Perking Spit 16

[waystin2]

In a few months, we can celebrate 5 years of "Perk The Spit 16!"  

 I must be doing something horribly wrong...of all the Spits, the least I worry about is the 8 and 9...could just be luck...the 14 is a nasty bugger to shake off and tough to get lined up on if the pile-it spots you, but the only way I can come close to a 16 is to get one low and slow...and that's in a 109G6...in a 190 it's cherry pick only  

Anyone want to give lessons?

Lessons I can't offer Gyrene.  I am primarily a Spit pilot when in fighter mode.  I prefer the 8 to the 16 and the 9.  Mind you all 3 versions are dangerous if you step out of your envelope and into theirs.  In my opinion this is where most gripes arise about any given plane.  Guys attack a low plane, burn their E, then are surprised when they cannot outfly a co-alt/co-E Spit 16.  Some can get out of this situation, but not all pilots can.  If you cannot outturn or outclimb the Spit model you are facing, do not step into their best performance envelope.  I have an established pecking order of attack when confronted with multiple planes/plane types.  Highest first, then Co-alt, from there I start looking at what can outclimb or out turn my Spit 8 and nail them in order of threat.  I have found that a methodology or process to your attacks can prove very beneficial.

[RTHolmes]

Spit 16 is the dweebiest plane in the game and needs to be perked badly. This plane is way to manuverable, can climb like nothing, and obviously can never stall out. Spit 16 needs to be perked double the amount of the spit 14. I'm really not to sure why the 14 is perked, even though it can't even manuver as good as the 16.(Anyone who responds to this and flys spit 16, learn something else to fly.)

a quick glance at the stats shows that so far this year you've been killed by a XVI ... 3 times!

[jdbecks]

Learn your planes strengths and your opponents weakness, use your strengths to defeat him without letting your weaknesses being used as his strength.


There is nothing wrong with the spit 16 and I only fly luft rides.. No plane is perfect and all planes have bad points...Its the same when people complain about being ganged and vulched etc..both are problems that are caused by the player complaining.

My current tour standings with the spit 16

                               kills    killed by
Spitfire Mk XVI    0    7    2    

[Wingnutt]

Learn your planes strengths and your opponents weakness, use your strengths to defeat him without letting your weaknesses being used as his strength.


There is nothing wrong with the spit 16 and I only fly luft rides.. No plane is perfect and all planes have bad points...Its the same when people complain about being ganged and vulched etc..both are problems that are caused by the player complaining.

My current tour standings with the spit 16

                               kills    killed by
Spitfire Mk XVI    0    7    2    

DUMB


262s are easy meat if you catch em slow, so they shouldn't be perked either.

[jdbecks]

DUMB


262s are easy meat if you catch em slow, so they shouldn't be perked either.

no its not dumb.

[Guppy35]

Interesting to note the K/D of the Spit XVI is 1.13 the same as the P38G.

It's less then the XIV, 3 of the Corsairs, P38J, P51D,  3 of the P47 models including the D-11,, LA7, Ki-84, Ki-61, Hurri IIc, 190D9, C205, 109K4, 109G14, AR234, Tiffie and Ta152 along with the Monsters, the 163, 262 and the Tempest...oh and it's K/D is less then the A20 also.

Guess we better perk a lot of planes

[RTHolmes]

Interesting to note the K/D of the Spit XVI is ... less then the ... D-11 ...

perk the D11! 

[caldera]

If the SpitXVI is no big deal, then why is it 5 ENY?   

[jdbecks]

 ah wiki, then there is the comparison charts you can look at too..

Engine Power

The Spitfire Mk XVI really provides a ride for the low to medium altitude ranges up to slightly over 20K. Most fights in AH are under 20K (really under 15K) which is perfect and hence why the Spitfire Mk XVI is such an effective aircraft. Speed is not outstanding but is a bit better than average with WEP. Cruise at sea-level is only 315mph, not even average, but with WEP that kicks up to 342mph which is just above average. The numbers improve with altitude, climbing to 336mph/363mph at 5K, 357mph/384mph at 10K, 368mph/386mph at 15K and 383mph/405mph at 20K. Above 20K there are better Spitfires, and other aircraft, suited to this high altitude work. Climb is very good through the same range, easily enough to match almost all aircraft though the decrease in wing-area on the Spitfire Mk XVI leaves it behind some of it’s Spitfire peers (Spitfire Mk XIV and Mk VIII are slightly superior at high altitudes). Climb-rate flattens out around 15K and drops quickly over 22K. Acceleration, linked to climb-rate, follows the same pattern and is very good at low altitudes. Fuel range has never been a strong-point with Spitfires though the situation has improved with later models that could also accept a droptank. In the case of the Spit XVI, you have 102 gallons of internal fuel which is only 38 minutes or so, even when you are at very low power settings. At military power, you are talking more like 19 minutes. I’d suggest the drop tank is almost mandatory, it adds almost 40% to your duration at full fuel and the drag penalty after dropping the tank is minimal. The Spitifire has also gotten an update to divide the internal fuel into two tanks, a Top and Bottom, with 58 and 44 gallons respectively. This is actually a pretty important change for the Spitfires, it means if you manage your fuel better if you keep track of it manually. With about 68 gallons remaining, manually switch to the top tank (the bottom burns first) and that will leave you 10 gallons as a reserve in your bottom tank. That can be useful if you tend to forget about your fuel and run out and can help if one tank takes a puncture, something that used to be fatal.


 Firepower

Fairly good, the Spitfire comes with only one option of a pair of wing-mounted .50 caliber machine guns (250rpg) and a pair of 20mm Hispano Mk II cannons (120rpg). The .50s are credible when the target is at convergence and also tend to create damage with some well placed hits. They do not tend to give really quick results but they have to be respected as they tend to hole fuel-tanks, radiators and oil-coolers. The 20mm Hispano cannons are very good, they offer superior ballistics to any other 20mm cannon in the game and hit amongst the hardest of the 20mm class of weapons. Hispanos have been respected in the game for a long time and any aircraft carrying a pair of them should be effective against fighter sized aircraft with even quick snapshots. Firing time is a bit light, 18 seconds for the .50’s and 11 seconds for the 20mm, enough for a few kills at least.

External options are better than earlier Spitfires with wing mounts for 250lb bombs or a pair of 3.5inch rockets. While basically a token attack ability, it is none-the-less something and gives some flexibility over the target to knock out light structures or go after lightly armored ground vehicles. On the centerline is also a mount which can carry a 500lb bomb or 30 gallon drop tank. Typically the drop tank is taken to provide some reasonable range but the bomb can be useful in close. Performance suffers at high aircraft weights and high drags so flying around with a bunch of ordnance is not great if you are fighting.
Maneuverability

The Spitfire Mk XVI weighs in at only 6329lbs when totally unloaded (no fuel or ammo), loaded with fuel/ammunition 7,241lbs. The Spitfire doesn’t handle the weight too poorly although if you add on external ordnance you can quickly find yourself over 8,300lbs which is a problem. Turn rate is good though the clipped wingtips do give a noticeable reduction in turn-rate and an increase in radius. That effect becomes especially evident at high altitudes. Still, the Spitfire Mk XVI is at least average and at speed can tend to pull enough lead for a shot without too much trouble. Low speed handling is a bit less stable and seems to be a bit oversensitive in pitch in my experience. Don’t use flaps, they are really only for landing and the drag they produce is a real disadvantage. General performance and stability are very good over the whole speed range and roll rate is very crisp and direct, something different from all the other Spitfires which tend to feel laggy in roll. With WEP power, the Spitfire Mk XVI can maintain a turn or replace lost energy.
Fighting in the Spitfire Mk XVI

Easily one of the best aircraft in the game, the popularity of Spitfires in general was always high due to their good balance of abilities. The Spitfire Mk XVI addressed the two largest issues that Spitfires suffered from, some lack of roll rate and a low speed at low-medium altitudes. The Spitfire Mk XVI may not be the "best" aircraft in any one aspect of the game but it certainly is better than average at most.

Use the excellent power and responsiveness when fighting and try to keep the fights at medium or lower altitudes. A quick climb for some altitude is never a bad idea and the Spitfire Mk XVI is no different (though it climbs like a rocket so it doesn’t take long). Other full-span winged Spitfires will have slightly better turn rates, especially as altitude increases, so slow turn-fights are not a specific strength. Sustained turn-rates are good given the engine power and the instantaneous turn-rate is also very good. Try and use the excellent vertical performance, quick aileron response, and solid turn-rate to win angles for a shot. You should be able to match the energy potential of most opponents and probably build an energy advantage over time due to a generally low energy bleed of most Spitfires. Don’t hang around in turn-fights if they start to slow down, the likes of the Ki84, N1K2 and P-38’s can give you trouble as they tend to gain advantage as the speeds slow. Also try and avoid high-weight fights with external stores, most of the time people will carry a drop tank but potentially forget to drop it, it will create extra drag and decrease performance. Also save your WEP for use in the fight, the Spitfire Mk XVI is a different beast if you don’t have the extra power of WEP. Be careful not to overshoot your target, the Spitfire Mk XVI generates energy so quickly that it is a frequent mistake to blow right by an opponent if you make a mistake.

Defensively you probably have a lot of options but consider the initial situation to determine your goals. The Spitfire Mk XVI is not a fantastic extender if you decide to run though it is quick off the line for short sprints of speed. Recovering energy to even out a fight is not too difficult if you are smart and that can get you back into a fight on even terms. Quick roll is also a big asset, it tends to keep the enemy out of phase with your lift vector and cause you to be a very hard target. Maneuvers in the vertical are good, be they defensive like a split-S and if given even a little time to recover some energy/position, the Spitfire Mk XVI can turn back on the offensive. If presented the opportunity, quick snapshots can be dangerous to discourage enemies who hang around to get sloppy near you.
Fighting against the Spitfire Mk XVI

Be careful, it doesn’t take a fantastic pilot to make a Spitfire Mk XVI dangerous. It has such quick hitting power and can adjust so quickly to defensive maneuvers that it can be a real handful.

Always assume Spitfires you see are Mk XVIs unless you know better. If you get over-aggressive and in close with a Mk XVI you can quickly run into real trouble and not be able to escape. Pick your spot carefully and make your attacks count. Given the balance in the Spitfire Mk XVI several other aircraft will have either a speed or turn-rate/radius advantage if the speeds get slow. Spitfires are typically don’t take damage very well, they tend to get holed fuel tanks and lose radiators to even quick snapshots so don’t be afraid to spray a little to try and inflict damage. A damaged Spitfire tends to have very little time before the fuel runs out or the engine overheats which will force the Mk XVI pilot to be very aggressive knowing his time is running out. Give yourself some extra leeway to escape if things turn against you.

Getting jumped by a Spitfire Mk XVI is a bad situation so try and avoid the initial attacks with some hard maneuvers. If you have an opportunity to get in a snapshot, do so, as Spitfires tend to overshoot if they are not carefully being managed well (the huge energy building potential and tendency to attack with lots of alt/speed causes this). Many aircraft in the late war arena are still going to have an overall speed advantage if they can build a little time to extend from the Spitfire Mk XVI although the margin might be a bit slim. In general I try and point out on most aircraft a specific weakness that can be exploited but in the case of the Spitfire Mk XVI there isn’t any one thing specific.Be careful, the Spit XVI has an amazing roll rate. If you are in a rolling scissors with a Spit XVI try and get out of it , the roll rate of the Spit XVI makes it dangerous and in the hands of a veteran you are almost certain to end up on a chute if you try and fight its fight. It’ll come down to pilot skill and appropriate selection/execution of maneuvers that suit your aircraft. The margins are likely to be small and it’ll be a tough fight.

[LLogann]

Did you know people like you and I are the ones that build those wiki pages?  A dead Don Knotts was running for US President in 2008 too according to wiki.

ah wiki, then there is the comparison charts you can look at too..

EDIT:   Whether it be AHwiki or regular wiki   

[Anaxogoras]

...Still waiting for someone to give sound criteria for perking.

Interesting to note the K/D of the Spit XVI is 1.13 the same as the P38G.

It's less then the XIV, 3 of the Corsairs, P38J, P51D,  3 of the P47 models including the D-11,, LA7, Ki-84, Ki-61, Hurri IIc, 190D9, C205, 109K4, 109G14, AR234, Tiffie and Ta152 along with the Monsters, the 163, 262 and the Tempest...oh and it's K/D is less then the A20 also.

Guess we better perk a lot of planes

I hope you aren't making the argument that a plane is only as good as its k/d ratio.  You and I both know that doesn't cut it.

[Karnak]

...Still waiting for someone to give sound criteria for perking

HTC decides that the unit is having undesirable effects on the game in its uncontrolled state.

[BnZs]

Learn to fight your fight not the 16s.  Its easy to kill like any other plane when you use
you plane correctly.

This is rather fatuous statement. There is no fight against most opposition that is not the 16's, unless you're calling the other LW monster's ability to run away some sort of fight.

However, the OP should realize that 1. He needs to learn how to write and argue with something resembling logic, and 2. No one gives a *****. The fact that the Spixteen is fairly close to being the supreme a2a machine of the game is eclipsed by other facts, such that the more experienced players don't usually choose to fly it offensively, half of the a2a fighting in the MA is about who brings the bigger horde, and half the player base going about trying to kill buildings, not airplanes, anway.

[Wingnutt]

K/D and personal experience VS a particular ride meas absolutly nothing and has actually negative merit, seeing as how trying to use that argument only highlights the fact that you are indeed grasping at straws.

The fact that the more experienced sticks tend to avoid flying the 16 due to the negative stigma that surrounds it.. I.E. that its too easy to fly and get kills in.. tends to back up the OP argument that it is too good and needs to be perked.

[Karnak]

Addition for Karnak 
(Image removed from quote.)

Note the lack of a Merlin 61 on that list.