Why fly the Spitfire?

[609_Huetz]

I will have to wait until the weekend to give you some numbers Grand Armee, as I can't access my library during the week, since I do not bring it to the city I work in.

Until then: the main problem with the E-1s wasn't the armament, it was discoverd during the late stages of the Battle of France and the early stages of the Battle of Britain that the pilot wasn't sufficiently protected. During the course of the battle, a decent number of E-1s was already converted and fitted cannons and IIRC additional pilot armor of the E-3/4 standard. That's why the definate numbers or pictures can sometimes be misleading.

I do however agree, before the start of the BoB, it's fair enough to treat the E-1s and E3/4 as two different variants, it all gets a bit blury however during the Battle. Until I get home however Kurfurst, can you supply some sources for Grand Armee?

[Grand_Armee]

Not necessary to go to great length. If it's just a question of small upgrades, I don't know that 1C would bother with the trouble of building another 'variant' that was raised to a new standard anyway. Can't see a lot of ppl complainin because of a piece of steel plate, armored windscreen, or alternate cockpit glazing.

[609_Huetz]

Exactly, that's why I can't really understand why they go with the E-4 first instead of the E-1 that would be a decent matchup for the Spitfire Mk.I and would allow us to also create a few nice early(er) war scenarios.

Maybe it's more of an investment in the future and the E-4 definately is representative for the months after the BoB.

[JG14_Jagr]

Originally Posted by Reckless

how about 6?

AI do not count.. I could train a one eyed monkey to shoot down AI

[Ze-Jamz]

Originally Posted by JG14_Jagr

AI do not count.. I could train a one eyed monkey to shoot down AI

rofl...I indeed shot down 6 AI Spits in a 109 before getting to low and going for a swim...

It easy to get these numbers against AI when they cant shoot the door of a barn..

After about 3 mins trying to track 6 Spits against my 1 109 i would of been slaughted if they could shoot staight

Id like to see ANY 109 pilot taking on 5-6 human Spits with equal skill and come off on top

[Grand_Armee]

1 v 6 are losers odds...in any plane matchup. Even if you do manage to maintain the height and energy advantage, chances are one of those six will pull up just at the right time to put a stream of bullets in front of your plane.

[Tiger27]

Originally Posted by Formula88

Its less durable than a hurricane and not too much faster, far less stable and completely useless for shooting down 109s. There is no reason to fly for the red side as far as I can see. Every advantage belongs to the blue with faster planes, deadlier guns and just general superiority. I was just in the syndicate server and there was like 15 blue and 5 red...I left because, well, wtf? Give us an aircraft capable of competeing with the 109 and I might decide to start playing again.

How about you practise, I have no problems taking down 109's with the Spit, get your convergence and distance to target right and the 303's do some damage.

I note you complained about everyone flying blue, but then instead of redressing the balance you left(I always try and fly for which ever side has the least numbers, more targets, more fun), so you complain, but are also part of the problem, man up and learn to fly the Spit and you may enjoy it.

[Iku_es]

I play for both red and blue airforces.
And the Spitfire is a worthy oponent for the 109, a far more dangerous plane IMHO than the Hurricane for a 109 driver.

When flying the Spitfire, I also have problems following those sneaky Jerrys if they start their standard attack procedure:
1. Shallow dive on me
2. Fire
3. Extend
4 Climb.
5. Repeat if advantadge is kept. else dissengage.

But this is the way it was. It is a Spitfire, not an Eurofighter.
Anyway, if I start with some alt advantadge, they cannot outrun me easily.

Regarding the 303's... I have mine set to a convergence 150-150 and an API mix. With a 1,5 second burst I have no problems setting them afire. Also, It will help a lot if you fire from an unloaded state (not pulling G's) and with the ball centered!.

[Danelov]

E-1´s were of the most numerical and normal types used by the Luftwaffe and a good number were still in service in the peak of the Battle by August 1940. Like with the changes in camouflage with 71-02-65(or 76), some E-1 were also updated as E-4, mainly with the new hood and the pilot plate armour. The weapons were not always updated and a good number of original E-1 were always equipped with the four MG and in such configuration were shot down over Britain. Some 158 E-1s were shot down or loss between July and october(and 41 E-3 and 236 E-4s).The E-4 had entry in service in May 1940. They are good photos of this shot down E-1s only MG equipped in the serie of books of Eric Mombeek.
About Spitfires, the 12 boost power although was not maybe a official recomended power settings, was massively used by the RAF pilots in combat.Also the convergence of the 0.303s at 250 yards was near of be the standard.

[Seeker]

I flew mainly Spits in '46, I'm flying mainly Hurri's now; for the dweebiest of reasons:

I have to fight the game less to maintain a gun sight view and vision on target in a Hurri than the Spit. It must be awful for blue fliers.

I love the default load out for the Hurri and can't seem to replicate it in the Spit. I'm fighting the game so much to keep the gun sight view I'm getting closer and just hosing 'em down with that lovely garden spray from the Hurri, I find this hard to do in the Spit with the default tracerless load out.

There's no doubt that the Hurri was, and is modelled as, the superior gun platform. If you could gain position.

There's no doubt it was much easier, and is so modelled, to gain position in a Spit than it is in a Hurri. But that still doesn't mean you can shoot the bugger.

I don't feel 109's are too much a threat in either of them under 10k any way. 110's are a harder nut to crack. Probably because they're not fighting the game's gun sight like the 109 drivers.