P38J P38L engines?

[Randy1]

I think the P-38L is a markedly better fighter in AH than is the P-47D-40.  It also gets its ordnance to the target faster by a significant margin.

The massive firepower of the 47 is a great equalizer.

Getting the ords there, I agree, the P38L sure climbs well when loaded.  For this tour, I use the P-47 as a fighter and use the P-38L for attack missions. 

On the the P47-D, using 50% fuel with a center drop tank, you can be respectable in getting the same ords there as the L but that is with WEP.  Drop the tank after climb out and your in pretty good shape.

[LCADolby]

Which 'top P-38 drivers' have claimed that?  In an equal fight, it's a wash and whoever makes the first mistake is going to lose.

ack-ack

I have to say, I'd expect the J to win

[Ack-Ack]

I have to say, I'd expect the J to win

I don't see why.  If anything, the L has the advantage at high speeds due to the better roll rate from the boosted ailerons and also the advantage in the dive from the dive flaps.  Equal pilots, it's a wash between the J and the L with the determining factor being who made the mistake first.

ack-ack

[LCADolby]

Doesn't the L have a higher weight due to those added pieces of equipment?

[Ack-Ack]

Doesn't the L have a higher weight due to those added pieces of equipment?

Nothing that prohibits from having the same turn rate/radius in-game of the of the J.

ack-ack

[LCADolby]

That surprises me, because I've found the J the better fighter the times I've flown it.

[Ack-Ack]

I find the L to be the best of the 3 P-38s we have in game even though I tend to fly the J exclusively.

ack-ack

[Karnak]

The massive firepower of the 47 is a great equalizer.

Erm, P-38's firepower is quite competitive.  Seven .50s worth of firepower as long as the cannon ammo lasts, and all centerline so better concentration.

[Getback]

I've been flying the P38L for attack missions as of late. Nice plane for sure. It has a great advantage in that after you drop ordnance you can climb out fairly well and fly CAP. Those nose cannons are nice too! Since I don't fly to many cannon planes it really impresses that you can knock another plane out of the sky so fast. The speed isn't so bad either. Better than I thought after shooting down so many in an f4U-1a. I guess the mindset you must have in a P38L is if someone is over you, you best get ready for the fight.

Speaking of over you, I've gotten quite a few kills in the 38 when the enemy is languishing higher simply by just pointing the nose upward. That's way better than the F4U-1a. The downside is diving. It will compress, there's things you can do though to avoid the dreaded compression.

One last cool thing is you can helicopter that bad boy in for a landing. Heck it should be perked for it's landing ability alone.

[Randy1]

Erm, P-38's firepower is quite competitive.  Seven .50s worth of firepower as long as the cannon ammo lasts, and all centerline so better concentration.

The eight 50s give a really good spray pattern where as the 38 is more of a centralize, laser like stream.  If your crack shot then as you noted the difference is lessened.  A crack shot I am not.

[Karnak]

Spraying with MGs just results in assists.  I've definitely noticed my Mossie is able to absorb tremendous punishment from American fighters that are hitting me with sprayed .50s.

[BnZs]

Spraying with MGs just results in assists.  I've definitely noticed my Mossie is able to absorb tremendous punishment from American fighters that are hitting me with sprayed .50s.

Limitations of a damage model where turning a plane into Swiss cheese isn't particularly likely to do anything. I imagine 8 .303 packages suffer even worse relative their abilities in RL.

[Ack-Ack]

The eight 50s give a really good spray pattern where as the 38 is more of a centralize, laser like stream.  If your crack shot then as you noted the difference is lessened.  A crack shot I am not.

I'd rather have concentrated fire power than spraying my rounds all over the place, you tend to kill more stuff that way.

ack-ack

[Karnak]

Limitations of a damage model where turning a plane into Swiss cheese isn't particularly likely to do anything. I imagine 8 .303 packages suffer even worse relative their abilities in RL.

I think you're significantly overestimating the effectiveness of spraying .50 rounds like that.  I see a lot of bias of that kind in favor of the .50 on this forum.  Could one of the rounds severe a control cable in the wing?  Sure, but unless you hit me with a lot more rounds than we're talking about it is pretty unlikely.  By the time you've sprayed and prayed your .50s over my Mossie to the point that you'd have a 50/50 chance of doing so I'd have been long since dead to structural failure in the AH damage model.

[BnZs]

I think you're significantly overestimating the effectiveness of spraying .50 rounds like that.  I see a lot of bias of that kind in favor of the .50 on this forum.  Could one of the rounds severe a control cable in the wing?  Sure, but unless you hit me with a lot more rounds than we're talking about it is pretty unlikely.  By the time you've sprayed and prayed your .50s over my Mossie to the point that you'd have a 50/50 chance of doing so I'd have been long since dead to structural failure in the AH damage model.

Ah, but there are things besides control cables to be hit. And the aerodynamic and structural effects of having your airplane Swiss-cheesed. Lots of things that can ruin a fighter airplane for the fight or force it down that don't involve a wing falling off. Taken together, it begins to add up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daTkqBae3gA