November Challenge

[BaldEagl]

I've been at home since early October on medical leave undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for cancer of the larynx.  While the Dr's continue to predict a rough road ahead the first four weeks have passed relatively incident free and my prognosis is good so no need for sympathy.  I'll be out until Jan 4th (one more chemo cycle, 5 more weeks of radiation then some recovery time) so have some time to spare.

In light of this I've decided to challenge myself to fly every fighter attack aircraft for three sorties during the month of November, in order, alphabetically.  No rearms and doing the best I can in the MA regardless of the conditions I run into.  This is a variation of something I used to do years ago (fly every plane to 2K/D regardless of time or sorties). 

There are 68 planes listed as Fighter or Fighter/Attack.  They are (in alphabetical order):

A6M2
A6M3
A6M5b
Bf 109E-4
Bf 109F-4
Bf 109G-14
Bf 109G-2
Bf 109G-6
Bf 109K-4
Bf 110C-4b
Bf 110G-2
Brewster
C.202
C.205
F4F-4
F4U-1
F4U-1A
F4U-1C
F4U-1D
F4U-4
F6F-5
FM2
Fw 190A-5
Fw 190A-8
Fw 190D-9
Fw 190F-8
Hurri Mk I
Hurri Mk II
Hurri Mk IID
I-16
Ki-61-I-KAIc
Ki-84-la
La-5FN
La-7
Me 410
Mosq Mk VI
N1K2-J
P-38G
P-38J
P-38L
P-39D
P-39Q
P-40B
P-40E
P-40F
P-40N
P-47D-11
P-47D-25
P-47D-40
P-47M
P-47N
P-51B
P-51D
Sea Hurri MkI
Seafire Mk II
Spit Mk I
Spit Mk IX
Spit Mk V
Spit Mk VIII
Spit Mk XIV
Spit Mk XVI
Ta 152H
Temp Mk V
Typh Mk I
Yak-3
Yak-7B
Yak-9T
Yak-9U

I plan to fly 16 planes per week (ideally two per day plus two additional per week) to complete my challenge by the end of the month.

Since I cancelled the Dueling Bracket last year after the "preseason debacle" I may bring it back in January depending on player numbers/interest.  As such, since planes are assigned randomly, this could be a good warm up to re-familiarize with the entire plane-set.

I've rarely flown in the past year or two so don't expect to do all that well but if anyone else wants to join the challenge please feel free.  I'm thinking it will be fun and something a little different to do in the game and who knows, you might find some new planes to fly along the way.

Anyway, wish me luck and I hope someone else joins in to provide a measuring stick.

[Oddball-CAF]

Hi Bald Eagle,
  First off, I wish you the best in your ongoing treatments.
A couple of years back I issued "The Emperor's Challenge" to my squad which consisted
of getting a single kill in every fighter in the game over the course of a one month
period.
  We had a lot of fun with it and had a lot of laughs as various pilots attempted to
work their way through the planeset.
  I think I'll ressurect it effective today as it's our "Squad Night".

Best regards, Odd

[Tumor]

My version used to be "Land a kill in every plane with guns on it".  Landing'em was the hardest part.

[RufusLeaking]

Getting well is your priority.

But, this is a great way to dust off the old hangar queens. I did this a couple years ago. I tried to get a kill in every fighter.

[jeep00]

Rua a PT across Gitche Gumee

[caldera]

I've been at home since early October on medical leave undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for cancer of the larynx.  While the Dr's continue to predict a rough road ahead the first four weeks have passed relatively incident free and my prognosis is good so no need for sympathy.  I'll be out until Jan 4th (one more chemo cycle, 5 more weeks of radiation then some recovery time) so have some time to spare.

In light of this I've decided to challenge myself to fly every fighter attack aircraft for three sorties during the month of November, in order, alphabetically.  No rearms and doing the best I can in the MA regardless of the conditions I run into.  This is a variation of something I used to do years ago (fly every plane to 2K/D regardless of time or sorties). 

There are 68 planes listed as Fighter or Fighter/Attack.  They are (in alphabetical order):

A6M2
A6M3
A6M5b
Bf 109E-4
Bf 109F-4
Bf 109G-14
Bf 109G-2
Bf 109G-6
Bf 109K-4
Bf 110C-4b
Bf 110G-2
Brewster
C.202
C.205
F4F-4
F4U-1
F4U-1A
F4U-1C
F4U-1D
F4U-4
F6F-5
FM2
Fw 190A-5
Fw 190A-8
Fw 190D-9
Fw 190F-8
Hurri Mk I
Hurri Mk II
Hurri Mk IID
I-16
Ki-43
Ki-61-I-KAIc
Ki-84-la
La-5FN
La-7
Me 163
Me 262
Me 410
Mosq Mk VI
N1K2-J
P-38G
P-38J
P-38L
P-39D
P-39Q
P-40C
P-40E
P-40F
P-40N
P-47D-11
P-47D-25
P-47D-40
P-47M
P-47N
P-51B
P-51D
Sea Hurri MkI
Seafire Mk II
Spit Mk I
Spit Mk IX
Spit Mk V
Spit Mk VIII
Spit Mk XIV
Spit Mk XVI
Ta 152H
Temp Mk V
Typh Mk I
Yak-3
Yak-7B
Yak-9T
Yak-9U

I plan to fly 16 planes per week (ideally two per day plus two additional per week) to complete my challenge by the end of the month.

Since I cancelled the Dueling Bracket last year after the "preseason debacle" I may bring it back in January depending on player numbers/interest.  As such, since planes are assigned randomly, this could be a good warm up to re-familiarize with the entire plane-set.

I've rarely flown in the past year or two so don't expect to do all that well but if anyone else wants to join the challenge please feel free.  I'm thinking it will be fun and something a little different to do in the game and who knows, you might find some new planes to fly along the way.

Anyway, wish me luck and I hope someone else joins in to provide a measuring stick.

It's 71 fighters.  You forgot the Ki-43, Me-163 and Me-262.  And The P-40B has been replaced by the P-40C.

Good luck in your quest and in your health.   
Can't say I've ever gotten kills in every fighter in a single month.  Some slower planes like the Hurri I can be frustrating to score a kill with.

On a related note, a personal goal of mine once was to get 100 or more kills in every fighter in the game.  That's a good long-term goal for those that like that sort of thing. 

[Lusche]

  Some slower planes like the Hurri I can be frustrating to score a kill with.

Back in the day the Hurri I was my main ride in the MA for a time, with hundreds of kills .... but that was a different AH *sigh*. Would be completely impossible for me to repeat that these days 

[BaldEagl]

It's 71 fighters.  You forgot the Ki-43, Me-163 and Me-262.  And The P-40B has been replaced by the P-40C.

Thanks.  Updated my list.  I was working off my dueling bracket list of two years ago.  The Me's were missing as they are not enabled in the DA but I added them for my challenge.  Regardless I was missing the Ki-43 and the P-40 B/C switch.  Thanks again.

[Oldman731]

Back in the day the Hurri I was my main ride in the MA for a time, with hundreds of kills .... but that was a different AH *sigh*. Would be completely impossible for me to repeat that these days

The Hurri I hasn't changed much.  It still surprises lots of people.

- oldman

[Lusche]

The Hurri I hasn't changed much. 

But the environment has. In my timezone, fundamentally.

[Zimme83]

But the environment has. In my timezone, fundamentally.

Indeed, even the last 6 months have seen a dramatic change for the worst for European players. Now its horde or be horded. Never go below 400mph unless having 5 friends to cover you...

[caldera]

But the environment has. In my timezone, fundamentally.

It would now take you years to duplicate your 900 Hurri I kills, even in US primetime.  Few people will engage without all the advantages and fewer still will stick around when any of those advantages are lost.  Due to attrition, it feels like the only players remaining have been here for years and the prevailing combat theme is "survival at all costs".

[Lusche]

It would now take you years to duplicate your 900 Hurri I kills, even in US primetime.  Few people will engage without all the advantages and fewer still will stick around when any of those advantages are lost.  Due to attrition, it feels like the only players remaining have been here for years and the prevailing combat theme is "survival at all costs".

To be fair, I think most of my Hurri victims back then weren't nobly willing to turnfight with me either. They were mostly about survival as well.

But the fights were bigger and more prolonged, which is (for the most part) simply a result of numbers, player density on a map. The fiercer and bigger the battle, the less SA. That made it easier to find enemies who had dropped low and slow enough to be engaged with something as slow as the Hurri I.

But when you engage single cons inbound to your field, you can forget the Hurri I for the most part. You are so easily to avoid for a 47, 38 or Mustang intending to pork your radar, ords or VH.

[Slade]

Best of luck sir with you health! Please keep posting when you can.

As far as the idea to fly each plane in alpha order until getting a kill in it.  Seems I have heard this before somewhere. Hmmmm...

[Wmaker]

The Hurri I hasn't changed much.  It still surprises lots of people.

Actually, the change was very significant IMO. When the 3D model was upgraded, the new flight model was done from scratch. It became faster and the slower roll rate significantly reduced its ability to change directions.

I agree what Lusche is saying though. Average speeds in the MA have gone up so much that that has even bigger impact on flying the Hurricane than the change in the flight model.