BF-109 Stability

[Tig]

I encountered something today while drilling in offline missions. I was doing the Channel dogfight from both sides, just practicing Spits and Emils in large scale fights.

Over and over again, the Spitfire and Hurricane AIs would manage to knock off my vertical stabilizer, and oftentimes an elevator as well. HOWEVER, I found the 109 still had enough longitudinal stability to fly away and even fight to an extent. Most of my time finless was spent running back to a field and having the ack shoot at my pursuers. I was able to pull away from them with raw engine power, and I circled and flew the field several times in hoping the ack would nail the Hurricanes. If they hadn't shot me down I could have landed it for sure.

Is this a thing with the other 109s or just the Emil? Also, is there any account of this happening in real life? Just an interesting capability I found today.

[Busher]

I encountered something today while drilling in offline missions. I was doing the Channel dogfight from both sides, just practicing Spits and Emils in large scale fights.

Over and over again, the Spitfire and Hurricane AIs would manage to knock off my vertical stabilizer, and oftentimes an elevator as well. HOWEVER, I found the 109 still had enough longitudinal stability to fly away and even fight to an extent. Most of my time finless was spent running back to a field and having the ack shoot at my pursuers. I was able to pull away from them with raw engine power, and I circled and flew the field several times in hoping the ack would nail the Hurricanes. If they hadn't shot me down I could have landed it for sure.

Is this a thing with the other 109s or just the Emil? Also, is there any account of this happening in real life? Just an interesting capability I found today.

Sounds a little gamey. I cannot imagine any real airplane - especially a single engine airplane - remaining controllable with the vertical stab gone. I would refer you to the crash of American Airlines 587 and the crash of a Japan Airlines 747 on August 12,1985.

[DmonSlyr]

It was probably only half your tail, and yes, it is an occurrence that happens. It actually makes the 109 (in AH) stall fight better  . It also happens to other planes. I'm sure it did happen IRL which is why Hitech modeled it. PIA for me generally because I wreck planes and they fly away with half a tail or turn even better in the fight 

[Busher]

It was probably only half your tail, and yes, it is an occurrence that happens. It actually makes the 109 (in AH) stall fight better  . It also happens to other planes. I'm sure it did happen IRL which is why Hitech modeled it. PIA for me generally because I wreck planes and they fly away with half a tail or turn even better in the fight 

Well there you have it Tig... right from NASA's expert on aeronautical design and engineering.... likely thousands of hours flying high performance aircraft.
Tig, see if you can arrange to get some tailwheel time during your training - better yet some aerobatics training as well. Aces High is a fun internet game but a few liberties were taken in flight modelling. But what do I know? I only had slightly more than 30,000 flying hours when I retired.

[TryHard]

Well there you have it Tig... right from NASA's expert on aeronautical design and engineering.... likely thousands of hours flying high performance aircraft.
But what do I know? I only had slightly more than 30,000 flying hours when I retired.

Wow I never knew DmonSlyr had such high qualifications 

[DmonSlyr]

Well there you have it Tig... right from NASA's expert on aeronautical design and engineering.... likely thousands of hours flying high performance aircraft.
Tig, see if you can arrange to get some tailwheel time during your training - better yet some aerobatics training as well. Aces High is a fun internet game but a few liberties were taken in flight modelling. But what do I know? I only had slightly more than 30,000 flying hours when I retired.

I mean, I do have thousands of kills and hundreds if not thousands of hours in AH over 15 years, although I don't have time to play that much anymore. I was #1 fighter last tour and a few times this year among other years. Had the most kills in 2 Combat challenges this year and the most kills in the last FSO in a 109f by 6 over the next guy. So I do like to think I know what I'm talking about in the skis of AH, especially since the 109 is one of my best planes 

[Busher]

Wow I never knew DmonSlyr had such high qualifications 

Well there you go. A detailed curriculum vitae covering the details of an extensive video game career.

[Banshee7]

Well there you go. A detailed curriculum vitae covering the details of an extensive video game career.

Well, considering the post was about 109s in Aces High with only the last statement being a question about IRL, I don’t really see why Violators post deserved this kind of response. Lighten up.

[DmonSlyr]

Well there you go. A detailed curriculum vitae covering the details of an extensive video game career.

A proud video game career   

[The Fugitive]

I mean, I do have thousands of kills and hundreds if not thousands of hours in AH over 15 years, although I don't have time to play that much anymore. I was #1 fighter last tour and a few times this year among other years. Had the most kills in 2 Combat challenges this year and the most kills in the last FSO in a 109f by 6 over the next guy. So I do like to think I know what I'm talking about in the skis of AH, especially since the 109 is one of my best planes 

Just for giggles I ran your numbers to see what you have. Here are the top planes in kills from the last 15 years.

[Bopgun]

Just for giggles I ran your numbers to see what you have. Here are the top planes in kills from the last 15 years.

Is there a place to download this program? I had it years ago

[Oldman731]

Just for giggles I ran your numbers to see what you have. Here are the top planes in kills from the last 15 years.

You...um...you didn't put in the C202...

- oldman

[DmonSlyr]

Just for giggles I ran your numbers to see what you have. Here are the top planes in kills from the last 15 years.

Sweet thanks! And that's just under Violator I assume. Did you do DmonSlyr and Catfish6 as well? I had a couple other names, but probably not enough there to put a dint in it. Only 4 planes below a 3 k/d, I'll take it! Only really getting about 100 kills a tour now due to limited time I can play and lack of larger consistent fights. Trying to get my 2500 kills in the jap planes, seems like it's taking forever!

[LCADolby]

Catfish6... I hated that guy

[DmonSlyr]

Catfish6... I hated that guy

Big time squeaker!

There actually was another catfish flying around a few years ago. Not sure what happened to em.