Tales from online; ignorance of energy....

[Jumoschwanz]

Hi all,

Recently on a closed cockpit/no outside views server, the pilot of one of the very fastest aircraft in IL2 asked how I shot him to pieces from his 6 o'clock position while I was in a much slower aircraft.

I explained to him that although some of the aircraft in IL2 have a decent top speed advantage over others even of the same year, 1944 for instance, that unless they are actually traveling at top speed their advantage will be less or even reversed.

Some aircraft in IL2 with high top speeds can be kept up with or even caught at low to medium speeds by aircraft that have lower top speeds. If you add to that an energy advantage or poor energy management, then the top-speed advantage of a particular aircraft can be erased.

A little altitude or speed advantage going into a fight, or a maneuver that scrubs off less speed than your opponent can be all that is needed to get the job done, not to mention being able to make types of blind shots others don't expect you to be able to make etc....

To many this is very simple and common sense flying, but surprisingly there are people out there that have been flying IL2 for a decade who are still oblivious as to why they just got shot down.


Good luck and,

S!