A beginner's guide to the planes

[mattd27]

IL-2M
The IL-2M is a heavy plane, but when used right it's deadly in a dogfight. Don't try to get into a turning fight with a Spitfire, as you probably won't win. Instead hover above the dogfight, and wait until you see a straggling plane. Then come down on it hard. The best merit of the IL-2M is it's phenomenal machine guns. Line up your shot right and you should have no problem lighting up enemy planes. When being pursued, it's best not to try and out turn enemies. Use your rear gunner, but don't come to depend on it as smart pilots will come up under you and put holes in your belly. When being targeted by multiple planes, using the rear gunner is essential to knock some of them off, or at least scare them a bit. The IL-2M can also dish as much damage as it deals, so you don't have to be overly cautious when your in a scrap.

He 162A-2
This plane is arguably the best of the jets, mainly because it has the best turning radius (although the bar is already set pretty low). Still, this plane is in no shape to be turning with any propellor powered fighter. It's best use is in Strike, you can catch up to bombers easily with it's superior speed, than take them down fast with your cannons. Although they aren't the most devastating weapon, they'll bring down a bomber fast if your a good shot. Make sure you line it up perfect though, as your probably only going to get one chance. It will be hard to take another pass at the bomber with the terrible turning radius. If you end up with another fighter behind you, the best option is to run away, get to full throttle and they'll never catch you unless they're in another jet. But try to outmaneuver them and your going to get burned up instantly. The only way to take down other prop fighters if you're already on their six.

Couple of really long ones there so feel free to edit and trim as you see fit.

[Soviet Ace]

Damn, got beat to the Il-2M. Ah well, it's alright. I don't use it that much anyways.

[mattd27]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

Damn, got beat to the Il-2M. Ah well, it's alright. I don't use it that much anyways.

If you fly any of the other IL series planes, they could use some descriptions. We really need some more contributors, there are a lot of planes the 3 of us don't fly.

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by mattd27

If you fly any of the other IL series planes, they could use some descriptions. We really need some more contributors, there are a lot of planes the 3 of us don't fly.

I already PM'd Seraph the La-5FN and La-7. Giving them more description, rather than just the "La Series".

QUICK EDIT: Also Seraph, you may want to put the I-16 Rata/Mosca and I-153 Chaika under "Polikarpov Series". Just for reference.

[Ancient Seraph]

Originally Posted by mattd27

IL-2M
(..)

He 162A-2
(..)

Couple of really long ones there so feel free to edit and trim as you see fit.

Thanks for even more descriptions mattd! I didn't use the 162 though, since it doesn't fit with this guide. The more I'm adding planes, the more this guide turns into a 'how-to' guide. In the descriptions there's usually a reference like: it's good in T&B, but no detailed description of it's best use. I'd like to see a description of the 162 more in the lines of: low rate of turn, although the best among jets, fast, blabla armament, etc., and then coat it with a flowing text.
No offense, it's just how I'd like this guide to be. It's tough to have this topic maintain it's style when editing others' descriptions, but I'd still like to have it so.

[mattd27]

Originally Posted by Ancient Seraph

Thanks for even more descriptions mattd! I didn't use the 162 though, since it doesn't fit with this guide. The more I'm adding planes, the more this guide turns into a 'how-to' guide. In the descriptions there's usually a reference like: it's good in T&B, but no detailed description of it's best use. I'd like to see a description of the 162 more in the lines of: low rate of turn, although the best among jets, fast, blabla armament, etc., and then coat it with a flowing text.
No offense, it's just how I'd like this guide to be. It's tough to have this topic maintain it's style when editing others' descriptions, but I'd still like to have it so.

haha no offense taken. It's not like it takes me hours to type these things up, and the guide looks great so I've got no problems with however you want to run it.

EDIT: If I have any more of these things, I'll PM them to you as not to clutter the thread. But I honestly think I may have gotten to the bottom of the barrel on planes I know strategies for. I guess I'll have to learn something from the guide too.

[waynoes]

Originally Posted by Ancient Seraph

[*]I-16 -- 2 x 7.62mm ShKAS (M) -- 2 x 20mm ShVAK (C)
Be careful to set the sensitivity way down with this plane.


(Original Thread started by Ju-87)

by this do you mean be careful on setting the sensitivity too low as it worsens the planes performance

or

be careful by setting the sensitivity lower as you are able to fly it much easier

sorry to pull you up and ask you about this, but i like the I-16, but am finding it hard to aim due to it's "slipperyness".

[RCfalcon]

I guess I could try to help, since I didn't see a description for the Jug up yet.

P-47D "The Jug"
- Eight .50cal machinegines
- (x2) 1000 lb bombs and (1) 500 lb bomb
- (x10) HVAR Rockets
- (x2) 1000 lb bombs, (1) 500 lb bomb, (x10) HVAR rockets

The P-47D is big, heavy plane that has excellent ground attack capabilities and some chance in an air to air fight if used properly. This plane has a potent armament for almost any situation. Its eight .50cal machineguns tend to make planes tear to bits if they are hit with a good burst. Only the more armored planes seem to hold up for any length of time under sustained fire. Between it's bombs and rockets, a single P-47 is capable of putting a little over 3000 lbs of ordinance on target with a single pass. This makes it fairly effective in CTA and Strike.

Its a little less effective in a dogfight, but it can still get some kills if used properly. Due to its massive size and weight, it has an extremely poor turning radius. Boom and zoom is your friend when fighting other aircraft. The P-47 is suprisingly quick in a straight line, and can usually outrun most planes other than 190 variants, 109-K4s and the jets. If you can get your guns on target, most planes will disappear after a good burst or two, the difficulty is often getting them on target in the first place.

The P-47 is also an extremely tough plane. It is heavily armored over most of the airframe, and can usually take a good beating before going down. Its weakest points seem to be the cockpit and the front portion of the plane near the engine, and a solid hit in either has the potential to do some damage. Avoid head-ons and turning battles, and you can usually stay alive.The ideal scenario for this plane is CTA and Strike, where it can still give ground targets a pounding, and also transfer into air to air combat or bomber hunting when needed.

-----

Sorry, it turned out a little long. I tend to go on and on when talking about stuff ^^; Me and my squadron have been having a good time with the Jug, thats for sure.

[Ancient Seraph]

Originally Posted by waynoes

by this do you mean be careful on setting the sensitivity too low as it worsens the planes performance

or

be careful by setting the sensitivity lower as you are able to fly it much easier

sorry to pull you up and ask you about this, but i like the I-16, but am finding it hard to aim due to it's "slipperyness".

No problem, I'm glad to help (kind of the reason I made this list in the first place ). I mean setting the elevater sensitivity down, due to it's strong tendency to stall if you don't. It's still a tricky plane to handle, but once you get the hang of it it's great fun. It's biggest strength is also it's weakness I guess: it's manouvreability makes it harder to aim.

Originally Posted by RCfalcon

I guess I could try to help, since I didn't see a description for the Jug up yet.

P-47D "The Jug"
(...)
-----

Sorry, it turned out a little long. I tend to go on and on when talking about stuff ^^; Me and my squadron have been having a good time with the Jug, thats for sure.

Thanks a lot Falcon! I love your description, copy/pasted it right in there. It was a bit long, but there's nothing that's not supposed to be in there. I was kind of doubting wether to put it in there or not, since the jug still isn't what it's supposed to be, and it might be improved with the update. However, you made the jug sound like a plane you'd actually pick for a game . Congrats on that.

[RCfalcon]

Thanks Seraph. I know I've had a lot of fun with the P-47, same with a few people I fly with. We were getting a little bored with B-17s, and none of us tend to like Russian planes, so the Jug has been a joy to fly in Strike. It works nicely in CTA if you can bomb without the sight. If you can get a 1000 pounder or two anywhere near a plane on the ground, it pops. Rockets are about as inaccurate as always, but dammit they look cool =P lol

Oh, tried it out some as a bomber buster in a few strike matches. It works nicely ^^ I was making a He-111's night hell, lol. I don't think it made it more than halfway to the targets before the fifty-cals shredded it or I pegged it with a rocket. B-17s can give it a little trouble though, since your armor is weakest in front. You just need to come in at an angle and not get caught right behind the tail gunner. Works nice for picking off fighters that are too focused on killing a bomber too. Basically, anything that isn't turning too much. lol

Our best boom and zoom pilot uses it in team battle every now and then, but he still loves German planes the most, so he usually sticks to the Fw-190 D, Ta-152, or Bf-109-K4.

I've heard a few people talk about it needing to be fixed up some. What are the common complaints? Because it seems to be about what I expected (big, tough, not very graceful and with a lot of things that go boom). I think it could be a little tougher, since sometimes it seems to die easier than it should. Turning seems about right though. It turns about as well as a 190, maybe just a hair worse because of the extra mass.

Speaking of the update, I cant wait for it. I want to be able to use the mustang and not have to fight it the whole time.