Engine damage in arcade
 

Does engine damage reduce performance in Arcade mode? It's the only explanation I can think for why I can outrun the same model of plane in one circumstance and lose distance in another with same rate of climb, etc.

Not that I have noticed

No it just makes it easier to destroy it loses performance in realistic and sim though.

?
 

Hmmm. Some folks seem to be getting their Spitfires going faster than others, wondering what the trick might be.

Faster speed or turning circle? You can get a much tighter turn by pumping the throttle

About what throttle % range should be used to employ this tactic.?

Try and match your oponents speed. I normally alternate between 50% and full WEP to get the tightest turns. Keep an eye on oponents speed though as you may need to drop below 50%. Always pump back to up full WEP though from whatever speed you throttled down to. The WEP from lower throttle forces the plane into a tighter turn. All the Arcade aces use this technique, usually in a spiralling downward turn

Thank you very much. I played my first online dogfight last night, and advice like this will do me a lot of good.

edit .....and spiraling downward is my middle name.

Perhaps good throttle control allows some planes to avoid using up all thier wep . I know I have used this tactic in the few arcade matches I've played .

Also it is possible with a flight stick to hover just in and out of the wep range thus being able to out run opponents with ease

Like dk said throttle and speed is key in arcade when trying to turn tight I like to be going no faster then 400-450 kph I alternate between full brake/rudder and wep/rudder works pretty well for me