Need your opinion about IL2 planes

[OverDhill]

Hey guys I am getting my system ready to do some learning about flying. I know some basics but since I am now retired I want to spend some time on this.

So which plane in IL2 would you say was the easiest for a beginner yet also is fun to fly? I was thinking about the P51 or Spitfire. What would you recommend? By the way I have IL2: 1946 patched up and slightly modded.

I recently purchased a X-52 Pro set but had to return it because it kept losing the calibration in the middle of a game. Tried a couple different powered hubs as well as straight into my Sabertooth motherboard. So I am waiting on some other ones.

In the mean time I am playing around with UDP Speed and other stuff as well as trying to get familiar with the cockpit.


Thanks for any advice

OverDhill

[CWMV]

Flight wise-cant beat the 109 for ease of flying.
P-51 has a very big learning curve, the spit is a bit more forgiving.
When most of the fighters in game stall its violent, throws the aircraft around and can put you on your back. With the 109, the nose drops. That's about it.

Also you might consider the Zero.
In fact, you should look into Joint Ops. Id recommend it for any new IL2 pilots.
http://www.joint-ops.com/php2/index.php
If you have the time they have great teachers that will guide you through most of what you need to know.

[IceFire]

CWMV has some good recommendations. The Mustang is not a beginners plane anywhere. It's a top performer to be sure but that comes with some prices and that makes it less forgiving.

The Spitfire is definitely easier but the Bf109 in many models (especially the F and early G series) are by far the highest performing aircraft in IL-2 while simultaneously being fairly easy to fly.

I'd add two more aircraft to the list of fairly easy to get started but requiring some serious work to master. The F4F Wildcat (also the FM-2 which is a later model) and the Hurricane. Both have fairly benign stalls but they are serious enough to teach you what not to do. They are both slower meaning you'll have to learn how to keep your speed but they aren't so slow as to be boring.

[EJGr.Ost_Caspar]

La-5FN/La-7, Ki-84, Ki-43 for pure beginners.

If I would take someone by the hand I would give him a P-40. Easy enough not to fall out of the sky, strong enough to get fight results, still hard enough to be able to learn through it. (quite similar to F4F, but sexier)

EDIT: @OverDhill ... do you ask primarly because you want to learn flying ... or fighting?

[pupo162]

if you want to fight, probably the 109. there is ALWAYS a server who has 109s available. Its very capable of turnfighting and energy fighting. hard to stall, easy to recover, good armament, but not too strong, so you actually have to learn how to shoot.

if you want to fly fly, then you cna preatty much pick your favorite plane. Just make sure you find a decent teatcher. JOINT-OPS, is a good idea if you have the time.

good luck!

[fruitbat]

imo a Bf109 F4 on the eastern front, is the best plane to learn in.

Centreline cannon which is very effective, and will teach you to shoot properly.

Very forgiving handling in flight as well as take off and landing, and general superiority in flight against all your opponents of the time, in climb, speed and turn (at least against the ai)

flying an early/mid 1942 DGEN campaign in a F4 is a exercise in destroying the VVS all by yourself.......

I personally would stay away from the zero, purely because you can do stuff in that plane that you can't get away with in others, and it may teach bad habits for other plane imo.

[OverDhill]

Thanks for the replies

Well I guess it sounds like the 109 is the place to start. And yes I want to learn how to fight as well as fly. I have to pick out some rudder pedals. I have heard some people start out using the twist stick but then later get pedals and have a hard time adjusting.

Any suggestions on some good sturdy ones? The CH Product ones look good but I think they are too close together for my taste.

[CWMV]

I have the CH pedals and they arent that bad. Ive been banging on them for a few years now and they still work very well. I would definetly recomend them.

You may also want to get Track IR. Its the most important piece of gear you can get.

http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/products/trackir5/

[fruitbat]

I could just about go back to flying with a twist stick if i had to, while i waited for a new set of rudder pedals. I wouldn't bother flying again until i got a new track ir if mine broke.

For pedals, i prefer Saiteks, purely because its a wider stance, but there both good products.

http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/pedals.html

[fruitbat]

Originally Posted by EJGr.Ost_Caspar

If I would take someone by the hand I would give him a P-40. Easy enough not to fall out of the sky, strong enough to get fight results, still hard enough to be able to learn through it. (quite similar to F4F, but sexier)

Burn the heretic, Wildcats are sexy, and they can land on carriers!