F4u-4 and F8F

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by Laurwin

tell me more about F4U in the game currently though?

do you feel it's historically correct in it's climb rate, power output etc...? likelihood of overheating?

you don't notice very much bad things when you fight against zero, because you can still outrun them eventually.

but against tonys (ki61) and the late war japanese monster planes hayate and shiden (ki84 and N1k2), I have BIG problems, always, with USN planes...

maybe it's historical, i dunno, i've heard though, that Ki84 is basically an uber plane of the pacific front though.

either online or offfline against AIs.

See the thread down a few pages about aircraft acceleration. The Corsair is a monster and quite a bit better than people think it is (good reason why not to go by "Feel" and instead do actual testing).

Fly a Corsair like it was meant to be flown and use the tactics and techniques that you'd find in the high scoring USMC squadrons in the Solomons and it'll do VERY well. Its top speed matches the published USN test reports almost dead on these days so its top speed and other attributes are accurate the last I and others checked.

The Ki-61 was one of the first Japanese fighters to challenge American aircraft on their own terms (with speed and dive capabilities) and both the Ki-84 and N1K are technically higher performing than the Corsair. I'd say the Ki-84 is modeled somewhat optimistically with a top speed and other performance levels consistent with the best maintained Ki-84s... indeed it may have even been based off of an American test using fuel that was better in quality than what Japan typically had access to. This can make a big difference. I've suggested that a 1944 year Ki-84 option be added to give a more typical level of performance while maintaining the higher performing ones as well.

Keep in mind two issues that the Japanese faced that you don't as a sim pilot:

1) Engine and other mechanical difficulties that many of their aircraft faced including the Ki-84, Ki-61, and N1K. Spare parts were hard to find in some theatres and the conditions and industrial issues that Japan faced caused many technical issues keeping these aircraft on the ground or at reduced levels of capability.

2) Pilot training issues caused by high losses of the experienced pilots in the first two years of the war. A pilot with little experience in an excellent aircraft won't be much use against a coordinated team flying Corsairs even if the Corsair is a little lower on the raw performance level.