Ok, I've been thinking of making a post like this for quite some time now. I really like all the LW planes, they have strengths and weaknesses that offset eachothers capabilities quite nicely.
A good example of this is the FW190. We have 3 different versions (for all intents and purposes, the F8 is still kind of useless). The 190A5 is the most manuverable of all the 190s, but it doesn't really pack all that much firepower. I always bring all 4 cannons, but the twin MG-FF not only lack in hitting power, they lack in ammunition load. If you are an excellent shot, you might be able to get 4 kills before the MG-FF run out of rounds. From that point your firepower consists of 2 rather useless MG 17 7.92mm machineguns, and 2 MG151/20 20mm cannons. Even the Dora (in my opinion) packs more firepower over a longer time, with 2 Mg151/20s and 2 Mg131 13mm machineguns.
However, the jewel of the 190s, as far as firepower goes, is the 190A8. With a whopping 780 rounds of ammunition for 4 Mg151/20 cannon, and 950 rounds for twin Mg131 machineguns, you have a ton of firepower and quite a bit of ammunition to boot. Alternatively, you can take twin Mk108 30mm cannon with 55 rounds apiece, which I use for attacking bombers but otherwise wouldn't recommend.
My reasons for staying with 4 20mm cannon instead of 2 20mm and 2 30mm are pretty simple. First, even if the Mg151/20 isn't the best cannon in the game, 4 of them will put a massive hurt on someone even with a snapshot. Second, you gain a lot more firing time with the 4 20mm cannon. The 30mm cannon have 55 rounds apiece. I'm no expert, but they way I've figured it means you are shooting 4 cannons until you have gone through 220 rounds (assuming each cannon fires one round sequentially). This means once your ammo counter reads 390, you are down to just 2 20mm cannons and 2 13mm machineguns. That is quite a reduction in firepower, in my opinion. Third, the ballistics on the Mk108 don't even come close to matching the ballistics on the Mg151/20. Unless you are shooting at an extraordinarily close range, you will be hitting with either the 2 Mg151/20s (which aren't enough to kill someone in a snapshot) or the 2 Mk108s (which, since they kill in 1 hit anyway, is a massive waste of ammunition).
With 4 20mm cannon, you will be firing with 4 cannon until your ammunition counter reads 220 rounds (plus it started 160 rounds higher, remember). The guns are all identical, so you don't have to worry about different ballistics. And since 4 Mg151/20s put out more than enough lead to kill someone in a snapshot, you really don't lose any firepower in the long run. In fact, in my opinion, the 4 Mg151/20s actually provide MORE firepower than the other loadout.
Now, as far as using the 190A8 in the Main Arena. There are 2 ways to use this bird to its strengths, in my opinion. The first way is the way that most people seem to use it, which is straight BnZ. Climb up to a comfortable altitude several thousand feet above any enemies, then dive down, and using the good high speed handling and heavy firepower, kill someone and zoom back up to safety. This is a perfectly reasonable way to fly this plane. It is boring, in my opinion anyway, and you won't be able to keep it up for very long unless you have a wingman, because the 190a8 doesn't perform all that well vertically, but it is a relatively safe way to get kills.
The way I fly the 190a8 is totally different from this. Lets start out by saying what the 190a8 can't do. It really isn't much good for "E-fighting" because it has horrible vertical performance compared to a Spitfire, N1K2, and La-7. It also isn't as good as the 190A5 or 190D9 for using the vertical plane in a fight, so if you want to E-fight in a 190 (which aren't as good as the 109s are at it anyway
), you should pick one of those. It isn't any good in our traditional flat-turning 'dogfight' because, well, it can't really turn all that well. Besides, the 190A5 turns much better than the A8, so if turning is your thing, the 190A5 can turn well enough to lay a sustained burst on the target (which is good since it can't kill in a snapshot like the A8 can).
So... what can the 190A8 do well? Well, a couple things. First, it can change direction very well using the roll rate. Second, and more importantly, it can kill just about any plane with a snapshot.
Ok, so how do we use these strengths to our advantage? First, you have to be a reasonably good shot. If you aren't a good shot, you won't make the 1 or possibly 2 'kill-shots' you can force almost ANY plane to give you in the opening seconds of an engagement. This will lead to you dying quickly at the hands of an amused Spitfire or N1K2 pilot. Second, you have to know how to GET that shot on the amused-yet-hopefully-soon-blasted-into-little-pieces Spitfire or N1K2 pilot. And hopefully, I can show you how to do that. It'll take some explaining and some horrible diagrams made in MS paint, but I'd like to try anyway.
First, you have to understand one thing about "ACM" (that fancy pants stuff people try to explain what they do and why with). There will be no talk of hi yoyos or low dingbats, just some plain english words that I hope can do the job.
The one thing is deceptively simple, but it is absolutely crucial in FORCING an overshoot. Here goes, and I'll try to use as little 'jargon' as possible.
Ok, the only thing you really need to know is what factors affect a typical 'turn'. For this, you need to know the 'components', or parts, that make up a 'turn'. The first is turn RATE, or how fast a fighter can get around the turning CIRCLE (which is, incidentaly, the second part of a 'turn
). Now, turn RATE stays fairly consistant. It is affected by speed, but not nearly as much as the turning CIRCLE is. A slower plane will have a smaller turning circle. That is fact, that is gospel. That will always be true. A 190A8 going 300 mph will have a turning CIRCLE that is smaller than a Spitfire V going 400 mph. Granted, the Spitfire V will get around its circle FASTER, but the distance traveled in the circle will be greater than the distance traveled by the 190. So.. how do you use this to your advantage?
Well, you have to set up a situation where the Spitfire driver will have an 'easy' kill. So you cruise around in your 190A8 at 5-8k, and wait for a higher Spitfire to see you. Second, you have to take advantage of the overaggressiveness that is pervasive in our Main Arena. I'll try to make a diagram for now, and throw a film up when I get around to making one.
