A beginner's guide to the planes

[Ancient Seraph]

Updated La series, explaining the difference between the 5 and 7 more. The differences are still subtle, and there are not too many, so I still think it's not reason enough to split the two.

[Benrizz]

Originally Posted by Ancient Seraph

[*]La Series -- Both: 2 x 20mm ShVAK (C)
The La's are prized for their speed, manouvreability and stability. The La-7 is one of the fastest piston planes in the game, and both the 5 and 7 are easy to fly. They don't stall very fast or violently, can compete with a Spit in turns, and almost can't be outrun. The downside for beginners might be the armament. Although they have pretty big cannons which can make quick work of a plane, the rate of fire is not high, and it's tricky to aim due to the low amount of tracers. Because the La-5 has a smaller engine, it's a bit slower and has more recoil, but due to the reduced weight it does have a slightly higher rate of turn. The La-7's bigger engine makes it faster and it has less recoil, but a slightly lower rate of turn.

Hi seraph,

I'm not totally agree with on the difference between LA5 & LA7.

Indeed the LA7 is clearly faster but the plane has also a faster turn rate. However, Because the LA5 is slower it has a slight smaller turn radius but do not turn as fast as the LA7.

Furthermore, I feel that the LA5 is bit more stable in flight than the LA7, which is easier to get into a stall at low speed. (But I agree that the difference is quite difficult to see)

You could also be a bit more explicit saying that the LA serie is adviced to begin with when you come to realistic or sim mode. Because of the in flight stability.

Of course that's not based on scientific datas just my experience.

Don't know if you agree with those comments

[Ancient Seraph]

Originally Posted by Benrizz

Hi seraph,

I'm not totally agree with on the difference between LA5 & LA7.

(...)

Of course that's not based on scientific datas just my experience.

Don't know if you agree with those comments

Thanks for your comment . I haven't got a lot of experience with the La-5, and got this info from Soviet Ace. I think it's best if I notify him about your comment, see what he's got to say about it . I did fly the 5 every now and then, and didn't notice any big differences, which is why I trusted SA's opinion.
It's not a bad idea to add the fact they're good beginner's planes to the description.. consider it done

[Ancient Seraph]

Woohoo! Stickied . Thanks mods!

[kozzm0]

for the sake of finally getting thru Free Hunt on sim, where are the Ju-52's most vulnerable?

I can get beside them, stay out of their gunner's cone and weave to hit them from the side, top or bottom, but I never get more than a few strafes in before time starts running out... especially if the wingmen can't down their targets, time runs out pretty quick.

I figured hit their engines, but they seem to light up quicker if I dodge around just behind them and hit the fuselage with a lot of rounds in the same spot.

Where are the weakest parts of the Ju-52's armor?

[mattd27]

Stickied, yes! Now all that work won't go to waste.

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by Benrizz

Hi seraph,

I'm not totally agree with on the difference between LA5 & LA7.

Indeed the LA7 is clearly faster but the plane has also a faster turn rate. However, Because the LA5 is slower it has a slight smaller turn radius but do not turn as fast as the LA7.

Furthermore, I feel that the LA5 is bit more stable in flight than the LA7, which is easier to get into a stall at low speed. (But I agree that the difference is quite difficult to see)

You could also be a bit more explicit saying that the LA serie is adviced to begin with when you come to realistic or sim mode. Because of the in flight stability.

Of course that's not based on scientific datas just my experience.

Don't know if you agree with those comments

Originally Posted by Ancient Seraph

Thanks for your comment . I haven't got a lot of experience with the La-5, and got this info from Soviet Ace. I think it's best if I notify him about your comment, see what he's got to say about it . I did fly the 5 every now and then, and didn't notice any big differences, which is why I trusted SA's opinion.
It's not a bad idea to add the fact they're good beginner's planes to the description.. consider it done

In fact, the La-5FN could get into a tighter turn than its later cousin the La-7 which needed more rudder going into a turn. But beside getting overly technical, and boring you to much with every little detail. I'll make it short (as possible that is).

When the first La-5s came out into combat, they had probably the best turning of the La-5 series that there was. Their wooden combined with an early plastic known as Bake Light, and aluminum; gave them a tremendous advantage at turning with their enemy. Later on as the La-5F came around, nothing really changed except for the engine which was a few horse powers faster, and known as the M82F, rather the M82 A (which the La-5 used.) When the La-5FN came around, they structured it better by taking away some of the bake light parts, and replacing them with Cromolli Steel (which was an exceptionally light weight steel. It also was used in the Yak-3 incase you were wondering. Haha) Anyway, the La-5FN was also give an up lifted engine with a few more horse powers, and called the M82FN engine. Both the added Cromolli Steel, and the lack of many bake light parts. The La-5FN was almost like a La-5 (original version) but with better power, and a more reliable body structure. (Some of the La-5 bodies, had the tendency to have the cloth that covered them become weak and gradually become unglued which caused many deaths in La-5s.) With the better more reliable body and structure, the La-5FN was capable of equaling the La-5 in its turning but only for a few moments before the stresses became to much.

When the La-7 came into the picture, the structure of it was completely lacking in Bake Light plastic, and was actually incorporated with more Cromolli Steel, but this Cromolli Steel was heavier and for some reason (can't quite remember the reason at the moment) it was prone to collapsing under to much stress. So while flying the La-7, if you were to pull to much of a G, the heavier Cromolli Steel in the wings had the tendency to give, and either your wing just slumped into a weird position, or could possibly be completely torn away. That's why the La-7 didn't last long before the better and longer ranged La-9 arrived. (But that was after WW2.) So if the La-7 were to try and turn with an La-5FN, it was more likely it couldn't because the possibility of the wings collapsing was an issue.

-You can give your thanks to the book, "Lavochkin's Piston Engined Fighters" for the information. I just read what it said, and put it down.

[Ancient Seraph]

Originally Posted by Ancient Seraph

This guide is mainly meant to help people who are new to the game, based on experience in-game. Because of this it might not correspond to your own experience, historical facts or Dogfights episodes. Before you start arguing about something in this thread, please be sure to have valid arguments, not based on historical facts or similar.

Sorry Soviet, this guide is meant to be based on experience, so unless you can truthfully say you outturned an La-7 with a 5 multiple times, I won't take your statement into account.
I value your input, but I want this guide to be based on in-game experience, so new players know what to expect in-game, as opposed to what it was in RL. As you know the differences can be quite big .

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by Ancient Seraph

Sorry Soviet, this guide is meant to be based on experience, so unless you can truthfully say you outturned an La-7 with a 5 multiple times, I won't take your statement into account.
I value your input, but I want this guide to be based on in-game experience, so new players know what to expect in-game, as opposed to what it was in RL. As you know the differences can be quite big .

Well in that case, then I can say with all confidence/truthfulness. Yes. I've out turned an La-7 multiple times flying the La-5FN. Me and my friend have chosen both planes many times, and have he and I have always had a fun time breaking into La-7s turns, and breaking into a tight turn it cannot.

EDIT: Now I'm off to a party. So don't ask me a question anymore. I won't be here to see it until either the day after tomorrow, or even the next day.

[Ancient Seraph]

In this case I'll keep going on Soviet Ace's experience, since I can imagine he flies the La's quite a lot . The disadvantage of this guide being based on in-game experience is that experiences can differ.. like now I have to choose between Soviet's opinion and Benrizz'.. so, nothing personal Benrizz, I'm going with Soviet on this. If you still don't agree, I'll test it more in-depth.