huge is an understatement... I can barely keep a rookie ai off my six with the controller... let alone line up an effective deflection shot. its frustrating, but it will be fixed with the flightstick.. ( id rather have a deadzone to deal with, then backwards controls )

:-)

if you fly on the 360 add me, id gladly mess around in a private match with a bunch of friends with the controller! i might not be the best pilot, but seriously.... locking into 1 control sceme is shutting the game off from anyone thatis like me... with a controller... the left stick moves... the right stick aims... in fps games... this game.. the left stick "aims" since moving it "aims your nose" now after years of my left thumb aiming.... I can't use it to aim in this game? and have to try and use my right thumb to "aim the nose of my plane" very frustrating... but hey, so far I still love the game... its just not playable outside of arcade mode with the controller for me.
Sim mode is impossible for me with the controller... but mostly thats due to needing to look around to see your targets... and no toggle on looking makes it impossible for me with my wonky heavy handed thumbs. :-)

At OP/TS

I have beaten half of the single mission on Arcade and the other half on realistic, some of them where next to impossible to complete on realistic. But! It seems that i have every plane on your list.

Tip for unlocking extras: Win online matches! I have never lost a ranked dogfight and every 2 wins it gives me something. Till now only extra weapons... But maybe later-on more planes. I am busting my ass at finding that B-17 so if anyone has some tips feel free to PM ;)

EDIT: I GOT MY I-153 CHAIKA!!!!!!!!!!! Yet sadly no cockpit :( Oh well, I STILL HAVE IT!!!!

Awesome! I will be playing a lot more multiplayer now that I have all the singleplayer stuff out of the way.

It kinda stinks that you don't get anything extra for beating all that stuff on simulator. It wasn't easy for this Goat.

Hmmmm... My friend I have no idea then. I think it was within the last 3 campaigns on single missions. My buddy will have beaten them all tomorrow and I think he's writing down which missions unlock what. So I will get back to you when I find out.

What mission was it?

Hey Soviet,

No, sorry, i rushed through the single missions so fast that i did not even notice that plane until i browsed my hanger. And yes it is almost identical to the I-16 but then with an extra wing.

Big tip: Complete the single missions on the arcade setting, it is much faster and it appears that there is no extra reward for beating the missions on a higher difficulty.

Totally agree, there must have gone a lot of hours in to beating it. They could at least give you something for it....

Oh well. Most of the missions were enjoyable. Some had me cursing my life though!

That "Free Flight" one or whatever it's called where you had to shoot down various flights of transports before they got to a certain point made me want to rip my hair out! I hate the LA-5 (No offense Soviet Ace)... That piece of crap would almost shake apart when I would fire the cannons! And those stupid transports could take SO much damage and your crappy LA-5 would just fall apart like a card house if they got a few hits in on you.

Now the LA-7 on the other hand. Now THAT'S a plane. (I suppose the LA-7 was just a later version of the LA-5)

I know the feeling. I do not remember what the mission is called but it is the mission where you have to stop 109's from reaching there base or something. Tried to do it on realistic but i could never even reach the 109's before they returned to their base...