p38 defense

[majorfailure]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

Other than that, the P-38 really is a "thinking man's airplane." Moreso than other fighters, even other BnZ fighters, you have to plan each attack in advance - from ingress to exit. Sometimes, that can be a real PITA, especially if you're learning, and especially against a maneuverable foe who can "jam" your attacks with clever maneuvers.

Absolutely - for a beginner I would recommend a P-40 against Japanese early-mid war planes. Your speed advantage is not as good as in a P-38. You can make your roll rate count though, and it is a really capable energy fighting plane. If you enter the fight with an altitude advantage you are nearly intouchable. Just don't turn and burn, keep the fight vertical, use your roll rate to change direction, if you see your advantage degrade, exit, climb back and re-enter. If all else fails, split-S one or even two times, maybe even with a slight change of direction at the exit, and run.