how to handle the spitIX??

[IceFire]

Also this might be a good opportunity to point out the several variations of Spitfires that are available to you in game and which Spitfire you should pick for what occasion.

Spitfire VIII
- LF.VIIIc
- LF.VIIIc Clipped

Spitfire IX
- LF.IXc
- LF.IXc Clipped
- LF.IXe
- LF.IXe Clipped
- HF.IXe
- LF.IXc +25lbs

The Spitfire V is a totally different beast than the IX in many ways. Although they are both Spitfires the V has much better handling but is not as fast.

The Spitfire VIII I mention because it's the "same" as the IX. The IX was actually meant to be a temporary production model until the improved VIII could be brought to production. The VIII is more refined than the IX, however, the IX was used in larger numbers and gets essentially equal performance.

There is a HF.IXe model in game for the IX. This is meant to be a high altitude version. At lower altitudes it's performance is degraded compared to the rest of the IX models. Many people fly the HF online (no idea why)... do not make the mistake of picking this Spitfire unless your intended fighting altitude is 8000 meters or higher.

The highest performing version is the IXc +25lbs. This is a very late war modification where a higher quality of fuel allowed the Spitfire higher performance. Overall top speed remains the same, however, the top speed can be achieved at a greater range of altitudes.

Finally there are clipped wing versions which have a higher roll rate but the turn rate is somewhat degraded. I prefer the clipped wing versions myself as a rolling battle is more important to me than a sustained turn.

[K_Freddie]

There's just a teeny weeny missing ingredient that is never mentioned amongst the barrage of technical mumbo-jumbo that most are given.

Patrick always said it to Sponge-Bob - IMAGINATION

If you do not have this, you'll find yourself at the 'wrong end' no matter how 'good' your aircraft is.

OFFLINE practice is your que here.....

[AndyJWest]

I'd say that if you want to learn how to fly Spits, you are probably better off practising with the Mk V versions - less grunt, but better handling. Set one up in the QMB with 50% fuel and no enemy, but ensure 'spins and stalls' or whatever it is called is on, at 3000m. Fly it around - practice tight turns, loops, slow rolls, inverted flight. When you feel comfortable with this, do the silly stuff - tailslides (pull up vertical, throttle back, and keep pointing upwards - if you get it right you will slide backwards for a brief moment, then flip round into a dive - allow plenty of altitude, as you can easily get into a spin). Do pretty well anything you can think of that doesn't involve either ripping the wings off in a dive, or hitting the ground. While you do this you will get plenty of opportunity to practise spin recovery, but more to the point, you will get to recognise how far you can push a Spit before it bites.

[AKA_Tenn]

find a squad with a good training program... there's some really good players that'd be totally willing to help you out, flying by yourself you don't have the feedback from the more experienced guys, so how can you really tell how well your doing if you don't have someone who can tell you if your doing it right?

in the end its whats between your chair and joystick that needs to perform well, and the plane your in has far less significance than you think.

[K_Freddie]

Originally Posted by AKA_Tenn

...in the end its whats between your chair and joystick that needs to perform well, and the plane your in has far less significance than you think.

...as Patrick says...