"Easy" or "hard"? Starring the AH P-38

[Randy1]

Soulyss nailed it flat out.   The high performance planes you don't have to push them to the very edge to survive but the 38 you do since every red in the area wants to take the easy shot on such a big plane. Don't get me wrong, any plane has to be pushed to its limits to be the best.

The hard part about a 38 is after you learn the basics, the rest of what you need to learn to survive is hard to work into your skills because it is a pinch of this and a pinch of that.

[Triton28]

Well put,  Soulyss.

The decision making is what's hard for me.   There's nothing the 38 can do that will make me smarter.     

[Karnak]

If the 38's is considered to be on the more difficult side I think it's because it doesn't have a trump card against a lot of the more common aircraft in the MA.  Or I should say it's trump card can be harder to employ to gain an advantage.

Sure, if you only compare it to the top 10 or 20 fighters it'll be well on the hard side.  If you only compare the second easiest fighter to the easiest fighter it'll be hard as well, so I guess we can agree that all fighters other than the Spitfire Mk XVI are hard.

The fact is that the P-38 does have trump cards against most other aircraft.  There are fighters in the game that have practically no playable cards against any other fighter.

I stand by my original position, the P-38L/J is easier than the average fighter in AH.  That doesn't mean it close to as easy as a Spit XVI, but it does mean there are a lot of aircraft that are significantly harder to succeed in.

[Zacherof]

One of the most annoying things about the 38 are the climbing turns. it's down right dangerous.
And even if they don't have that much E, they can still climb nose straight up with those laser guns making a rope/tail-slide risky.
Kudo's to those that can switch from being defensive in a 38 and switch to the killer. 


Btw AKAK I uh......no hard feelings about the HO right?

[Triton28]

Sure, if you only compare it to the top 10 or 20 fighters it'll be well on the hard side.  If you only compare the second easiest fighter to the easiest fighter it'll be hard as well, so I guess we can agree that all fighters other than the Spitfire Mk XVI are hard.

The fact is that the P-38 does have trump cards against most other aircraft.  There are fighters in the game that have practically no playable cards against any other fighter.

I stand by my original position, the P-38L/J is easier than the average fighter in AH.  That doesn't mean it close to as easy as a Spit XVI, but it does mean there are a lot of aircraft that are significantly harder to succeed in.

I'm curious as to the plane you consider to be the average in terms of difficulty in learning.  We established the margins.  Let's find the middle. 

With the 38 it can do a lot of things reasonably well but you're constantly changing tactics and having to make a lot of decisions... *snip*

It cannot be understated how much the above comment matters when learning the 38 and why it adds complexity.  The amount of options the 38 has going into most fights is an asset to a good pilot and a roadblock to the beginner.  You can turn well, but.  You can climb well, but.  You can accelerate well, but.  You're fast, but not that fast.  You can dive quickly, but compress easily.  You can roll well fast (in the L), but not slow.  You can handle well slow, but can't throw on the brakes like many others can.  Taking away a few of these options reduces capability but also speeds up the learning curve by eliminating bad decision potential.  Bad decisions in most fighters make you dead.  Bad decisions in a large, twin engine fighter make you dead faster. 

 

[Karnak]

I'm curious as to the plane you consider to be the average in terms of difficulty in learning.  We established the margins.  Let's find the middle. 

Hmmm.  I'd have to think about it in detail, but off hand something like the C.205 seems pretty middle of the pack.  It has strengths and weaknesses, but none are extreme.

[Randy1]

Bad decisions in most fighters make you dead.  Bad decisions in a large, twin engine fighter make you dead faster. 

Dude, this needs to be in your signature.

[Triton28]

Dude, this needs to be in your signature.

I need to put it in neon lights above my monitor.   

[Gman]

I would agree about the C205, I wonder how a 205 vs P38 fight would end up with equal pilots, if there is such a thing.  The 205 doesn't have any of the K4's ability to take the fight nose up and eventually beat the P38 that way, so far as turn rate/radius, I have a feeling they 205 and P38 are pretty close.  Flaps use, I'm not sure either, but I think the P38 probably has an advantage once the flaps are out.  Firepower, the 205 has decent guns, but the P38 obviously has better accuracy, or at least no convergence issues accuracy wise.

I'm not certain, but I think that the 205/38 match up would be pretty close, and they would be ranked fairly close on the ladder if you were ranking which planes are "easiest" or "easiest to kill/fight with".

Has anyone done any dueling/testing with these two planes? 

[Debrody]

Tundra,
i think the 38 would win very quickly once the fight goes under 230mph.

[Brooke]

I think I'd do better in the C.205.

It is interesting to think of a list of fighters on a spectrum from best to worst (in typical MA play).

[Fulcrum]

  Bad decisions in most fighters make you dead.  Bad decisions in a large, twin engine fighter make you deader fasterer. 

Fixed. 

[katanaso]

I would agree about the C205, I wonder how a 205 vs P38 fight would end up with equal pilots, if there is such a thing.  The 205 doesn't have any of the K4's ability to take the fight nose up and eventually beat the P38 that way, so far as turn rate/radius, I have a feeling they 205 and P38 are pretty close.  Flaps use, I'm not sure either, but I think the P38 probably has an advantage once the flaps are out.  Firepower, the 205 has decent guns, but the P38 obviously has better accuracy, or at least no convergence issues accuracy wise.

I'm not certain, but I think that the 205/38 match up would be pretty close, and they would be ranked fairly close on the ladder if you were ranking which planes are "easiest" or "easiest to kill/fight with".

Has anyone done any dueling/testing with these two planes? 

The 38 should win - in our game, it's easy to get angles on a 205.

[ink]

The 38 should win - in our game, it's easy to get angles on a 205.

depends on who is in 205.

[katanaso]

In my opinion, the 38 is an easy plane to fly as it's very stable.  It's also easy for a newer player to use and get kills via BnZ.

After that, it takes some skill to really make it maneuver, and that's where it's goes into the 'hard' category.

I'll say it's not as easy as it was back in AW, when we could hold an 'air brake' and make it hang nose down.  The 38 here requires a lot of throttle work and flap usage to gain angles or stay out of the enemy's guns, and if the fight gets too fast while nose down, many planes that aren't considered 'turners' can get inside and gain angles.  For instance, Jugs and 51's can turnfight very well versus a 38 if the 38 gets too fast.

It's an easy plane to fly, but a hard one to fly well.