of course they did, all experienced pilots who had them (low deflection flaps) available knew they could use them in combat and often did.
however the specifics of when, why, and to what extent they used them are as different in the games compared to the real world as the flaps and their effects are different in the games compared to the real world. probably different in direct relation to how differently flaps work in the real world compared to the games.
i.e.
could flaps give you some more turn to solve an angle in the real word? yes absolutely.
would flaps make an inherently inferior maneuvering aircraft a superior maneuvering aircraft? no absolutely not.
that is just how it is in the real world. in the game not so much.
++S++
t
no offense ...
well.....flaps ingame don't take an inferior turning plane and make it superior turning.
that would be the pile-it keeping his aircraft in it's respective flight envelope.
i haven't mastered it yet, but i've finally on occasion managed to turn my 38j inside a spit, and a couple hellkitties.
while they were in flat turns, on one occasion, i was way too fast, but still got inside of him.....another i was waaaaay slower than i should've been....and managed to get inside.
it was no trickery. it was recognition of the need to change my tactics.,...and in so doing, i got better performance.
an air force friend of mine(somehwat of a historian) has messed with different ww2 flight games. he knows pilots from ww2, as do i.
from talking with these people, it would seem that the modeling is pretty darned close here.
of course there's some gamey things.......but for the most part, when you or me get beat, it has nothing to do with "tricks", so much as it has to do with the fact that the other cartoon pile-it just simply knew his cartoon airplane better.
almost forgot.....in those AAR's i posted.....they were new pilots.
the 38's use flowler flaps, which function differently than standard flaps also.