High alt interception with the 410

[Torquila]

I need some help with high altitude interception tactics against bombers...

I find myself facing higher and higher runners (generally 30k now) and the 410 with the bk5 really has a hard time doing anything at that alt, so I don't want to waste any opportunities.

Thanks.

[Lusche]

At that altitude you are simply running out of options in the 410 with he BK-5. While kills are still possible, the 410 is at that altitude way past any performance level that would make it a first choice bomber hunter. If you still want to use it, you have to be at altitude and waiting near the bomber's target long before he's arriving. Considering the long time the 410 needs to climb to 30k (MK 103, 100 internal fuel = 34 minutes!), you can not really do intercepts but anti bomber patrols, upping in hope any enemy bombers will come your way. I would also drop the BK-5 for flights at very high altitudes, as you need each any every single mph or additional climbrate that you can get. (Actually the Mk-103 is a much better package at any alt, but that's a different topic).

Generally I would recommend taking a different plane for bomber hunting if you expect your enemies to fly significantly higher than 25k. Above 28k many bombers can actually pull away or at least outclimb you. While kills are still possible (been there, done that) it's a matter of luck and extreme patience, and often a very frustrating thing.

[Babalonian]

That just looks so much prettier and informative than the 410-clifnotes version: "The 410 sucks against most/all heavy bombers above 25k.  Climbing for more than 20-minutes is really unecassy and becomes a real drawn out process above 25k."

Best attack postions for starting your run on heavily laden/armed bomber interceptors at high alt is to be slightly above them and slightly faster.  As you can see from Lusche's data, this ideal strategic positioning becomes a chore to near impossible in a 410 vs B-17s at ~26k and above.  The best answer to your question is if you choose the 410, use it only on bombers within your ideal altitudes and speed ranges.  If you need to persue bombers above these limits, select another bomber interceptor better suited in that environment (off the top of my head: 109G-14 w/ gondies, 190A-8, Ta-152, and to an extent the 110G-2 should be noted and thrown into the pot as it is just-notabley better at higher altitudes than the Me410, but not by much).

[Traveler]

I need some help with high altitude interception tactics against bombers...

I find myself facing higher and higher runners (generally 30k now) and the 410 with the bk5 really has a hard time doing anything at that alt, so I don't want to waste any opportunities.

Thanks.

I've had a great deal of fun estimating where the bombers are taking off from, based on best routes to targets , many leave from 4 sectors  behind the lines, you can see the darbars light up.   I fly deep into those sectors at about 15 K and set up a BARCAP and get them while they are climbing up.  Many times, they are AFK.  Sometimes I'll kill just two and take off the ailerons and rudder on the last.

[SmokinLoon]

The prime altitudes for the Me410 are between 20k and 25k, no higher.  Yeah, you may be able to go fast enough to have a chance to intercept but the window of success is small enough that I suggest to not waist your time.  The 410 is a slug if you try and turn at higher alts, so long gentle turns are needed.   

The best thing you can do in a Me410 is take %75 and climb to 25k and patrol the bombing lanes far enough away from your strats to catch them before they get out of your altitude range, meaning once they get high enough let them go and go after fish you can catch. 

The Me410 has a very good range, no need to take %100 and DT's, I suggest %50 and DT's or better yet just %75.  Also, might as well make use of the 50mm.  Set your convergence to 600 yards and don't get any closer than 1000 yards. Shoot once and adjust.  1 hit brings down anything.

Patience is virtue.   

[Krusty]

We took 410s up to 30k and past in the last scenario. They're not terrible up there. Not great, but not terrible. We were keeping pace with the heavy 190A8s and even outpacing them several times. Definitely better than a heavy A8 at altitude.

Like Lusche said, the problem is you need to already be at alt and waiting for the targets. Since that's almost impossible most times, you're going to find you do a lot of chasing for very little reward.

The up-side? When you do catch them it is QUITE a reward, indeed! Those few seconds of joy keep you going through the hours of boredom chasing. At least, it seems to keep me going.

[Torquila]

Well I usually use a 75% fuel load to intercept strat runners as they extend and 100% with DTs for patrol routines seems to work fine when alot of people are on and active.

I decidedly don't use anything other then the bk5 because as a long time 110G player, I have learnt that getting close at high alts never works out unless they are in bombsite or afk...

Sticking to that and a patient attack pattern with a strict "no less than 1.5k" rule has gotten me almost a perfect record vs bombers.

But... I do want to be effective with the mk103 as well but only find it useful against fighters in head ons or long range deflections. After the sort of bomber pilots i've met at 25k+ (you as well snailman) I am increasingly hesitant to give it a proper go or even think that its worth it.

[Krusty]

Never get within 1.5k? 


Anyways, you never need 100% + DTs, especially just for normal patrols. Unless you intend to try and set duration records with it. It's one of the longest-range non-bombers in the game. In fact, you would NEVER want to take that much fuel on a patrol that you intended to engage the enemy with. There's so much fuel onboard you're shooting yourself in the foot, hand, shoulder, then head. You can't maneuver even if you need to.

With over 600 gallons of fuel onboard, every 25% adds about 900 extra pounds of weight. Each gallon of gas in Aces High weighs 6lbs, per HTC comments on the matter. If you find that 75% helps you chase down running bombers (a task that takes a lot of time and gas) why on earth would you take even MORE than that for basic combat?

It makes no sense.

[Lusche]

When I do high alt anti-bomber patrols in the 410, my standard fuel loadout is 100%, no DT. And I often had to use up all that fuel, even though I was travelling at lower power settings, because there was a long gap between appearance of enemy buffs. Or I was prowling all over the map in search of new food...

[Krusty]

My philosophy is: If 100% internal in a super long range fighter doesn't give any results, LAND. There's just nothing to hunt when that happens. Better to roll a lighter loadout and look for a localized fight. Try a little mixing it up at lower alts, etc.

[Lusche]

My philosophy is: If 100% internal in a super long range fighter doesn't give any results, LAND. There's just nothing to hunt when that happens. Better to roll a lighter loadout and look for a localized fight. Try a little mixing it up at lower alts, etc.

When I explicitly go high alt bomber hunting, "mixing it at lower alts" is not what I'm interested in.
Sometimes I'm just looking to protect the strats. In that mission, I find the long duration quite advantageous, as I don't have to see enemy bombers appearing right when I'm landing to refuel

With the marvelous Mk-103 package, I've got enough ammo for several formations, I personally don't want to waste that by choosing to little fuel.

[Krusty]

I meant to suggest that if the bomber hunting doesn't go well, stop doing that, and do something else. I often only had so much time per sortie so if I wasted an hour or more hunting bombers I'd try again later. If it wasn't happening I'd move on and do something different. Hence: go mix it up.

Essentially I'm saying if there's nothing to hunt why keep flying around doing nothing? I've done that far too much in this game. It took me a while to learn to just set the plane down, tower out, and mentally move on.

[Lusche]

Essentially I'm saying if there's nothing to hunt why keep flying around doing nothing?

For the love of it?

When I'm doing this stuff, I fully accept beforehand that there might a 20 minute gap between the actual combat incidents. When I don't feel I have the patience for such a patrol, I don't do it.
Especially when defending the strats, you have to think in different time spans. Depending on map, you can't know for sure when the next attacker is going to show up, but when you up only when you see him inbound it may be too late.

I often had more fun in keeping the City 'clean' for 60 minutes with only a few kills than having furballed with 10-12 victories.

[Tank-Ace]

In my opinion, you need a different aircraft for intercept. The 410 takes about 11 minutes to reach 20k, which is enough time for a set of B-17s to drop and leave the sector, if you up when the base flashes. At that point, you're not intercepting, you're retaliating.

The 410, is a different verse of the 110's song. You can attack a strat raid, or similarly long flight, but you simply cannot function as a point defense interceptor.


Use a K4 if they're below 30k and time is short , and the Ta-152 for above that, regardless of time, escorts, or Satan giving you the evil eye.

The P-47 can also be effective at high altitude, but it suffers from poor climb, and armament that is (in my opinion) less well suited to the slashing passes you will want to use, and is worse against escorts, although it's more resistant to gunfire,accelerates better IIRC, and has more staying power as far as ammunition goes.

[Torquila]

Tank you can never know id they are rtb or just extending for another run.