Spitdweeb: Or, what's wrong with flying the Spit?

[Ardy123]

The spit is extremely forgiving. It is a great bird to put a new pilot in. It will give him confidence and allow him to stay in the air long enough learn ACM.

This, and I would even argue that it impedes pilots to learn ACMs as its forgiving nature allows them to make all kinds of mistakes and still win.

For being so "forgiving", it seems to take little damage to kill it.  Therefore a great aeroplane to try and survive in, in order to land = Skill required, especially SA. 

most of the non-american rides are 'soft'. Try a zero, learn 'soft'.

[Wiley]

It's basically the most user-friendly plane in the game.

I believe it can help people when they're new for the reasons listed above, as well as the fact that they have to spend less time and attention fighting with their plane, and therefore are able to spend more time and attention fighting the enemy.

To a certain degree I agree with the 'it gets you into bad habits' crowd once you've reached a certain level of capability.

I think what bugs people about it is when an average pilot gets into it, it ups their game significantly.  Mistakes that would cost them the fight in most other aircraft are only minor setbacks, and you can do some things you just can't do in other aircraft.

Its downside is its fragility, but to me that's not much of a downside because my philosophy on fighting in this game is if you're depending on your plane's ability to take damage to survive, you're getting hit way too much.  Buffkilling is the exception to that rule.

Wiley.

[ink]

I consider myself one of the best in the Spitfire. It took a lot of time for me to settle on a favorate fighter, and the Spit is it. I also enjoy the 51, the American Spitfire.

 

really now.....well we should test that out

[Debrody]

I would argue that because the Spitfire can do everything well the pilot learns much more advanced ACM.  

I disagree.
In a spit16, you can follow many different tactics and still win. Yes midway, its extremely forgiving.
Look, im a noob, as we all know. Still, about a year ago, when i learned some tricks (tailwhip, hammerhead etc), the spit pilots were just wondering what i was doing. I improved since then, but still dont know anything.
Most of the spit pilots just do flat circles and think they own while the plane is working instead of them.
They dont need rudder, nor flaps, nor throttle management, just pull the stick back and you win.

If you wanna learn ACM, fly a ki84, 109F, whatever. You can get the same results, but you MUST be "working", also "thinking" to be effective. They help you to learn how to use your whole plane.
Then, if you hop back to the spit, do the same moves, using all your control surfaces, you will feel like an unbeatable god.

[nrshida]

It's not that "we" are stubborn and refuse to fly it because it's "dweeb, *I* refuse to fly spits because I want to challenge myself in a more outclassed plane. For example, I fly the K4, it can't outturn the spit and the gun package is much harder compared to the Spit. Its only real strength over the spit are scissors and E fighting. I'll play to the K4's strengths and exploit the Spit's weakness.

If I had flown a spit, I could've just pull any move and get a kill. It just doesn't feel "rewarding".

I consider the K-4 far more forgiving than a Spitfire Mark IX, say, when pushed to its limits.

Not specifically directed at you titanic3, but I could restructure your argument to say that the only disadvantage the K-4 has would be the poor sustained turn rate and poorer energy retention, everything else, climb rate, vertical stability, deceleration, armament and docility of handling at the stall is in the K-4's favour. So stated and knowing these attributes well, then the argument that you are challenging yourself is less valid don't you think?

[titanic3]

I consider the K-4 far more forgiving than a Spitfire Mark IX, say, when pushed to its limits.

Not specifically directed at you titanic3, but I could restructure your argument to say that the only disadvantage the K-4 has would be the poor sustained turn rate and poorer energy retention, everything else, climb rate, vertical stability, deceleration, armament and docility of handling at the stall is in the K-4's favour. So stated and knowing these attributes well, then the argument that you are challenging yourself is less valid don't you think?

I agree the K4 is one of the top 10 fighters, but unlike most Spit pilots, I don't restrict myself to just the K4 like they restrict themselves to just the Spits. I'll fly Ki84s, Ki61s, G14s, P47s, and recently the 190A5. All of which have major weaknesses besides the Ki84.

[Ardy123]

I consider the K-4 far more forgiving than a Spitfire Mark IX, say, when pushed to its limits.

how many hours have you and I dueled in that thing (g14 too) in the past?

I bet that if you took most players and threw them in a k4, they would struggle like all hell once the fight got slow. It takes significantly more 'effort' and management to be effective in it. But yes, once one know how to fly it, it is very forgiving, but that's more to do with 'training' vs the spit, you can throw anyone in it, and they will achieve some success in it.
 

[nrshida]

Well perhaps the discussion does not translate well between layers of experience, but if you duel Spitfires with certain members of The Few for example then you begin to see how tough a mistress the Spitfire can be. At this level it is harder to fly very well not less.

Regarding the late model 109s I agree you either have to have a good command of energy fighting or a very good command of ACM to reach a minimum level of survivability, however for a quick comparison, stand a Bf109K-4 or G-14 on its tail and slowly reduce to zero power, then repeat that in both a Spitfire Mark IX and the Nakajima.

I think the discussion reduces down to public perception and it doesn't take much to show how prejudicial that can be. I think it isn't the plane you fly so much as the way you fly it.

[Peyton]

really now.....well we should test that out

Let's get ready to Rumbleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[ink]

Let's get ready to Rumbleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

anytime

[Dead Man Flying]

The Spit is a total dweeb plane, an utter embarrassment to fly.  I should know!

[Oldman731]

The Spit is a total dweeb plane, an utter embarrassment to fly.  I should know!

Bah!  You were superior in virtually any plane you flew (certainly in any plane I've seen you fly).  Probably you should have been barred from flying any plane other than the FW 190A8 and the P 40B.

- oldman (hey, it would have given the rest of us a chance)

[Wiley]

Well perhaps the discussion does not translate well between layers of experience, but if you duel Spitfires with certain members of The Few for example then you begin to see how tough a mistress the Spitfire can be. At this level it is harder to fly very well not less.

I don't think what the top shelf dueling players can do in a plane really has much bearing on its strength or weakness in the main arena.  How often do two high level guys wind up in a 1v1 duel in the Main?  I think what the average players can do in it in a crowd is far more important.

Regarding the late model 109s I agree you either have to have a good command of energy fighting or a very good command of ACM to reach a minimum level of survivability, however for a quick comparison, stand a Bf109K-4 or G-14 on its tail and slowly reduce to zero power, then repeat that in both a Spitfire Mark IX and the Nakajima.

I've spent the last week or two flying the K4 almost exclusively, which is a long time for me to spend in one plane that isn't one of my main rides.  It's taken me that long to get comfortable enough in it to start to be able to kill in a turn fight in it.

I have spent probably at most about 5% the amount of time in Spixteens that I've spent in just the K4 over the years.  I've got enough touch in the K4 at this point to feel that I am not completely useless in it.  Every time I up a Spixteen, I feel as though I can kill at will in it.

Obviously, if the pilot disparity is high enough they'll kill me in the spixteen, but against the average guy I run into in the MA, I feel I have a good chance of getting him, even though I'm not very familiar with the plane at all.  That is its greatest strength, it's easy to kill a lot of people in without knowing the fine details of its behavior.

Wiley.

[Midway]

Bah!  You were superior in virtually any plane you flew (certainly in any plane I've seen you fly).  Probably you should have been barred from flying any plane other than the FW 190A8 and the P 40B.

- oldman (hey, it would have given the rest of us a chance)

You got to see him live.   All I have is a few films.  You are a lucky oldman, lucky indeed. 

[ozrocker]

Always loved the look of the real Spit in general. I play around in the 8
but the v is my true love.


                   " I consider myself one of the best in the Spitfire".
Guess he's not fought Bruv yet                                                                                                                      

                                                                                                                                                Oz