Very Satisfying!

bw_wolverine · #1 07-29-2011, 04:54 AM

I just had one of the most satisfying flights I've ever had in a combat flight sim tonight on the Syndicate server. And yes, it was in Cliffs of Dover.

Flying a Spitfire Mk. Ia, I did a sweep of the french coastline before returning to england. Radar spotted a flight of Stukas heading for Manston.

Intercepting them, I did a high turning climb before diving down on them, peppering the rightmost plane of the six aircraft flight, tail gunners wailing at me all the while. Not a scratch!

Diving down and then rolling over to come back onto their tails, I chewed at the plane I'd previously marked, sprouting fresh trails of fuel and radiator coolant. He fell away from the pack! Turning my attention to his wingmate, I was about to open the guns when I noticed that some of the tracers flying past me were coming from behind!

Quickly, I throw the DeHavilland two speed prop into coarse and roll, diving away in a tight high-g manoever. The sneaky 109 that bounced me came with. Down and down we spiraled towards the ocean, with me watching my RPMs the whole time and pleading that my gambit would work. As we near the cold channel waters, the 109 breaks out of the turn, engine sputtering. Success! He's over-rev'd his DB and has no more hunter left in him. Now he will be hunted!

Bringing my Spit back around in a rudder assisted turn, I open up the prop to give myself a bit of power and roar onto the 109's tail. Before he knows I'm there, I've layed bullets across his wing. He turns and tries to climb away, too close to the sea, but his wounded bird won't cooperate now. We twist and writhe above the waves until he crosses my sights once more and a strong two second burst from my eight browning guns opens up his oil and smoke starts to fall away from his wing as a fire has started near the tip.

Pulling up and away, I lean over to the side and see his canopy open and a nervous pilot bail out, only a few hundred feet above the waters. I salute the warrior and head for home.

A successful landing later and I'm in the flight officers mess, telling this exact tale.

(All events happened during my mission. Wonderful stuff! I experienced no bugs at all during the flight. When the game is working right, it works really really well. I'm not going to say it doesn't need work. It does. But that was simply a wonderful sortie. The flight model, the management of my aircraft, the light playing on the dash, everything. Wonderful.)

Bobb4 · #2 07-29-2011, 06:03 AM

Mind if I ask was it an AI or human 109?
Yes, it is very nice when it all works (sim that is) and I have had moments too

The first time I managed to get the G.50 airborne on our server. I was so proud of myself...
It was spluttering away and I was looking around all chuffed when a Hurricane thought he would give me flying lessons.
His first burst was way off the mark. Now the G.50 may be a dog to fly, no speed, peashooters but it turns on a dime and this hurricane pilot (human) had obviously never seen one in the air before (you do not see them zipping around servers anyway).
To cut a long story short I smoked him after a long turn and pepper session.
I still managed to land the bugger.

What I was going to originally say, nice to read someone enjoying the game, we all complain but it still is good at times and sometimes very good.

CaptainDoggles · #3 07-29-2011, 06:27 AM

I've been having a blast flying online lately. Just now had a real nailbiter of a dogfight against a very competent Hurricane pilot who was trying to shoot up some AI stukas as they were landing. I dove in on him but with my excess speed was forced to yo-yo as he turned hard. That gave him the space he needed to start playing hide and seek with me in the clouds. I went low, trusting that my DB601A with 1100PS could regain me the E advantage if he stayed high. It very nearly didn't, but at 1.45 ata and 2500 rpm there's not much that will keep up with a Messerschmitt. We scissored a bit on the way up; I was trying to get him to pull lead on me so he'd stall out. Eventually he got impatient and dove away (foolishly) which gave me the positional advantage needed to move in for the kill.

115m convergence for cannons and nose guns seems to be the sweet spot for me. Load the nose guns with armor-piercing ammunition for excellent cockpit penetration.

Edit: Haha, and actually, the first time I saw a G.50 online I shot it down, thinking it was a Hurri. I mean what poor sod gets into a Fiat willingly?

JG52Krupi · #4 07-29-2011, 06:27 AM

Awesome, we had something like this on simhq here is my post from that thread.

Flying over the red lines and having already downed a hurri I decided to do one last sweep of the area before RTB and sure enough a spit caught my eye. Unaware of my presence I opened the throttle and closed in on my prey, the cannon in the right wing was out of action from the previous fight so I opted for a longer burst from MG's and sure enough thick smoke started billowing from the stricken aircraft, but the pilot hadn't given up yet and was pulling into a sharp climb, alas it wasn't to be sure enough his engine slowed and finally cut out and the pilot bailed. I followed the aircraft as it stalled and slowly slide into a plummet (Damn AI machines ). Flashes of gunfire quickly snapped me out of my daydream and I could only stare blankly around as a hail of 0.303cals chewed their way through the narrow cramped cockpit that I thought was soon to become my coffin and sure enough I felt the stab of a bullet grazing my side out of instinct my body thrust forward into the stick and down attempting to hide from the lead ripping through my machine. Without realizing it I had entered a steep dive and collecting my senses I opened up the throttle raised my flaps and dived for home...

I'am not sure how I managed to escape but I did and now seemingly out of trouble I decide to survey the damage taken in the cockpit a number of bullet holes in the front canopy was allowing a bitting cold wind to scratch and claw at my face, a number of instruments were broken but most distressing sight of all was my gunsight, smashed to smithereens. No worry I would be landing soon and sure enough the concrete landing strip of my HQ was visible in the distance. A flash to my right caught my eye and I saw another 109 under attack from a hurri with one glance back at the safety of the concrete strip ahead of me and despite the bullet graze from my last encounter I veered off to the right... I couldn't leave a comrade in the lurch even if my craft was in no fit shape.

Swiftly and despite the damage the 109 began to gain on the assailant who was still too busy trying to down his target, I reduced the throttle and lowered my combat flaps... I had just entered a long flat turn when the chilling sound of 0.303cals rattled against my machine, immediately I yanked back on the stick opened up the throttle and started a steep climb as second later I quickly pushed the stick forward but nothing happened, my elevator was broken! yet my aircraft continued to climb sharply.

Looking back at my tail my worst fears were confirmed the elevator was stuck forcing me into a ever steeper climb, what should I do.. Bail. No! the sea was stretching out below me and I could see my concrete home not far away now, I must try and land. I raised my landing flaps and began to claw at the elevator wheel... it must work... I had entered a dive now and the ground was looming towards me but sure enough with the elevator wheel on full the climb was significantly reduced and I was able to turn away from the tree tops.

Briefly my attention returned to my comrade "Forget about him there is nothing you can do now"... turning towards my HQ I made the achingly slow business of attempting to bring my aircraft in for a landing. It was only now that I felt the stab of pain in my chest, I had being hit again in the last attack but this time much worse, slowly my sight was blurring.

By turning my aircraft in one direction and then the next and with my throttle reduced I was able to produce a slow controlled decent, for anybody watching it must have looked like crazy dance, eventually it was time to lower the gear and I heard the familiar clunk of my undercarriage locking (at least I did in my imagination, damn sound bug) and two green lights burst to life on the instrument panel.