A beginner's guide to the planes
 

This guide is mainly meant to help people who are new to the game, based on experience in-game. Because of this it might not correspond to your own experience, historical facts or Dogfights episodes. Before you start arguing about something in this thread, please be sure to have valid arguments, not based on historical facts or similar.

Useful links

• Detailed BOP test data for 20 BOP aircraft available here! -- A thread by Widar in which he presents in-game stats.
• What sensitibity for what plane on Aviator stick -- A thread by Benrizz presenting different sensitivity settings for different airplanes.
• Landing Tips -- A thread by Ancient Seraph giving some tips for landing.
• PS3 Trophies Xbox Achievements & Plane Unlock List -- The full list of requirements to unlock different planes/armaments.
• Thought you guys would find this helpful. -- A map by ThatYoungGameGuy showing the airports near Dover.

As I've said before, even though most things mentioned in this thread can be backed up by facts, it doesn't mean they have to be, nor does it necessarily mean they have to correspond to them.

Fighters

• Spitfire series
  The Spitfires can all be described the same, although there are some small differences between the two. These planes are Turn&Burn fighters, meaning they're very good at turning, but the top speed is not the highest. They're pretty twitchy, especially when hit in the wings, and require some practice to fly. When you get the hang of them, they're lovely planes to fly, and very good in Realistic mode, since that's mainly about T&B.
  • MkII -- 4 x 7.7 Brownings (M) -- 2 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza (C)
    This is the earliest version in the game. It's a decent turner, although not the best, and has a pretty decent armament as well. Good choice for games with an early year limit on it, but not so much for the later periods.
  • MkIX -- 4 x 7.7 Brownings (M) -- 2 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza (C)
    The MkIX is a very good turner, high in the top 5. The armament is decent, and due to the high amount of tracers it's pretty easy to aim with. Good choice in general for T&B.
  • MkXVI -- 2 x 7.7 Brownings (M) -- 2 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza (C)
    Although a slower roll rate than the MkIX, it can definetely compete with it. The armament is a bit better, so it's a good choice if you're having trouble shooting someone with the MkIX. If you look at the hangar description of the guns, it says the MkXVI has 2 Browning Machine Guns, however, in real life it had 2 x 50 cal. MG's. Quite some people agree this is probably what's modelled in-game as well, since the MkXVI feels like it has better armament than the other Spits.
• Bf-109 Series
  The 109's greatest strengths are its armament, speed and stability. These planes are the best at Boom and Zoom (coming in fast, shoot fast, and disappear fast). They can be outturned by quite a lot of planes, so be careful not to try to turn with a Spit. They're also easier to fly than most planes, due to their stability. They can also take quite a beating and still fly on. Due to it's big guns and very good stability it's loved by quite a lot of players. Note that the general performance of the Bf-109's will increase with at higher altitudes. You can use this to your advantage by luring low-altitude performers, like the Yaks, up towards a higher altitude.
  • E-3 -- 2 x 7.92mm MG17 (M) -- 2 x 20mm MG FF (C)
    It's the oldest Bf-109 in the game and you get it without having to unlock it. It has a relative weak armament compared to the fighters from the same period (Hurricane, Spit), however, it is a pretty stable gun platform and has little to no recoil. It's about average in manoeuvrability and speed (compared to other early period fighters).
  • F-4 -- 2 x 7.92mm MG17 (M) -- 1 x 20mm MG151 (C)
    It is a step up from the E-3. It is faster and has a better turn and roll rate. Out of all the 109's, this is the one you should pick if you are planning on turning a lot. It's aramament might seem less than the E-3, but the 20mm MG151 does a better job than the 2 x 20mm MG FF.
  • G-2 -- 2 x 7.92mm MG17 (M) -- 1 x 20mm MG151 (C)
    This one has a pretty noticeable increase in speed over the F-4, causing it to be faster than the Spits, making it an able B&Z plane. This speed does come at a cost: it turns and rolls slightly worse than the F-4. The armament is the same as the F-4.
  • G-6 -- 2 x 13mm MG's (M) -- 3 x 30mm cannons (C)
    This is the fighter with the biggest armament in the game. It has a massive 30mm nose cannon, 2x 13mm machine guns on the fuselage and 2x 30mm gunpods under the wings. This heavy armament certainly comes at a price: it has a big recoil. Small burst should take care of this. Its performance: about as fast as the F-4, with a slightly worse manoeuvrability than the G-2.
  • G-10 -- 2 x 13mm MG's (M) -- 1 x 20mm MG151 (C)
    The Gustav series are some of the fastest 109's. In-game it's just not as fast as it should be. The G-10 has the same 20mm nosecannon as the F-4 and G-2, but its machineguns are slightly bigger than the others'. This gives it just the extra punch you sometimes need. Again speed and armament are traded for manoeuvrability. Its roll rate is ok, but its rate of turn is quite low. It will take quite a lot of skills to avoid people getting on your six o'clock, making it a rookie unfriendly plane.
  • K-4 -- 2 x 13mm MG's (M) -- 2 x 20mm MG151 (C) -- 1 x 30mm cannon (C)
    This is the fastest piston plane in the game. It can outrun most planes without effort, however, the turning is quite bad (worse than the G-10). This is not what you want to do with this plane though. Where the other 109's might be able to hold its own in a short turning battle, the K-4 will not be able to keep up in a tight turn. This is one of the best B&Z planes in-game. Its high speed and powerful armament make it perfect for coming in fast, destroying the enemy in one burst, and fly away.
• La Series -- Both: 2 x 20mm ShVAK (C)
  The La's are prized for their speed, manouvreability and stability. The La-7 is one of the fastest piston planes in the game, and both the 5 and 7 are easy to fly, which is why they're probably the best planes to start with as a beginner. They don't stall very fast or violently, can compete with a Spit in turns, almost can't be outrun and are easy to land. The downside for beginners might be the armament. Although they have pretty big cannons which can make quick work of a plane, the rate of fire is not high, and it's tricky to aim due to the low amount of tracers. Because the La-5 has a smaller engine, it's a bit slower and has more recoil, but due to the reduced weight it does have a slightly higher rate of turn. The La-7's bigger engine makes it faster and it has less recoil, but a slightly lower rate of turn.
• I-16 -- 2 x 7.62mm ShKAS (M) -- 2 x 20mm ShVAK (C)
  Flying this plane is just fun. It has a very small turn radius, can easily outturn a Spit or La and has nice guns. The big downside of it is it's top speed. This is about 100 km/h lower than most planes, if not more. It's possible to get a lot of kills when flying this plane, but if the enemy is on to you the tides can quickly turn. Due to your low airspeed you will have a hard time chasing planes, so your best (and usually only) chance is to get the enemy in a turning battle. Be careful to set the sensitivity way down with this plane.
• I-153 -- 2 x 20mm ShVAK (C)
  This plane is basically the same as the I-16, except it has an even smaller turn radius, and an even lower top speed. It's a lot of fun flying it, due to it's manouvreability, but you can have a hard time getting kills. The armament is relatively weak, and you usually have a short window in which you can land a few hits, before the enemy roars off again. Don't expect to be able to chase any plane with this little thing.
• Yak Series
  The Yaks are generally stable planes, not too tricky to fly. At low speed you might notice a small wingdrop or other miniature stall, but nothing too major. They can all compete in T&B, although some better than others. The armaments are average, good enough for any dogfight, although not the best around. All of them can take a pretty good beating, remaining more stable than the average aircraft when taken damage.
  • Yak-1B -- 1 x 12.6mm Berezin (M) -- 1 x 20mm ShVAK (C)
    The Yak-1B is the youngest version of the Yaks. It's good at turning and can keep up with most aircraft in your average T&B fight. The armament is relatively weak, although with some practice it can have a deadly effect. The advantage of this fact is that it has a very low recoil, close to none. The Yak-1B doesn't have the small stalls at low speeds it's bigger brothers have.
  • Yak-3 -- 2 x 12.6mm Berezin (M) -- 1 x 20mm ShVAK (C)
    It's safe to say the Yak-3 is the most popular among the Yaks. Good at T&B, stable, can take a beating and it's guns can do some decent damage. It only has very little recoil, making it easier to target someone. It's also the fastest of the Yaks, and pretty high up the list of fastest airplanes.
  • Yak-9T -- 1 x 12.6mm Berezin (M) -- 1 x 37mm NS-37 (C)
    The main characteristic of this plane is it's cannon, and especially the recoil it produces. Not as much as the Bf-109-G6, but definetely more than your average plane. Be careful not to hold the trigger too long. The Yak-9T can be used for both T&B and B&Z, but although it isn't the worst in either of the styles, it definitely isn't the best.
• Hurricane MkII -- 12 x 12.7mm MG's (M)
  The Hurricane is loved by many, but most of this love is directed to the RL airplane. In-game it's not a bad plane to fly. It's pretty stable, even after taking hits in the wings, and has 12 (!) machine guns, which high amount of tracers makes it easy to aim. Don't be fooled by the big number though, the Hurricane's armament is definitely not the best in-game. The speed is also less than impressive. It can't keep up with a Spit, and it doesn't overtake the I-16 very fast either. Although it turns pretty well and can outturn a late-war Spit or La on occasion, it has a hard time competing with these planes due to it's lack in speed and acceleration. Because it's so stable, it's one of the easier planes to land.
  The main reason the Hurricane is this moderate, is because it's outdated. Here lies also it's greatest strength: in games with the year limit set to 1940 it's one of the best planes to fly. It can easily compete with the Spitfire MkII, and will pretty much always win against a Bf-109-E3 in a T&B fight.
  In short: A decent plane, good to fly for starters, but don't expect to compete with late-war planes. Definitely a good choice in a low year-limited game.
• IL-2M -- 3 x MG's (M) -- 2 x 20mm cannons (C)
  The IL-2M is an all-round plane. If you're looking to use it as a bomber, look for it under the Bomber section.
  The IL-2M is a heavy plane, but when used right it's deadly in a dogfight. Due to it's weight its rate of turn is a lot lower than other fighters, but it makes up for this in armor and armament. It's massive guns can light up an enemy plane in no-time. It's also tough to bring down. Not just because of it's thick armor, but also because of the deadly gunner sitting in the back. Flying on it's six longer than a few seconds is suicide. It's low manouvreability makes this plane relatively harmless, except when you're on it's six or twelve. One of the best ways to avoid getting killed by this plane is usually ignoring it: it won't be able to get on your six when you're in a turning battle, and you should always stay off it's six.
• IL-10 -- 3 MG's (M) -- 2 x 23mm cannons (C)
  The IL10 is basically an upgrade of the IL-2M: it has more manouvrability, more armour, more powerful guns and more speed. The same principles apply to the IL-10 that are with the IL-2. It's sluggish in a turn compared to the more nimble fighters, but if you're on its 6 then you're asking for trouble due to the rear gunner. Being on its 12 is also a bad idea. Like the IL-2 it's best to avoid this one if you can, if you need to engage it, try to strafe across the wings or the easier approach of attacking from below. Be prepared to use up alot of ammo though, as this is a tough bird to bring down.
  If you have someone on your 6 in the IL-10, then always try to keep him above you where your rear gunner can get a few rounds of. If you're near the ground then hug it, making it impossible for him to attack you from below.
• P-47D -- 8 x .50cal MG's (M)
  The P-47D is big, heavy plane that has excellent ground attack capabilities and some chance in an air to air fight if used properly. This plane has a potent armament for almost any situation. Its eight .50cal machineguns tend to make planes tear to bits if they are hit with a good burst. Only the more armored planes seem to hold up for any length of time under sustained fire. Between it's bombs and rockets, a single P-47 is capable of putting a little over 3000 lbs of ordinance on target with a single pass. This makes it fairly effective in CTA and Strike.
  Its relatively ineffective in a dogfight, but it can still get some kills if used properly. Due to its massive size and weight, it has an extremely poor turning radius. Boom and zoom is the best option when fighting other aircraft, although the P-47 lacks the high speed to get out very fast. Still, if you can get your guns on target, most planes will disappear after a good burst or two, the difficulty is often getting them on target in the first place.
  The P-47 is also an extremely tough plane. It's heavily armored over most of the airframe, and can usually take a good beating before going down. Its weakest points seem to be the cockpit and the front portion of the plane near the engine, and a solid hit in either has the potential to do some damage. Avoid head-ons and turning battles, and you can usually stay alive.The ideal scenario for this plane is CTA and Strike, where it can still give ground targets a pounding, and also transfer into air to air combat or bomber hunting when needed.
• Me-262-A -- 4 x Cannons (C)
  Since the Me-262 is a jet airplane, it's way faster than piston planes, but also a lot worse at turning. A characterstic of jet engines is it's reaction time. It takes a while after making an adjustment to the throttle before it's noticeable. Due to it's characteristics this plane should only be used for B&Z. Starting to turn with a piston fighter equals death. The best escape is therefore just applying full throttle and leave. It's armament is decent, and has no problem taking down planes.
  Jets are always tricky to use, even though you're hard to bring down, it's also hard to take down an airplane in one fast pass.
• Me-163-B -- 2 x Cannons (C)
  Because this is a rocket, not a jet, it doesn't have the disadvantage of the delayed power application. It can accelerate and climb faster then any other plane. Due to this it's tricky not to overshoot targets. This can be overcome by practice. It's a very small and light plane. This has a couple of effects: It's the most agile 'jet' and it can turn with the heavier fighters, but it has to hand in on armament, which is relatively weak, and armor. Just a couple of hits can make it burst into flames. Although it turns quite a lot better than the Me-262, it's never a good idea to keep turning too long. As with all jets, it's wiser to use your speed to get away.
  Again, since it's a 'jet', it's tricky to use, and although it sounds easy to survive because you're fast, it's also very hard to get kills.

Bombers
The bombers are tricky to compare to eachother, due to the fact they can be divided in two categories: heavy bombers and light/dive bombers. Some bombers float somewhere in between these categories, some don't fit in them at all. I'll point out which bombers fit in which category as good as I can, PM me if someone doesn't agree, but give some good arguments (historical or in-game).
(H) = Heavy bomber
(L) = Light bomber
(O) = Other

• Po-2 (O) -- 4 x 50kg (B) -- 3 x 100kg (B) -- 2 x 50kg & 2 x 100kg (B)
  This plane is great for CTA, and pretty much that only. Unless you enjoy sightseeing in training mode, where the po-2 is also great fun. It's got a very low top speed, and no forward firing guns, so you can absolutely forget chasing anyone down. The great thing is you can come in to land from a steep angle, and still maintain a good landing speed. Other than that, you can use your rear gunner to defend yourself as best as possible (though it doesn't have much range) and use bombs to take out those planes already parked on the ground.
• A20G (H) -- 4 x 500lbs (B)
  The A20G is a good combination of characteristics, although it doesn't excel in anything in particular. It has a relatively low payload, relatively good gunners, can take a beating and is one of the faster heavy bombers. It's very manouvreable compared to it's counterparts, making it a good choice for beginners not too familiar with pulling up after a dive, or those who are too impatient to wait too long to turn around. However, due to it's lower payload it's important to make every hit count.
• IL-2M (L)
  The IL-2M can be used as both a fighter and a bomber, so it actually needs two descriptions. For use in a dogfight, look at the description above, in the Fighters section.
  The IL-2M is one of the, if not thé most manouvreable bomber out there. It has a relatively low payload, but it's very diverse. It can do major damage to grounded planes, but has trouble with destroying other ground targets. Its rear gunner is a meager defence compared to other bombers, and covers only a small angle. It can be useful in Capture the Airfield, but don't expect to make a huge impact with this plane in Strike.
• IL-10 -- 2 x 50kg (B) -- 4 x RS-82 (R) -- 2 x 100 kg (B), 4 x RS-132 (R)
  The IL-10 is very similar to the IL-2, both in flight characteristics and usage. It has better armor, armament, speed and manouvreability. As a bomber it's useful in CTA, but it won't make a huge impact in Strike.
• IL-4 (L) --
  The IL-4 is probably one of the easiest planes to handle. Due to it's smaller size it's more manouvreable than the bigger bombers and more stable than fighters. Although it can take a beating, its armament is relatively weak and doesn't have a lot of range. Because of this, fighters can quickly approach and try to take it down, even before the gunner in the IL-4 has time to react. It's speed is average for a light bomber.
• B-17 (H) -- ... -- 16 x 500lb (B) -- 2 x 2000lb (B) -- 8 x 1000lb (B)
  The B-17 is easily the most disputed bomber on BoP. It's payload is unrivaled, as is its ability to fend off attackers. With its five gun turrets it can defend itself from almost every angle. Its armor is average at best, and shooting one of the engines can make for a quick kill. Due to its size its not very manouvreable, causing it to take a relatively long time between two bomb runs on a target. The speed is also unimpressive, making it a good target for B&Z tactics. The big ordnance can deliver a heavy blow to enemy tickets, making it both popular and unpopular in Strike games: it's tough to win against a B-17, if there's only one in-game. The B-17's weak points are the engines, and the fact that it can't defend it's belly too well. However, caution should always be taken attacking one of these Flying Fortresses.
• He-111 H-6 (H) -- ... -- 32 x 50kg (B)
  The He-111 H-6 is one of the first bombers unlocked in the game, and very popular in Strike. It's biggest advantage is it's payload, which is pretty high compared to others in it's class. With the He-111 it's important to get in fast and drop your payload, as it has pretty weak defenses. It's turrets are average, but leave a lot of angles uncovered. It's armor seems to be pretty weak as well, and it can be hard controlling your plane once you've taken damage. Despite of this, the H-6 will pack a big punch if you can avoid enemy fighters or if you have some friendly cover.
• Blenheim MkIV (H) -- 4 x 250lb (B) -- 2 x 500lb (B)
  The Blenheim is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, piston-engine heavy bombers. Speed is it's biggest advantage. Because of its relatively weak gunners and armor it's important to get to the target fast and drop its payload. In a game with limitid ammo this might not be the best choice, since it's payload isn't very big.

These are the planes of which a description has been contributed (either by me or by others, see credits below). Feel free to correct me where I'm wrong.
I'd appreciate it if people would add descriptions of planes, in case of bombers including the payload (including rockets), in case of fighters including the armament (excluding bombs/rockets). Please make sure these descriptions are of your experience in realistic or sim. Arcade may be fun, but it's not possible comparing planes to eachother on that difficulty setting.
Hope it helps :).

Credits -- Click the links for original posts
Thanks MorgothNL for the expanded 109 series!
Thanks Soviet Ace for the Yak series,IL-4 and additional info on the La's!
Thanks mattd27 for the Po-2, A20G, He-111-H6 and IL-2M!
Thanks RCFalcon for the P-47D!
Thanks FOZ_1983 for the Blenheim MkIV and IL-10!

(Original Thread started by Ju-87)

niiiiiiiice bro! thanks

Yes! My effort was not completely in vain! Thanks for at least acknowledging it's excistence and helpfulness ;)!

nice post Ancient! Mayeb you could add a little more about bombers?

Alright, I did the Il-4 and here's what I figured. This is not a biased post, so it's all facts I post.

Il-4: The Il-4, is probably one of the easiest planes to handle. It seems to handle better than the He-111, since it is a smaller plane. It can take a punishment, but the armament is a bit weak, and not much range. It seems that 190s and 109s can get into gun range quicker, and fire before the gunner on the Il-4 is allowed to shoot. It has a good speed, but being a medium bombers, is nothing special.

Something short and sweet.

I like sweet :), dont forget that it looks way better than the other medium bombers :). The armament is indeed a big downside, and if im correct, yhe loadout is also pretty low

I don't fly bombers a whole lot, so I don't think I'd be the right person to write them. I'm hoping people will contribute info about them.

Thanks a lot! I rewrote it a bit, I admit I'd like to have the guide in my own style, excuse my vanity. Does anyone know the exact payload of the IL-4?

He-111
The He-111 H-6 is one of the first bombers unlocked in the game, and very popular in Strike. It's biggest draw is it's payload, which is pretty high compared to others in it's class. With the He-111 it's important to get in fast and unload your bombs, as it has pretty weak defenses. It's turrets are ok, but leave you a lot of angles uncovered. It's armor seems to be pretty weak also, and you'll start to lose a lot of control over your plane once the damage starts setting in. Despite this, the He-111 will pack a big punch if you can avoid enemy fighters or if you have some friendly cover.

Good initiative Ancient Seraph and nicely presented at that!

Hope your thread helps the new players on their way to getting to know the aircraft as they are depicted in BOP!

Thanks for another description mattd :D. I've edited it a bit, as always, but I liked the original :).

Thanks! That's the intention of the thread, I hope people are actually learning something of it :).

P.S. I like your politically correct 'as they are depicted in BoP' ;)

IL-2M
The IL-2M is a heavy plane, but when used right it's deadly in a dogfight. Don't try to get into a turning fight with a Spitfire, as you probably won't win. Instead hover above the dogfight, and wait until you see a straggling plane. Then come down on it hard. The best merit of the IL-2M is it's phenomenal machine guns. Line up your shot right and you should have no problem lighting up enemy planes. When being pursued, it's best not to try and out turn enemies. Use your rear gunner, but don't come to depend on it as smart pilots will come up under you and put holes in your belly. When being targeted by multiple planes, using the rear gunner is essential to knock some of them off, or at least scare them a bit. The IL-2M can also dish as much damage as it deals, so you don't have to be overly cautious when your in a scrap.

He 162A-2
This plane is arguably the best of the jets, mainly because it has the best turning radius (although the bar is already set pretty low). Still, this plane is in no shape to be turning with any propellor powered fighter. It's best use is in Strike, you can catch up to bombers easily with it's superior speed, than take them down fast with your cannons. Although they aren't the most devastating weapon, they'll bring down a bomber fast if your a good shot. Make sure you line it up perfect though, as your probably only going to get one chance. It will be hard to take another pass at the bomber with the terrible turning radius. If you end up with another fighter behind you, the best option is to run away, get to full throttle and they'll never catch you unless they're in another jet. But try to outmaneuver them and your going to get burned up instantly. The only way to take down other prop fighters if you're already on their six.

Couple of really long ones there so feel free to edit and trim as you see fit. ;)

Damn, got beat to the Il-2M. Ah well, it's alright. I don't use it that much anyways. :cool:

If you fly any of the other IL series planes, they could use some descriptions. :) We really need some more contributors, there are a lot of planes the 3 of us don't fly.

I already PM'd Seraph the La-5FN and La-7. Giving them more description, rather than just the "La Series". :D

QUICK EDIT: Also Seraph, you may want to put the I-16 Rata/Mosca and I-153 Chaika under "Polikarpov Series". Just for reference.

Thanks for even more descriptions mattd! I didn't use the 162 though, since it doesn't fit with this guide. The more I'm adding planes, the more this guide turns into a 'how-to' guide. In the descriptions there's usually a reference like: it's good in T&B, but no detailed description of it's best use. I'd like to see a description of the 162 more in the lines of: low rate of turn, although the best among jets, fast, blabla armament, etc., and then coat it with a flowing text.
No offense, it's just how I'd like this guide to be. It's tough to have this topic maintain it's style when editing others' descriptions, but I'd still like to have it so.

haha no offense taken. It's not like it takes me hours to type these things up, and the guide looks great so I've got no problems with however you want to run it. ;)

EDIT: If I have any more of these things, I'll PM them to you as not to clutter the thread. But I honestly think I may have gotten to the bottom of the barrel on planes I know strategies for. I guess I'll have to learn something from the guide too. ;)

by this do you mean be careful on setting the sensitivity too low as it worsens the planes performance

or

be careful by setting the sensitivity lower as you are able to fly it much easier

sorry to pull you up and ask you about this, but i like the I-16, but am finding it hard to aim due to it's "slipperyness".

I guess I could try to help, since I didn't see a description for the Jug up yet.

P-47D "The Jug"
- Eight .50cal machinegines
- (x2) 1000 lb bombs and (1) 500 lb bomb
- (x10) HVAR Rockets
- (x2) 1000 lb bombs, (1) 500 lb bomb, (x10) HVAR rockets

The P-47D is big, heavy plane that has excellent ground attack capabilities and some chance in an air to air fight if used properly. This plane has a potent armament for almost any situation. Its eight .50cal machineguns tend to make planes tear to bits if they are hit with a good burst. Only the more armored planes seem to hold up for any length of time under sustained fire. Between it's bombs and rockets, a single P-47 is capable of putting a little over 3000 lbs of ordinance on target with a single pass. This makes it fairly effective in CTA and Strike.

Its a little less effective in a dogfight, but it can still get some kills if used properly. Due to its massive size and weight, it has an extremely poor turning radius. Boom and zoom is your friend when fighting other aircraft. The P-47 is suprisingly quick in a straight line, and can usually outrun most planes other than 190 variants, 109-K4s and the jets. If you can get your guns on target, most planes will disappear after a good burst or two, the difficulty is often getting them on target in the first place.

The P-47 is also an extremely tough plane. It is heavily armored over most of the airframe, and can usually take a good beating before going down. Its weakest points seem to be the cockpit and the front portion of the plane near the engine, and a solid hit in either has the potential to do some damage. Avoid head-ons and turning battles, and you can usually stay alive.The ideal scenario for this plane is CTA and Strike, where it can still give ground targets a pounding, and also transfer into air to air combat or bomber hunting when needed.

-----

Sorry, it turned out a little long. I tend to go on and on when talking about stuff ^^; Me and my squadron have been having a good time with the Jug, thats for sure.

No problem, I'm glad to help (kind of the reason I made this list in the first place :P). I mean setting the elevater sensitivity down, due to it's strong tendency to stall if you don't. It's still a tricky plane to handle, but once you get the hang of it it's great fun. It's biggest strength is also it's weakness I guess: it's manouvreability makes it harder to aim.
Thanks a lot Falcon! I love your description, copy/pasted it right in there. It was a bit long, but there's nothing that's not supposed to be in there. I was kind of doubting wether to put it in there or not, since the jug still isn't what it's supposed to be, and it might be improved with the update. However, you made the jug sound like a plane you'd actually pick for a game :P. Congrats on that.

Thanks Seraph. I know I've had a lot of fun with the P-47, same with a few people I fly with. We were getting a little bored with B-17s, and none of us tend to like Russian planes, so the Jug has been a joy to fly in Strike. It works nicely in CTA if you can bomb without the sight. If you can get a 1000 pounder or two anywhere near a plane on the ground, it pops. Rockets are about as inaccurate as always, but dammit they look cool =P lol

Oh, tried it out some as a bomber buster in a few strike matches. It works nicely ^^ I was making a He-111's night hell, lol. I don't think it made it more than halfway to the targets before the fifty-cals shredded it or I pegged it with a rocket. B-17s can give it a little trouble though, since your armor is weakest in front. You just need to come in at an angle and not get caught right behind the tail gunner. Works nice for picking off fighters that are too focused on killing a bomber too. Basically, anything that isn't turning too much. lol

Our best boom and zoom pilot uses it in team battle every now and then, but he still loves German planes the most, so he usually sticks to the Fw-190 D, Ta-152, or Bf-109-K4.

I've heard a few people talk about it needing to be fixed up some. What are the common complaints? Because it seems to be about what I expected (big, tough, not very graceful and with a lot of things that go boom). I think it could be a little tougher, since sometimes it seems to die easier than it should. Turning seems about right though. It turns about as well as a 190, maybe just a hair worse because of the extra mass.

Speaking of the update, I cant wait for it. I want to be able to use the mustang and not have to fight it the whole time.

hey :)... im one of those complainers :P.
What difficulty do you play on I wonder?

I play sim mostly. you say it is 'little less effective in dogfight'. I really ahd to laugh at that one :P. It is just unflyable in dogfight :o. Its turning rate is wayyyy bigger than the 190s. It certainly can not outrun many planes, maybe in the first seconds of a dive, but even the spits will catch up with you. Mainly because they can maintain the dive much longer, because the P-47 has to pull up at 1000ft, just to not hit the ground.

I really DO agree with its deadly potential in strike. I dont have the B-17 yet, but the P-47 does a better job than most bombers. Not as well as the B-17, but if the B-17 guy is not 100% accurate with his bombs, you can beat him with the P-47 :grin:.

I have used it a few times in CTA as well. It sure does work depending on your role. Because it is so rugged, it is a good plane to land (its also easy to land). it has nice bombs, but because of its turn, you normally only get 1 chance to drop you bombs.. you wont have time for a 180. (if you throw them, the 1000lbs will most likely kill, but sometimes you are too low, and the bombs dont drop, then you are in trouble).
I prefer for instance the spit XVI. It has perfect dogfight capabilitys to keep people from landing in the first place. And its 250lbs bombs will do the job as well. BUT i can understand that someone likes it in CTA ;). It is a stable landing and bombing platform.

I just dont agree for even 1%, that it is 'little less effective in dogfights'.It is a complete incapable dogfighter if you ask me. It is not fast enough to zoom. The enemy will outrun you, or you will be closing very slowly. If he decides to turn even just a little, you will not be able to follow. Same with a climb, if he climbs, you will not be able to make the same steep angle, and you wont be able to maintain a climb for long. The P-47 is a nice plane for strike, but even the very broken P-51, will be able to outdogfight is every time.

Not bitching on your post ;). Its just, that this guide is meant for newbies, and reading the P-47 post, would suggest that it is a very capable dogfighter. Wich is just really isnt :o

If you disagree with my post, dont be angry :), Im not saying that my opinion is fact ;).

EDIT: I see I put a nice amount of smileys in that post ^^ :P

I play on Arcade myself, so I can't comment on how it handles in sim. Never said it was the best in dogfighting, but yeah, it certainly isn't ideal (Kind of strange considering it was a bomber escort for a good chunk of the war). You can usually get a few kills though (in arcade), if you're smart in choosing your targets. I kind of see it in the same group as the 190s and Me-262. You REALLY need to know what you're doing if you want to get any kills with it against other planes.

I try to avoid dogfighting in it personally. I stick to pounding things on the ground, or hunting bombers (its fun to peg bombers with rockets ^^). I'd take my G-6 over the P-47 in a dogfight anyday. I suck at boom and zoom style planes. I like being able to complete a turn sometime this decade. =P

Never meant to imply it was an extremely capable dogfighter...just better than a few of the other attack planes (ILs, Stukas, etc). Not that that's saying a whole lot. Although, our best boom and zoom dogfighter has done decent with it at times. He still greatly preferres his Ta or 109-K4. He almost exclusively flies German planes anyway.

ok :).. no problems :). I dont play arcade, so probably what you said was true for arcade ;). Disregard the rest of my comments towards your post then ;)

Not a problem. You raised some valid points, and this game does have a decent sized sim crowd, so Im sure they'd want to know how things affect them specifically.

Also, the B-17 is fun, and will be even more fun after it gets toughened up in the next patch ^^

Couldn't imagine trying to unlock it in sim mode. Good luck with that, man.

I'm going to agree with MorgothNL here. Arcade is probably lots of fun for some, but it's not a difficulty setting at which you need a guide ;). I'd like this guide to be based on realistic/sim experience. I still like most of your description though ;).
Begs the question if the other contributors play Arcade or not :eek:. I know Soviet Ace doesn't, not sure about mattd though.

True. Still a nice little overview of the different planes though. The basic strategies for them stay about the same throughout the different modes.

I'll tell you what though, from what little Ive dabbled in realistic and sim, it definately gives you a greater appreciation for how skilled those pilots had to be to do their jobs.

Nope, realistic and sim all the way. ;)

And about the P-47, I don't know where this tactic came from, but I've been taken down at least twice by someone firing air to ground missiles at me from their P-47. That was surprising to say the least!

Admins, please sticky this

You on ps3? Because thats my b17 quick destry tactic lol :D That and when playing CTA i do it :D

Awesome post Ancient!:grin:

Updated La series, explaining the difference between the 5 and 7 more. The differences are still subtle, and there are not too many, so I still think it's not reason enough to split the two.

Hi seraph,

I'm not totally agree with on the difference between LA5 & LA7.

Indeed the LA7 is clearly faster but the plane has also a faster turn rate. However, Because the LA5 is slower it has a slight smaller turn radius but do not turn as fast as the LA7.

Furthermore, I feel that the LA5 is bit more stable in flight than the LA7, which is easier to get into a stall at low speed. (But I agree that the difference is quite difficult to see)

You could also be a bit more explicit saying that the LA serie is adviced to begin with when you come to realistic or sim mode. Because of the in flight stability.

Of course that's not based on scientific datas just my experience.

Don't know if you agree with those comments

Thanks for your comment ;). I haven't got a lot of experience with the La-5, and got this info from Soviet Ace. I think it's best if I notify him about your comment, see what he's got to say about it ;). I did fly the 5 every now and then, and didn't notice any big differences, which is why I trusted SA's opinion.
It's not a bad idea to add the fact they're good beginner's planes to the description.. consider it done :)

Woohoo! Stickied :D. Thanks mods!

for the sake of finally getting thru Free Hunt on sim, where are the Ju-52's most vulnerable?

I can get beside them, stay out of their gunner's cone and weave to hit them from the side, top or bottom, but I never get more than a few strafes in before time starts running out... especially if the wingmen can't down their targets, time runs out pretty quick.

I figured hit their engines, but they seem to light up quicker if I dodge around just behind them and hit the fuselage with a lot of rounds in the same spot.

Where are the weakest parts of the Ju-52's armor?

Stickied, yes! :cool: Now all that work won't go to waste.:D

In fact, the La-5FN could get into a tighter turn than its later cousin the La-7 which needed more rudder going into a turn. But beside getting overly technical, and boring you to much with every little detail. I'll make it short (as possible that is).

When the first La-5s came out into combat, they had probably the best turning of the La-5 series that there was. Their wooden combined with an early plastic known as Bake Light, and aluminum; gave them a tremendous advantage at turning with their enemy. Later on as the La-5F came around, nothing really changed except for the engine which was a few horse powers faster, and known as the M82F, rather the M82 A (which the La-5 used.) When the La-5FN came around, they structured it better by taking away some of the bake light parts, and replacing them with Cromolli Steel (which was an exceptionally light weight steel. It also was used in the Yak-3 incase you were wondering. Haha) Anyway, the La-5FN was also give an up lifted engine with a few more horse powers, and called the M82FN engine. Both the added Cromolli Steel, and the lack of many bake light parts. The La-5FN was almost like a La-5 (original version) but with better power, and a more reliable body structure. (Some of the La-5 bodies, had the tendency to have the cloth that covered them become weak and gradually become unglued which caused many deaths in La-5s.) With the better more reliable body and structure, the La-5FN was capable of equaling the La-5 in its turning but only for a few moments before the stresses became to much.

When the La-7 came into the picture, the structure of it was completely lacking in Bake Light plastic, and was actually incorporated with more Cromolli Steel, but this Cromolli Steel was heavier and for some reason (can't quite remember the reason at the moment) it was prone to collapsing under to much stress. So while flying the La-7, if you were to pull to much of a G, the heavier Cromolli Steel in the wings had the tendency to give, and either your wing just slumped into a weird position, or could possibly be completely torn away. That's why the La-7 didn't last long before the better and longer ranged La-9 arrived. (But that was after WW2.) So if the La-7 were to try and turn with an La-5FN, it was more likely it couldn't because the possibility of the wings collapsing was an issue.

-You can give your thanks to the book, "Lavochkin's Piston Engined Fighters" for the information. I just read what it said, and put it down.

Sorry Soviet, this guide is meant to be based on experience, so unless you can truthfully say you outturned an La-7 with a 5 multiple times, I won't take your statement into account.
I value your input, but I want this guide to be based on in-game experience, so new players know what to expect in-game, as opposed to what it was in RL. As you know the differences can be quite big ;).

Well in that case, then I can say with all confidence/truthfulness. Yes. I've out turned an La-7 multiple times flying the La-5FN. Me and my friend have chosen both planes many times, and have he and I have always had a fun time breaking into La-7s turns, and breaking into a tight turn it cannot. :D

EDIT: Now I'm off to a party. So don't ask me a question anymore. I won't be here to see it until either the day after tomorrow, or even the next day.

In this case I'll keep going on Soviet Ace's experience, since I can imagine he flies the La's quite a lot :P. The disadvantage of this guide being based on in-game experience is that experiences can differ.. like now I have to choose between Soviet's opinion and Benrizz'.. so, nothing personal Benrizz, I'm going with Soviet on this. If you still don't agree, I'll test it more in-depth.

Can you unlock the komet?

Check the requirements here.

Thanks:-)

I thought I'd chip in with the jet reviews as they are my fave planes.

ME262-A

Armament - 4 x nose mounted cannon.

This plane is fast and heavy, it can take a few moments for the power to kick in but when it does be prepared to hang on as the piston planes fly right passed in the blink of an eye if your not careful.

I find it best to use the planes power to escape and retreat to a safe distance, get some height and look for stragglers or lone planes. Then swoop from above using the planes 4 cannons to hammer the target with everything you have.

I find that you can only get away with one pass on the more nibble fighters, but you can engage in some turning manvourers with the heavier fighters if you are good with the throttle. If not just put on the power and climb high and fast jinking to avoid fire as you flee.

ME163-B

Armament - 2 x nose mounted cannon.

Unlike the ME262 this plane has power on tap, and can out accelerate and climb every other aircraft in the game. New players will find themselves spending more time just trying not to over shoot battles than engaging in combat. But after practice this plane is awesome. It has the advantage of being fast and pretty nimble and stable in turns IF you are good on the throttles. (i.e. you recognise there are more than two settings full and off).

Its down points are its lack of fire power, only 2 nose mounted cannons, so you have to be a pretty good shot to rack up a decent score. Also its pretty weak, this plane is not designed to take damage, at all, use it power to escape!

As for combat, pretty much the same as the ME262 review with the added turning advantage, but as always dont stick around too long, if you've done a 360 turn twice, get the hell out of there.

HE162-A

Armament - 1 x nose mounted water pistol.

Dont bother, seriously. Its slow, weak, poorly armed and turns like brick.

Hehe, nice end of the reviews :P

Could you tell me what the armament and firepower of the 262 is, if possible compare it to another airplane? And the armament of the other planes?

Descriptions updated in the orginal post.

I had a think of what planes they compare to, but the answer I came to is none.

Given the speed, climb rate and egress speed the flying, handling and combat styles are completely alien to the other planes they are in a class of there own.

In game from playing with it online a little. Its rate of climb is acceptable and not to bad at all, in a turn its superb and its 12 machine guns though not cannons do a very good job and also help rookie pilots due to all the tracers pretty much giving you a straight line to the target. Its best to fire in burst also thuse not wasting all your ammo.

Found from playing online also -

The hurricane CAN do well against later war models, IF your team is also using the hurricane. Due to having the same ability as yourself, the idea of having wingmen work well. If someone gets on your 6, then they will have a trouble turning with you if the hurricane is flown properly, yet your wingman who has the same ability you do will not have any issues getting onto the 6 of the pilot chasing you. They might have a more modern aircraft but this way they are playing on your terms.

Try not to take the hurricane into a high altitude fight either, though it can fly up their it struggles more than it does at a medium height. This is where it excels (does its job best).

If flown online and get a few wins/kills (only 1 or 2) you can unlock 2 bombs or 8 rockets to use on it. Its also worth noting that its guns fire at a very good rate and its a much better gun platform than many of the other planes in the game.

When playing CTA the hurricane is also an easy plane to land without "bounce" and can slow down quickly. Much easier to land than planes like then 109 series or spitfire series. Not a bad choice of plane to use on CTA if you take bombs. reason being that many players like to use the JU87. The hurricane can get to the airfield before the JU87, can land quickly and take off quickly once captured, it can also patrol with bombs to attack anythnig thats landed and can also deal with the JU87.

Also noted is the ability to take a fair bit of damage on the wings and still be able to fly. For some reason the main problem with the hurricane in BoP is the fuselage, but all in all a very nice aircraft to fly.

Let me say in advance that I find your arguments valid. I'll adjust the description slightly, but for now I'm maintaining the general idea.
I wouldn't say it's turning is superb. It's good, better than most, but it's still not possible to easily outturn a Spit or La.
I'll add the amount of tracers, good point.
This can be said for practically every plane. If you fly 2 BnZ'ers, the others don't have a choice but to try to chase, or something. Just like a team of I-16's would do better then just 1. Not specific to one aircraft.
Since practically all BoP fights are at low altitude, I only specify when airplanes are better at high altitude. When it says nothing, they're good for low, since most of them are.
I'll add the easy to land part to the description. I didn't want to add all the load-outs, since I think it'd be an overflow of info, and not too relevant. People can look at the unlock thread for details.
I'll add it remains pretty stable after taking hits in the wings.

No worries :) wasnt wanting to take anything away etc, nor make it out to be the best aircraft in the game (far from it as we know). Just trying to help any newbies who are thinking about it as to be honest this and the spitfire are all i really use. Great guide seraph.

Also seraph, though not really helpful i'd guess but -

bristol blenhiem (bomber)
4 x250lb bombs
2 x500lb bombs

A nice bomber to fly as its fast. I've found its best to keep this bomber at low level (low as possible without bomb blast getting you). It has a mid upper gunner which can shoot only behind and also a belly turret aswell as a wing mounted machine gun.

Blenhiem is a good aircraft to use for beginner players who want speed, yet dont feel to confident in a dogfight. It flies fast and delivers its payload. Granted its not a lot but it does the job. Stay low and it makes it harder for you to be hit.

It has some armour but nowhere near as much as the likes of every other bomber, your strong point here as a bobmer as stated is your speed. Go in low and fast then move on to another target or come back for another pass. IF playing with limited ammo then this plane isnt really a good choice due to the very small payload it offers.

Nice! I like it. As always I'll rewrite it a bit, but it's clear what the (dis-)advantages are. Thanks!

Great guide. Thanks!

Does anyone know if the Hurricane actually does 12 mg's of damage in the game or 8? I'd thought I'd read elsewhere that there where a few typos with armament etc... of the respective aircraft. I'd hope so cause 12 mg's is a bit silly really (sort of plane I would've drawn as a kid but I'd have added turrets on the wings as well for good measure).

Hmmm, I don't see the IL-10 listed. So far I can't tell any difference between it and the IL-2M. So far loving both along with the suckers who error to chase them and die on their 6.

As far as I know it does. I'm never too impressed by the damage of any MG though, so maybe I'm underestimating it. It'd be helpful if someone would elaborate.

I don't even have the IL-10, so I can't write anything about it. Are you on realistic/sim? Maybe you could try to find the difference and write a description about the 10 ;).

The hurricane does 12 mg's of damage instead of 8. with 8 it would of been a little weaker than most others, so with 12 its quite good.

The damage with 12 is fairly good due to the guns being grouped with 4 together near the inside of the wing, and then 2 together further out.

This makes hits more likely on an enemy as your shots are spread over a wider distance than most other planes. A great choice for rookies who like lots of rounds and tracers. As pointed out, great against early year models or anything later if you can get a few rounds of.

The only real difference is the 10 is slightly faster and has slight tougher armor as it was produced later on in the war.

Both planes sport 3 machine guns and 2 cannon, however the IL2-M can carry a slightly larger bomb/rocket payload.

I think ingame, the Il-10 is smaller than the Il-2M? Haven't played for a week or so so I'm not 100% on that.

Slightly.

Its much faster than the IL2/M also and better armoured, and has better mobility, also has more powerful guns. The IL2/M has 20MM cannons x2 (as well as MG's) where as the IL10 has 23MM cannons x2 (as well as MG's) both have a rear gunner also, but the rear gunner on both uses the same gun. Still not the best for a dogfight but it does the job.

And speed it does have :( trying to catch this thing is a nightmare!! you need WEP and patience.

Ok the IL10 i'll give loadouts etc the best i can....


2x50Kg bombs
2x50Kg bombs, 4 RS-82 (?) unsure about this one
2x50Kg bombs, 4 RS-132
2x100Kg bombs
2x100Kg bombs, 4 RS-132
2x100Kg bombs, 4 RS-82


The IL10 is basically an upgrade of the IL2/M, it has more manouvrability, more armour, more powerful guns and more speed. The same principals apply to the IL10 that are with the IL2. its sluggish in a turn compared to the more nimble fighters, but if your on its 6 then your asking for trouble due to the rear gunner. If your in its 12 then your also in trouble. Like the IL2 its best to avoid this one if you can, if you need to engage the try (not easy) to strafe across the wings or the easier approach of attacking from below. Be prepared to use up alot of ammo though as this is a tough bird to bring down.

IF you have someone on your 6, then always try to keep him above you where your rear guuner can get a few rounds off, if your near the ground then hug it, making it impossible for him to attack you from below.


Quick training mission - level flight at low level (1000ft) i can push 230MPH in the IL2/M and keep it at that speed. the IL10 i can push 250MPH in level fight at 1000ft.

This starts from level flight and then WEP eneabled for roughly 15/20 seconds for both the IL2/M and the IL10.

Higher or lower altitude they made do better/worse.

I didnt try the WEP or top speed for much longer because in a dogfight 15/20 seconds is a long time for flying in a straight line. You need any more help let me know.


Also - both planes were using guns only in this test, no bombs/rockets :D

Wow... thanks, Foz_1983. That saved me some work! Excellent!

No worries, happy to help.

Thanks! Nice description of the IL-10, and thanks for the loadouts. IL-10 is added to the guide.

Seraph, did you realize that you have the Il-10 in both Bomber, and Fighter sections!? Just wondering if you noticed. :)

Its the same with the IL2 ;)

Yup. Same with IL-2, because people might wonder how it works as a bomber or as a fighter, so I figured I could put it in both sections. Same with the IL-10, although there's not a lot of new info in those descriptions. It's basically: see IL-2 and add armor/armament/speed/manouvreability.

Nice of you to point out that the Bf-109 K is the fastest prop job in the game as players may tend to be confused by the historical fact that the P-51 was the fastest at 465 MPH (WEP level flight). Unfortunately, many fighters in this game have been "neutered" when it come to their performance envelopes.

On thing you omitted was that the all the Soviet fighters suffer from a distinct lack of armour plate in order to gain a performance advantage.

The La-5 and La-7 both have wooden Birchwood wings, which is why they cannot carry wing mounted guns. On the plus side, this gives them a good roll rate.

The Yak fighters have a similar construction make up, apart from the bicycle spoke wire type fuselage constuction for lightness.

All Soviet fighters in the game have zero rear pilot's seat armour so a well aimmed burst into the cockpit will take out an opponent easily. One advantage (??) of this is that one can see directly behind one's Yak and see that enemy Bf-109 that is impossible to out maneuver.

Both the Yak and La fighters have similar structural integretty problems when hit as Japanese fighters..... a few cannon hits and they fall apart at the seams.

I might go on single player training and see just how fast the 109K is in level flight at set heights (much like i have done with the hurricane and LA-7)

Just checking.. did you see the wing tear at the seams in-game?
I apologise for the sarcasm, as I've stated in the first post, this guide is based on in-game experience. I haven't really noticed wings falling of faster from an La than a Spit..

You sure of this? My information says the P51D had a top speed of 438mph with WEP at 24,500ft, which is a lot more than I can get out of a P51D ingame, only gives 355mph at this altitude, but is below the K4's top speed of 452mph at 22,000ft.

The only Mustang varient faster than this was the P51H(487mph at 25,000ft), but this was only just coming into service when the war ended in Japan, and as far as I know no plane of this mark saw combat.

I'll take the 109k and the P51D and i'll do the same quick easy test i did with the hurricane and LA-7, unless someone else want to?

I dont think it is correct to do any tests dat involve the P-51, before the patch... its not performing at all like it should, or like it will

Tell me about it!!!

Though i think the speed is fairly correct, but the amount of time it takes to get to that speed is wrong...along with everythnig else :(

I was surprised to find that a Spitfire IX can climb a heck of a lot faster than a Me-262 jet in BOP, especially as I was the one pulling the vertical climb with the Me-262 (202 MPH in BOP maximum).

It is quite annoying when such "holes" in the realism crop up. There are so many of them, both obvious and subtle, that is causing the patch to be delayed..... there is so much that needs fixing.

Thats not true ;), the patch had been finished a long time ago. They did not delay the patch over and over because the want to add stuff in the patch.

From the data I've read, I'm currently under the impression that a Spitfire LF.IX with standard 100 grade octane can actually maintain a higher SUSTAINED rate of climb than a 262.

But the zoom climb at the same given speed, should always be won by the heavy, aerodynamically superior and massive thrusted Me 262.

Seraph,
I've noticed references to the P-51's - flaws, speed, etc. But, I'm not seeing any formal descriptions in your guide, or in the subsequent updates? Just curious...

This is because the P-51's model isn't as it should be, and, well, it's crap at the moment. It's not impossible to fly, it's just not very smart to do so. I'm waiting for the patch to add the P-51, as it should be corrected by then.

maybe what Crusader00001 is saying, is that you should just add the P-51 in the guide, and mention that it is crap.
It is a beginners guide... and a beginner might not know about the P-51 errors, and might think its his fault it wont fly.

Good point. I'll see when I can add it.

This guide should probably be updated with the changes, and the other planes, now that the patch is out!

Be my guest ;). Haven't got the update yet (on XBOX), so I can't really help you there.

This guide should probably be compiled and submitted to GameFAQs :)

Great information! Thanks for your work. :)

great read this :) well done top effort :)

could someone please confirm for me if the spitfire mkxvi uses .50cal mgs or 7.7 mgs in the game. if they are 7.7 then it should have 4 instead of 2 and the only other armament variations this mk used were 4 20mm hispano cannons or 2 20mm hispano cannons and 2 .50cal mgs. never 2 7.7 mgs

spitfire xvi
 

The spitfire xvi uses .50 mg

i know it did in the war iam on about in the game

As I understand it they standardised wings for spitfires from Mk V onwards so the armament variations came with the wing. (Regardless of whether the wing tips were clipped)

Original wings had one 20mm Hispano at the inner position and 2 .303 MGs in the machine gun bays (the outer MG stubs were not used and were filled in) so that's the only 2 cannon 4mg config I know (This is the C wing)

Later they changed it to 20mm Hispano in the outer position and fitted 1 .50cal Browning MG instead of the 2 .303 MGs (2 cannon 2 mg) An XVIe should have this config.(E wing)

The first ever XVI MJ556 had the C wing fitted. However the vast majority of XVI's were fitted with the E wing (nearly all of them) Some IX's were converted to this too.

What does the game say an XVI has?

it has .50 cal. mg in the game

In the Hanger when you select weapons for the XVI it says 2 x 7.7mm cannon and 2 x Hispano. I think the game is wrong. Should be .50cals.

So the IX has better armament than the XVI.. ?

how hard is it to bring down a 190 or 109 with a xvi?? it would be a lot harder with a .303 than a 50 cal! if you see no difference between the ix and the xvi the game is wrong and the plane has a 50 cal....that would be my guess.

What about the P-51B or any of the mustang series? I didn't see you mention those, maybe I missed it or something? How are they in dogfights? Are they better at T&B or B&Z? ;)

They are great at the following....


ah....

um....

erm....

Absolutey nothing. Haha.On the PS3 they may be much better in a dogfight now that its been patched. But on the 360 they are horrible to use. They spin and stall far to easily and lose alot of speed very quickly in a turn or climb.

Yep, Foz is right on 360 the Mustangs are pretty lame in any dogfight. If you want to use one though take the P51D and B&Z only and never try to turn with any undamaged plane. Its best used in supprise attacks jumping down on someone who is chasing another plane. Take it into a 1v1 and you lose every time. Me and SEE where testing out the planes dogfight abilitys at high altitude tonight and the low to medium altitude La.5 still murders the P-51 even at 20,000ft. The Mustang is terrible at that altitude, stalling even if you think about turning (would be useless to the B-17s)

On PS3 with the patch and not using a custom button layout, The P-51D is ment to handle much better but its still a B&Z plane. The blackouts should work to the P51 pilots advantage to, but I think alot of T&B players just play with the brightness turned way up. (maybe the blackout should have been more like a circle wipe to solid black?)

if the P 51 was as lame as it is in this game.....honestly, i would have never been born. in arcade it does ...pretty good...in sim and real.... when there ( real/sim)all i did was stall/spin recovery. there isnt a real plane that flies this crappy.....300+ mph in a dive and getting a stall??? i believe this game works around certain parameters. if you pull the stick back to a certain degree angle of attack...or bank to a specific degree...it enters you into the "stall" zone. i have done more in a real ( not high performance ac as these) plane doing lesser maneuvers and never fell out of the sky. in all actuality, if arcade had flaps and "black out..for "G" force...it would be more real than the others..imho...

They whine the same in IL-2. Funny, I have no troubles outturning anything with Balkenkrautzes(cept Storch) or racking up incredible tallies flying a P51. Controller sensitivity? ;)

Erkki, you PC, PS3, or Xbox?? does make a difference. if you are 360 and can do that...man, i want you to teach me! cos look at Foz and Pope's posts.....they have been doing this way longer than me and that is their assessment ( for xbox)... so if the vets have a hard time...novices like me...you get the point!

I never minded P-51's but I liked other planes better - it felt like Spitfires and Mustangs always were stalling on me when other planes wouldn't do that as much, but maybe I'm crazy or something.

I got one on a mission to like 500 mph at one point but it took me a while of using WEP and then hitting it before my speed got back down to normal. It's doable if you do it right, but like, who is going to do that in a multiplayer game against other people?

Im a real big American fighter fan, I just find it hard to believe a p-51 B or D is crap in this game. Arguably one of the best fighter aircraft ever conceived in time of war. It was highly maneuverable and was one of the faster aircraft. Normally in a flight simulator id pick a P-38 Lightning, but to no surprise it isnt on here( tear) then id go with my two second P-51 or P-47. I think there is a method to the madness. Ive only been playing online now for a couple days and i have seen what a P-51 can do. As Chuck Yeager said its not the plane its the pilot. Me and a guy were flying P-51 D's against 2 Bf-109 G-6's. Now seing as im a rookie pilot the krauts had fun blowing me out of the sky, but some of the maneuvers like pulling the plane straight up, cutting the throttle and flipping back on your enemy did work. Or it allowed my wingman time to come up from behind and clear my six. Any plane can match another, just take unpredictability and the mind set of a mad scientist with a crazed look in his eye.

Also what about FW-190's they had there benefits too.. Let me hear about them too? Also maybe some tactics for us who will fly the P-47/P-51 regardless of better aircraft to choose....Please not im not trying to be cocky just excited to get to fight live opponents.