a single aircraft with gun packages. The F2A-3 had a good deal more weight than the 239 so we've really got sort of a hybrid with the US gun package (granted, it had an extra 200hp as well, but nowhere near enough power increase to make up for it). The result is a sprightlier Brewster than the USMC, RAF and Dutch actually had against the Japanese.

[Krusty]

I've had the stall buffet occur a few times, but has anybody spun out or dropped a wing in one yet? 

EDIT: referring to the brewster this time

[Grendel]

I sort of wish HTC had made a separate B-239 and F2A-3, rather than just making it a single aircraft with gun packages. The F2A-3 had a good deal more weight than the 239 so we've really got sort of a hybrid with the US gun package

What US gun package?

Finnish Brewsters had two weapon layouts. Originally with 3 x heavy and 1 x light MGs, which was upgraded to 4 x heavies.

[Guppy35]

I had a spectacular low speed crash in an I-16- some Finn took a wing off, and I tumbled in, ripped off the tail, then the other wing, then one gear strut, and rolled over on the canopy, sliding to a halt in a stand of trees. It's interesting to fight at speeds low enough to survive unscheduled departures. 

I do that in the 38G on the deck all the time.  Managed it nicely in the Brewster too.  Way too low and slow, plowed into the water, both wings and tail came off.  Then Bat came in and rammed me and he broke up the same way and we were both sitting there in the water having a good laugh at that tough little bird

[moot]

The I-16 speed limit is above 550TAS.  No broken parts and I couldn't snap anything off by ham handing it around either.  Couldn't even get the airframe to creak.

[Guppy35]

I've had the stall buffet occur a few times, but has anybody spun out or dropped a wing in one yet? 

EDIT: referring to the brewster this time

Yes, during some stall fighting with Batfink.  flaps hanging out and stalled it and dropped a wing.  Easy to recover though.

[Widewing]

I ventured into the Beta arena tonight and flew a single sortie on furball island. Shot down a pair of I-16s and a 109F. The I-16s really had nothing for the Brewster close-in. However, they are tough little fighters, sucking up a great deal of .50 cal ammo before going down. The 109F had an altitude advantage. He tried to suck me up into a climbing flight, but I wouldn't play his game. Instead, I dogged his low six until he came down.  After a couple of minutes, the 109F had lost his E advantage. Even with flaps out, the 109F was completely outclassed in a stall fight. Slow and dirty, the 109 pilot could not use his advantage in the vertical and never had a chance.

I think the "BREW", as its icon says, will be one of the dominant fighters in the early war arena, and can hold its own in the others as well.


My regards,

Widewing

[moot]

I haven't had so much trouble with brewsters in the I-16 that I'd put it as being out of contention in a knife fight.  I haven't gotten much 1:1 time (too many interruptions), but from what I've seen, the only clear dominance the Brewster has on the I-16 is pure flat turns. 

[gripen]

What US gun package?

Finnish Brewsters had two weapon layouts. Originally with 3 x heavy and 1 x light MGs, which was upgraded to 4 x heavies.

Actually there was three weapon layouts:

1. Original: 3x 12,7mm Colt (MG 53-2) + 1x  7,7mm Colt (MG 40)
2. 4x 12,7mm Colt
3. 2x 12,7mm Colt + 2x 12,7mm Lkk/42 (derivate of 13,2mm FN-Browning, not a copied Colt)

Firepower wise the third layout was about 50% more effective than the second because here in Finland the Colts were set for 550 rpm (factory default) while the LKk/42 did 1000-1100 rpm. The LKk/42s were also in the wings (no synchronisation) so the increased rate of fire was fully utilized.

For the details see Suomen Ilmailuhistoriallinen Lehti 4/2007-3/2008 "VKT 12,70 LKk/42 - ei mikään Coltin kopio" by Pentti Manninen. I sent some documention on this to Pyro but I don't know if the third layout is modeled.

[BnZs]

I think the "BREW", as its icon says, will be one of the dominant fighters in the early war arena, and can hold its own in the others as well.

I move that they change the icon from "BREW" to "BUFF". That way the average MAer will shoot at it from dead six instead of trying to HO it.

[Saxman]

I move that they change the icon from "BREW" to "BUFF". That way the average MAer will shoot at it from dead six instead of trying to HO it.

Just got done playing with her for the first time in the Beta arena.

Very stable, incredibly agile and superb rate of roll at all airspeeds, dives like a brick, controls remain responsive even at high speeds, her flaps may be as good as the Corsair's, solid gunnery package, VERY long range. E retention appears to be very good, at least with flaps up. Her only two weaknesses are speed and sustained rate of climb.

I'm calling it now: Perk on the Brewster in EARLY WAR ARENA.