Mystery Lanc

[PJ_Godzilla]

Maybe I'm insane - and NO, I don't have a film. I float this just to see if it's happened to anyone else.

Yesterday afternoon, I approached a solo low Lancaster. It was the third of a box - the other two got blown away by some unlucky compatriots who paid the price for their attacks. This I saw happen as I approached the box. I noticed, as I approached, no identifying icon. This remained true even as I got close enough to see the remaining Lanc. As I got close to it, I made a slashing firing pass and several hits. Normally, in a Spit VIII, I could do this with impunity by rolling and yawing as I came in. However, this Lanc put me down hard, as if hitting me with 20 mils, and blew my wing off quickly.

I never saw an icon - and even more oddly, I never got a message of who shot me down. 

[SAJ73]

Hmmm.. 

I think a few days of fishing and camping would probably make that mystery Lanc go away.. 

 

[Ghosth]

First question is what direction you were approaching from.

Second is what alt, above, coalt, or below?

Dead 6 is called dead 6 for a very good reason.

High or low slashing attacks from the side always work better.

[ACE]

I'm gonna throw this one out there, but did you have your icon mode turned (off). lol.



-Spektor

[Jayhawk]

Was he on the deck, because being extremely low can hide the icon "under the water."  Some bombers, especially lancs will set down on the water to protect their belly from vertical attacks (no bottom guns).  Remember this guy dispatched two other attackers,  he most likely got a good stream right into your flimsy spit.  A little unlucky but not terribly surprising.  Never consider your plane immune to another planes guns.

[PJ_Godzilla]

Was he on the deck, because being extremely low can hide the icon "under the water."  Some bombers, especially lancs will set down on the water to protect their belly from vertical attacks (no bottom guns).  Remember this guy dispatched two other attackers,  he most likely got a good stream right into your flimsy spit.  A little unlucky but not terribly surprising.  Never consider your plane immune to another planes guns.

I approached from above and aft abeam. He was low, but not low enough to hide an icon - I recall something like 6-8k. Other icons were visible. I never shut mine off in an arena where others are using them.

I TOTALLY concede that he might've just blasted me. It happens - though I'm not used to getting it like that from a Lanc - a 17 or 24 I tend to find much more salamanderly. Leave that aside as me getting killed - not that unusual an ocurrence.

The true mystery is the missing icon and missing message after he took off the wing of my admittedly flimsy spit.

Regarding that flimsy issue, it REALLY is. I downed a couple of Lancs the other day with a D-9 and honestly felt like it was robust compared to the Spit because it soaked up a couple of holes in the wings with impunity. I used to always feel like, with the D-9, I was pushing a glass nose around (still true, in the overall scheme, they're pretty easy to oil/coolant hit).

I wish I'd filmed it. 

[grizz441]

Fantastic riddle, and I believe I have the answer.  You inadvertently had icons turned off and this lanc was in fact your ally.  You kill shot yourself.  If icon was on like you claim, I still argue it was your ally and his icon was hidden somehow.

[pervert]

Fantastic riddle, and I believe I have the answer.  You inadvertently had icons turned off and this lanc was in fact your ally.  You kill shot yourself.  If icon was on like you claim, I still argue it was your ally and his icon was hidden somehow.

 

[PJ_Godzilla]

Okay, perv, laugh your fao.

Actually, this sounds like the most plausible explanation. It SOUNDED like getting hit with my own 20 mils. The icon still baffles me but the self-service kill makes a lot of sense.

I'm sure I didn't get credit, either. If such were policy, doubtless there'd be some clown with an outsized ego-wiener who specialized in shooting himself down, just so he could post up big kill numbers in the arena and in the forums.

[pervert]

Okay, perv, laugh your fao.

You gotta admit its pretty funny  well at least the mystery has been solved 

[PJ_Godzilla]

You gotta admit its pretty funny  well at least the mystery has been solved 

Yes - and, I wondered why my epic attack appeared unanswered yet I got absolutely HAMMERED.

[transam1]

Dont feel to bad. I did the same thing in a tank at one time thinking this guy had the spawn camped. Turns out it was a friendly and i killshot myself 5 times before realizing i had icons off.

[Spikes]

Dont feel to bad. I did the same thing in a tank at one time thinking this guy had the spawn camped. Turns out it was a friendly and i killshot myself 5 times before realizing i had icons off.

LOL. I'd love to know what the friendly was thinking!

[mensa180]

I do this on a routine basis, on purpose, to squadmates.

[Lusche]

Dont feel to bad. I did the same thing in a tank at one time thinking this guy had the spawn camped. Turns out it was a friendly and i killshot myself 5 times before realizing i had icons off.

I did that once, but I didn't had icons off. He was simply out of icon range. I needed several shots to range him, and then I rejoced about that amazing 7K hit... for a 1/2 second. Then I was back in tower.