Tales from online; ignorance of energy....

[Jumoschwanz]

Yep, being smooth on the controls is important, but flying straight away from danger is not a good idea.

You can do both, when I am running I dive in a shallow turn so that anyone trying to hit me does not have a straight shot. It does not have to be much of a curve in your flight to make it so your pursuer has to make a lead shot instead of a straight shot. Then if you very slightly change your direction over several seconds you are in much better shape.

It is a balancing act, those running while putting in heavy control inputs are not going to pull away, and those who are so smooth on the controls that they offer their opponent an easy shot may not get too far either.

The IL2 pilot that is consistently completing his missions while scoring against his opponents has to have a very large bag of tricks he can draw from.

[JtD]

I disagree. All I need to consistently complete missions while staying alive is a fast aircraft, a decent flight plan and discipline.

[Jumoschwanz]

Originally Posted by JtD

I disagree. All I need to consistently complete missions while staying alive is a fast aircraft, a decent flight plan and discipline.

Exactly like AI

I have flown on well-known servers hosted by well-known allied squads, and they all train together and use the same tactics and fly the same mission over and over again. This makes them very easy to defeat........Just like AI.

My thanks to AI and those who think and fly like them for my great successes.

[JtD]

I manage 90-95% rtb, more if I try. It's really simple, if you're in the faster plane, the other guy can be as good as he likes, he won't catch you.

[Jumoschwanz]

Originally Posted by JtD

I manage 90-95% rtb, more if I try. It's really simple, if you're in the faster plane, the other guy can be as good as he likes, he won't catch you.

So where is this server where nobody is ever flying above you at an energy advantage?

[JtD]

Having someone above you with an energy advantage means that you went below him with an energy disadvantage. What a stupid thing is that to do if you don't know you're fast enough to still get out?

[K_Freddie]

Moons ago, online Berlin map..
In a FW190-A9, I'd just plugged a red a/c and was set upon by a LA7.
A few seconds later he was joined by another LA7 and they both had advantage on me.

I couldn't escape directly to Berlin, as they would easily catch me. Then both attacked one behind the other, which gave me an escape route.. turning inside this attack, I put nose down gently and 'floored it' towards the south.
They caught up to within about 400m as we reached ground level.

What followed was about 10 minutes of treetop speedway.. As I trimmed and played with my radiator and plop-pitch.. I kept them at arms length - their shells 'expiring' a few metres behind me.
Slowly turning in a wide gentle arc I headed back towards my base. The one LA gave up halfway but the other had big ideas...

Little did he know, I was leading him into a trap... my base AAA shot him down.

[Jumoschwanz]

Originally Posted by JtD

Having someone above you with an energy advantage means that you went below him with an energy disadvantage. What a stupid thing is that to do if you don't know you're fast enough to still get out?

I guess I should have specified I fly on hard settings servers where there is no way to know where other aircraft are on the server, just as in WWII. I am not interested in gaming on easy servers where the players scroll through outside views and have icons.....it means about the same as someone bragging about how well they do on Pac-Man.


As for K_Freddie's escape from the LA-7s, good job because they are certainly faster than a 190A. I had a similar experience once, only managing to escape because I watched my engine temperature and the pilot of an La5fn did not and ruined his engine after chasing me for quite a while.

Although the La- series of Russian fighters are generally as fast or faster than their contemporary 190A opponents, they do have fragile engines and if their pilot does not know how to manage his Energy or his engine then the full potential of their aircraft will be wasted.

In earlier patches of IL2 the Russian aircraft seemed to come apart in high speed dives easier than they do in the last few patches. Back in the day I watched more than a few La- or other Russian fighter hit the ground behind me while trying to keep up with my 109 or 190 in a dive. It was always good for a chuckle.