Quote:
Originally Posted by IceFire
Different model. I'm not sure... those are more accurate from a visual 3D standpoint at least.
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I agree that the "short nosed" P-40 has a much prettier visual model and a much nicer looking cockpit, but its DM suffers from the same "one hit kill" to the engine, cockpit and coolant/oil coolant system as the later P-40s. My guess is that it was just copied from the P-40E-M model.
Flying the P-40C, I repeatedly get pilot kills by rifle-caliber bullets directly through the front of the of the cockpit at ranges of 50 m or more. That despite armor glass which was supposed to be proof against rifle-caliber bullets.
All this is based on lots of testing flying in arcade mode flying mostly against formations of rookie Ki-21, but flying relatively aggressively, just taking quick overtaking shots from the rear rather than high-side or frontal attacks. So, I know exactly where the bullets hit, where the bullets come from and what sort of gun is shooting the bullets.
My results are:
ANY hit directly through the prop spinner = instant engine kill. Despite the fact that a rifle-caliber bullet will not penetrate an automobile engine block at any great range, much less the block of a heavy engine.
Just about any hit directly through the front of the radiator = instant massive black smoke followed by the engine straining and dying within a few seconds. The quick engine failure might be realistic given the pressures and temperatures involved, but the massive black smoke is not. Instead, there should just be an oil leak or coolant leak effect, although IL2 doesn't model those.
Additionally, typically there is no engine overheat warning before the engine fails. For an oil or coolant leak, you should get a fast rise in temperature and an overheat warning first. Also, while the P-40 is normally very good about letting you run the engine for minutes after an overheat warning, the engine dies quickly after any sort of oil or coolant failure.
Any hit to the engine = massive black smoke and engine damage. Even for glancing hits by rifle-caliber bullets at long range.
Most hits to the front and bottom of the plane = fuel tank leak, even when it's a rifle-caliber bullet that has to pass through the firewall to hit the fuselage tanks. Furthermore, the self-sealing fuel tanks don't seem to work, so the fuel leak effect persists until you run out of fuel. And, mind you, this isn't against multiple hits, it's after just ONE bullet.
Any hit to the front of the cockpit = penetration to the cockpit and possible PK or multiple "X control destroyed" results, despite the armor glass.
Hits outboard of the P-40's guns, or even its ammo troughs, will occasionally result in a "gun jammed" result.
I can't tell you how many times I've had to abort a QMB bomber intercept mission with 1 P-40C vs. 16 Ki-21 because my engine was dead or dying, or because my pilot was killed, badly wounded or couldn't control the plane, but with less than a dozen rifle-caliber hits in my plane.