How to fly a Spit 1a correctly!?

[Daliaraptor]

So, im flying now for quite few hours. As well in MP.
My problem especially in the ATAG Server, wehre you just can choose the Spit 1 and 1a, ive no chance to get a 109 even close in my gunsight. Even when i attack from above. I have the feeling its like David against Goliath. I doesent bring my Spit faster than 200mph at level flight (without momentum). Climbing as well is very confusing me. With the Spit 2a its the oposite. To easy to catch and chase a 109 and finally shoot down. But im getting frustratet with the 1a. Does i do something wrong? I've tryed a lot but the 1a feels like a Sopwith Camel WW1, without the good glider characteristics No Power!!!

Has somebody any tipps or is it just like it was, then?
Thanks for Feedbak...

[reflected]

Hi,
The 1a has about the same speed as the 109, at least it had IRL.
I have no such problems online. Always close the radiator until the temps go too high. Trim the aircraft so that you don't need constant stick input. Use 3000 RPM for combat, 2,850 for power climb (I sometimes use it in combat too), 2,600 for normal climbing, and 2,100-2,300 for cruise.
When you maneuver in combat, don't pull the stick all the way, because you'll bleed energy. pull it only just as much as it's needed.

[reflected]

Mind you, the MkIa's radiator seems to be bugged. In single player mode I overheated my engine in about a minute even though I opened it all the way. Works well on the MkII though...

[bw_wolverine]

You shouldn't be able to fly very long in the Spitfire with the radiator closed unless you're at high altitude and low rpm. Otherwise, you should (and will!) overheat rather fast.

[Daliaraptor]

@reflected

Thanks so far!!!
I made a testflight and get more power out of the Spit with more RPM. Ive always thougt that 2850 RPM and more is too high anyway.
But with those RPM i have to open the radiator fully all the time, even then, the engine temperatur is rising slowly to the 100° mark. Especialy in high altitude.
Should i change Mixture and decrease RPM for a while for cool down? When i just decrease the RPM with rich mixture then the engine get struggling below 2600 RPM!

Thanks anyway for support.

[Redroach]

as has been said already, I consider trimming the plane as one of the most important things to do in terms of getting up to speed. I think many people who complain about not being able to catch up to enemy planes don't monitor their side-slip and just trim their rudder in order to fly 'comfortably' straight ahead (supposedly). You don't get up to top speed if you're yawing excessively, flying more 'sideways' than straight ahead. Watch your side slip indicator and center it by applying rudder trim in order to get up to top speed. That may imply that you have to apply more or less constant aileron input at certain throttle/rpm settings(*), but this is the thing to do for top speed. Really, it makes a lot of difference, way more so than closing the rads.

(*) however, most planes are built/set up by design so that the plane is trimmed at full throttle and zero side-slip at a certain 'optimum' prop pitch.

[SEE]

In a word - 'altitude' - wether you are low level furball fan or prefer high alt DF's your Spit1a will always benefit from having that potential energy advantage. I set PP to around 2700 RPM and generally leave it that. In combat open the rad fully.

No point in trying to chase after a BF in the circumstances you describe - it will outpace and outclimb you. Watch the good Spit jockeys around Hawkinge - flying as if they are on some imaginary roller coaster - always trading altitide for speed and vice versa.

[TomcatViP]

Originally Posted by SEE

Watch the good Spit jockeys around Hawkinge - flying as if they are on some imaginary roller coaster - always trading altitide for speed and vice versa.

The P/W ratio of the Spit looking like highly bugged, it helps a lot

[CaptainDoggles]

Originally Posted by Daliaraptor

So, im flying now for quite few hours. As well in MP.
My problem especially in the ATAG Server, wehre you just can choose the Spit 1 and 1a, ive no chance to get a 109 even close in my gunsight. Even when i attack from above. I have the feeling its like David against Goliath. I doesent bring my Spit faster than 200mph at level flight (without momentum). Climbing as well is very confusing me. With the Spit 2a its the oposite. To easy to catch and chase a 109 and finally shoot down. But im getting frustratet with the 1a. Does i do something wrong? I've tryed a lot but the 1a feels like a Sopwith Camel WW1, without the good glider characteristics No Power!!!

Has somebody any tipps or is it just like it was, then?
Thanks for Feedbak...

At low altitudes the Bf 109E is faster than the Spitfire Mk1a. At high altitudes (around 5000m / 16000 ft) the spitfire is faster. If a 109 is running from you at low altitude you won't catch him, so your best bet is to start out high and dive down from above.

Wait until you see a furball developing, and then cruise around above it looking for stragglers. When you see a straggler, dive down on top of him and shoot.

[SEE]

Originally Posted by TomcatViP

The P/W ratio of the Spit looking like highly bugged, it helps a lot

Every opportunity you jump in with a Spit bug innuendo. I guess thats why you tend to mainly use the Hurri Rotol in MP.....which is faster and heavier so I guess power to weight ratio isn't a bug issue with that choice?