what Allied aircraft are the best in this game?

[Laurwin]

hehe, I didn't say prob with p-38 was against AI?

but true enough, what you're saying makes sense.

indeed, it might be better practice, to not use "following method" with establishing lead, especially with energy fighters bnz. Following method works ok with hard turners like spits though.

More usually though online, there wont be so easy shots initially. Bounced bandit starts hard break turn, divingg at the same time, sometimes alternating the angle, diving or climbing (he's looking at attacker fromside window.)
I would do that with a spitfire to avoid getting hit, if I see a fw190 approaching fast and turning into me, with an uncomfortable looking angle.

this kind of deflection shot is almost impossible to predict (with a p-38 at least!). But Indeed, he will have that much less E later on at his disposal.

I thought that for maximum accuracy, you should be in a sustained low-g turn, or otherwise low-g on the airframe when shooting.

I dunno why that is, maybe it is in the German aerial gunnery manual.

Does it have something to do with the G-forces affecting upon the gun barrels?
Like, during sustained turn there's constant G, then the bullets spend a short time inside the barrel when being fired, and then the barrels are pointing ever so slightly differently, when the bullets exit the barrel? After that the bullets obviously are ballistic and unaffected?

[JtD]

Years of playing this game have taught me the following:

If you spot an opponent, check if you have the energy advantage, meaning if you're higher or considerably faster. If you are, dive, attack, extend. Come back if suitable. If not, get out of there. Which means that while I'm fairly successful in shooting down enemy aircraft and don't get shot down a lot, I hardly ever fight. I just kill or run.

The P-38 is fairly fast for it's time, climbs fairly well and has a decent firepower concentrated in its nose. It's got plenty of ammo for the .50ies. It is however somewhat sluggish at high speed, which means it is easier for the opponent to evade an attack. It's just physics, and there's nothing I can do about it. I can, however, start firing from further out than I can for instance in a Spitfire. I can also maintain a higher speed for longer, which makes extension easier. And the good climb rate permits extension in shallow climbs, which usually is a bad idea for instance in contemporary P-47's.

All in all, it isn't some marvellous killer, it is a good combat aircraft, which because of higher speeds and better high speed retention is somewhat easier to stay alive in than a Spitfire. It is a worse dogfighter, so don't dogfight with it like you would in a Spitfire. I usually don't dogfight, which makes the P-38 as good as a Spitfire for me.

[gaunt1]

Just curious, what about the Seafire? In IL-2 compare, its performance is quite unimpressive.

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by gaunt1

Just curious, what about the Seafire? In IL-2 compare, its performance is quite unimpressive.

The Seafire III comes in two versions: F.III and the LF.III

These are based around the Spitfire Vc with both engine choices.. the LF model having the low altitude cropped supercharger which offers excellent performance under 10,000 feet/3000 meters while the F version peaks around 18000 feet/5000ish meters. Against the Japanese fighters like the Zero... you have nearly all of the advantages. Against others you have to treat it like the best refined Spitfire V models around... great handling but it doesn't have the power to have the climb or speed that the Mark VIII or IX Spitfires have.

So a significant altitude advantage or forcing in the close fight is the best option.

[Laurwin]

There must ve something im doing wrong with tempy because im not having too good success with it.

Any online tips, operational/tqctical for tempest? I remember one mission where i was self appointed flighleadde ( 4ship). We went into normandy to reconnoitre and strike at vehicles, climb to 3km before crossing the wire. My teammates did excellent, one guy from us bagged 3 confirmed kills. That hero of the hour was none other than mightyjingle actually, our friendly floridan, who was this time in the harsh realm of full real server. So we dropped ordinance, but afyer tjat evertone kinda got separayed and we got pickwd off one by one

[IceFire]

Originally Posted by Laurwin

There must ve something im doing wrong with tempy because im not having too good success with it.

Any online tips, operational/tqctical for tempest? I remember one mission where i was self appointed flighleadde ( 4ship). We went into normandy to reconnoitre and strike at vehicles, climb to 3km before crossing the wire. My teammates did excellent, one guy from us bagged 3 confirmed kills. That hero of the hour was none other than mightyjingle actually, our friendly floridan, who was this time in the harsh realm of full real server. So we dropped ordinance, but afyer tjat evertone kinda got separayed and we got pickwd off one by one

Tempest? What's not to like... its fast, climbs well, hits very hard, has a great roll rate, and great all around vision including an un-obstructive gunsight. It's not a turn and burn fighter so you can't chuck it around too much. Its a bit easier to handle than the Mustang on account of weight and wing loading and it has a ton of power (over 2000hp). My suggestion is to keep it in the medium altitude range and boom and zoom everything in sight. You can hold turns but keep them short and then zoom for a new position and shot.

Get good enough so that your first shot hits. With the Tempest the first shot is often the last shot... its a brutally destructive fighter. There are times where after a two second burst the 109 I'm shooting at has no wings and everything else is riddled with holes. Sometimes it takes a bit more with the FW190 or a various larger aircraft but a concentrated burst will destroy anythign.

[MaxGunz]

When you are moving fast there are better ways to change direction than through horizontal turns. In fact, every other way is more efficient.

Horizontal turns past 20 or 30 degrees are for angle fighters and mudhens.

A half loop is better than an extended horizontal turn. Zooming up and turning at your best turn speed is better. Turning on a tilted circle is better. Rolling while zoom climbing or steeply diving and pulling out on the new heading is better. You can regain lost speed by losing height once you have changed direction, you will have lost less energy than in a horizontal turn at high speed if you keep the G's you pull down so don't jerk the nose up and expect great results, that won't work.

A good lone-plane exercise is to start flying a wide horizontal circle a few times around to get your speed up and stable. Then make the circle tilt and let it go egg shape. Don't let it get slow at the top and see how fast you get along the bottom then tilt up some more. With practice and observation you can find out what slows you down and what lets you go the fastest. Keep an eye on slip (The Ball) until you don't need to, watch your trim or make it neutral and see what effect that has.
In time work some pure vertical into it and roll to change your exit heading, for high speed planes with lousy wingloading and good to great roll rates there is no quicker way to make radical heading changes.

Or you can turn your FW the same way you'd turn a Spit and complain how poorly FW's turn.

Add: if you maintain your energy then people who do not will think you're cheating. Some will even say so.