Quote:
Originally Posted by majorfailure
Depends what you are up against. Vs. most japanese (not J2 and Ki-84) planes you have the speed advantage, use it. And you climb better tan them when you are fast.
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Early to mid-war Japanese planes are a well-flown P-38's natural prey. Their lack of armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, plus their light airframes, helps the P-38 kill them with one pass.
Historically, the P-38's ability to climb to considerably higher altitudes (~44k feet for the P-38L, vs. ~35,000 feet for the Zero and the Ki-43) than the Japanese also helped. The Americans could usually attack from above.
In game, guess that means "try to drag the fight upstairs" if that's possible, since the P-38 has the sustained climbing power to do it. At some point, a plane like the A6M5 or the Ki-43-III is going to wallowing due to the high altitude.
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.
Go offline and start hunting AI Ki-43-IIIs, Ki-27s or A5Ms. Their relative lack of armament makes them much safe to engage than any other Japanese planes, while their twisty, windy ways will drive you nuts as you try to attack them.