Update: 3 new PDF's with detailed BOP graphs and test data for 22 BOP aircraft!!!
 

The Zipfile in this thread contains a PDF with detailed BOP aircraft test data concerning turns, rolls, climbs, dives and the maximum speed of 20 BOP aircraft and additionally also some comparative historical data on these 20 aircraft as well as remarks and conclusions. This BOP test data sheds some light on the in-game strengths and weaknesses of the 20 BOP aircraft tested which is especially useful for online BOP play.

I have conducted detailed tests with 20 aircraft in IL-2 BOP XBOX 360 single player training and also in mock combat tests in XBOX LIVE BOP online with various virtual pilots on my friends list in order to create the aircraft test data PDF list. Personally I believe that the real life aircraft that are on this test data list were all GREAT combat aircraft in their own right with little to choose between them. The real life aircraft of course were not used in this test and are not the issue, instead the performance of their virtual counterparts in BOP was tested which is something quite different.

I have to say that IL-2 BOP is unique in that it is the only console WWII air combat simulator which in itself is a feat. Next to that it is no overstatement to state that it is overall a good game and basically a good simulator with good graphics at that. Both the online multiplayer and the single player BOP experience are also decent and the main single player extras that one might find wanting for are a single player mission/campaign creator and a single player German/axis campaign.

The BOP aircraft tests have yielded some remarkable results. As with all tests there is room for varied test interpretation and for error in testing as well, therefore all remarks and general conclusions will remain open for personal interpretation. Of course there are also many more altitudes and speeds which have not been included in the tests, this notwithstanding the list supplies interesting data on BOP virtual aircraft performance which is useful when playing BOP online.

The results of the tests concluded so far however SEEM to indicate at best a combination of some unhistorical and/or incorrect aircraft data/performance at work in BOP resulting in selective historically incorrect/unbalanced online BOP aircraft performance, or at worst an unethical selective aircraft performance unbalance by design. However, what SEEMS to be the case based on testing might not be how it actually is, so it is impossible to be certain of the true causes of the selective aircraft performance unbalances either way.

In any event: enjoy the test data!

================================================== ================================================== ==========================================

EDIT: 08.10.2009 LATEST UPDATE <------------------------------------ !!!

NEW DATA AVAILABLE !!!

I downloaded the BOP DLC and was interested to find out how the P47D and Ta 152 H-1 were modeled in BOP, so I performed some tests on them and included them on the list of 20 BOP aircraft that I had already tested. Next to that I have noticed some discussions/questions on BOP aircraft characteristics by new forum members and also the on-going discussions on BOP aileron and elevator sensitivity issues. Some flight performance data in the – now 22 aircraft – table list may be easier for some to interpret when viewed as CHARTS/GRAPHS instead of numbers, so I therefore included a GRAPHS PDF that also has sensitivity and firepower data not included in the tables.

So therefore I now have included three PDF (zip)files:

1. Version 1.1 of the – now 22 aircraft - BOP aircraft test data list PDF (now incl. P47D and Ta 152 H-1).

2. A CHARTS/GRAPHS PDF with graphs on the 22 tested BOP aircraft turn, roll, speed, climb, dive, nominal FIREPOWER data and also SUGGESTED aileron/elevator SENSITIVITY settings.

3. A sensitivity setting (Ta 152 H-1) test report PDF which supplies data on the effects of lower and higher aileron/elevator sensitivity settings on turn, roll, climb, dive etc. in combination with speed and flap settings.

wow, you took some effort in it :P. I'll have a look at it ;). Just a question: what did you do with the sensitivity? This is an important factor, since it will limit the turning etc.
For instance with the spit IX, 5 notches down, will give you a very nice turn without stall when pulling the stick full back. But with 3 or 4 notches, and some rudder and skill, you can make a much quicker turn.

anyways, good job, im gonna take a look now ;)

Yeeaaa That's just so great,

Thanks a lot, (even It will brings down some mythology that was starting to appears on that forum about some planes)

But Morghot is right, can you udapte that file to say what sensitivity you used for each plane, or was it the same for each one. ???
Because it changes a lot your results. For example if you use 3 notches down for each one, you lost a lot for the LA5-fn or for BF109s.

EDIT: sorry for the Edit but I just found the info about sensitivity on your file. You say 10 of 20 clicks. With that configuration for all planes,

Even if I agree with yourcomments, the sensitivity that you chose is biasing your datas.
- it brings an over estimation of performance for Spitifires, P51, FWs
over LA5fn and BF109s

Indeed with 8 notches down (with means 10of18 notches) you only lost 3 notches from a full turn without rudder on the Spit while you lost 8 notches for the LA5fn and 7 notches for BF109-F4

Thanks for taking the time to do this. :)

How do you know you were at a exactly 50 degree climb?

you can see this in the virtual cockpit. Pretty good skill if you could keep it at 50 degree the whole time though. In real life this is easy with trimming, but in the game it is impossible to keep the plane exactly were you want

Very interesting widar thanks a lot for publishing the results. It's always interesting flying with you and panzergranate-you guys are incredibly knowledgable.

Thanks for the feedback.

You are right about the view, all testing was done with the virtual cockpit since this gives the degree data I needed.

Of course some aircraft are more stable than others in BOP, so with some it was easier to keep the climb or dive at a 50 degree angle. I probably should have written that down also, but flying and timing was work enough as it is.

All in all it was a lot of work and not the most exiting at that, but the results in my opinion are exiting, or at least useful. I hope that players take advantage of the data, because it gives hints about what tactic works against what aircraft. I also hope that the developers fix the historically incorrect unbalances that the testing has revealed.

I also did a lot of gunnery testing but have not gotten around to putting that test data in an table format yet, since all this takes a lot of time. Some results of the gunnery testing, to an extent, have been incorporated in the remarks in the test data list.

Nice. Although your results of turn and roll are flawed because of the constant sensitivity setting, The Top speed, Dive and Climb rate stats are all very interesting. Your conclusions are still valid and well made. Damn some of those top speeds are way off. You are right about the gondola cannons on the 109's, They were also said to ruin the planes maneuverability but in BoP the gondola 109's handle just as well as the clean 109's.

Thanks, I hope that the forum members and developers make use of the testing results.

It is always a learning experience to be on your wing, to this date you are the only virtual pilot that I have seen that owns on an Me 109 G6, even once while being outnumbered three to one by the three Polish Spitfire pilots. Considering how bad the Me 109 G6 BOP test results are, that is quite a feat.

Thanks for your response.

The gondola's on the Me 109 G-6 do degrade performance in BOP, check the Me 109 G-6 test results regarding BOP maximum sustained level speed, roll and turn rate in seconds etc. as compared to the BOP Me 109 G-2 and Me 109 G-10 test results. These three aircraft in real life were not all that dissimilar to warrant the discrepancies in BOP test results.

Actually I find that to compare the aircraft honestly all must be tested at the same sensitivity setting, the conditions must be the same for the tests results to be comparable. In the end it does not make that much of a difference in many ways. I'll explain this in more detail.

For instance, I spent a lot of time testing the P51 and Fw 190 models, both in single player and online, since they are some of the worst performers in BOP. My Xbox live friends and I found that when we did this test:

Two Fw 190's flying online in formation both making 360 degree rolls at the same altitude and speed, one with sensitivity setting 20 of 20 and one at 10 of 20. The difference in roll rate was not even one second or a second at most. We could not believe this at first and tested it about five times in succession with the Fw 190 A/F-8 and with the P51. The same happened in 360 degree turns. The major difference appears to be that it is easier to enter into a spin or stall at higher sensitivity settings and not that it makes an aircraft way more maneuverable in return.

We also did some testing of this kind with the I-153 with more or less the same results. The same for dive and climb testing with Spitfires and Me 109's.

So the higher sensitivity settings are actually more hurtful than harmful online for the average virtual pilot based on testing.

So based on testing, I would have to disagree with you on your sensitivity remark.