I-153: cheap or not?

[jkerr419]

Has anyone mentioned forcing them into a Negative G dive?

[durangodoug]

Despite the speed of the plane and its two sets of wings, my biggest issue with the I153 is its guns. I cant remember if the plane has 2 or 3 guns on it, but they seem to be the best set of guns in the air. I've shot up several planes for several minutes with my P47(8x50 cals, but you guys know that). But the first time I flew against a I153 I was destroyed with just a burst of its guns. The cannons somehow find the worst possible spot in your engine and send bullets flying. I couldn't believe it so I kept trying to fight with the guy (I was in the 109G-2 by now) and he would kill me on on head on passes, deflection shots, anything. And I don't mind being shot down, but even with a hurricane on my tail I can last for a few seconds and try to get away, the I153 seemed to blow my engine on the first burst every freakin time. I started to target him specifically since he was tearing up my team, but I would start shooting from far behind to make him start to maneuver, then I'd rip off those wings with my cannons with the deflection shot. So yea in my opinion the I153 is pretty cheap, but lets be honest, a lot of the Russian planes are strangely strong compared to the rest.

My best way to shoot down an I153? get him as he's preoccupied with shooting down your teammate

[Soviet Ace]

Originally Posted by durangodoug

Despite the speed of the plane and its two sets of wings, my biggest issue with the I153 is its guns. I cant remember if the plane has 2 or 3 guns on it, but they seem to be the best set of guns in the air. I've shot up several planes for several minutes with my P47(8x50 cals, but you guys know that). But the first time I flew against a I153 I was destroyed with just a burst of its guns. The cannons somehow find the worst possible spot in your engine and send bullets flying. I couldn't believe it so I kept trying to fight with the guy (I was in the 109G-2 by now) and he would kill me on on head on passes, deflection shots, anything. And I don't mind being shot down, but even with a hurricane on my tail I can last for a few seconds and try to get away, the I153 seemed to blow my engine on the first burst every freakin time. I started to target him specifically since he was tearing up my team, but I would start shooting from far behind to make him start to maneuver, then I'd rip off those wings with my cannons with the deflection shot. So yea in my opinion the I153 is pretty cheap, but lets be honest, a lot of the Russian planes are strangely strong compared to the rest.

My best way to shoot down an I153? get him as he's preoccupied with shooting down your teammate

It has twin MGs.

[Robotic Pope]

Originally Posted by Soviet Ace

It has twin MGs.

I thought the I-153 had cannons?

Anyway I don't feel cheap when I use the I-153 in sim mode because I know how easy it is to combat against them. I don't play arcade so I can't comment there.

[Ancient Seraph]

Yep, 2 x 20mm ShVAKs.

[Panzergranate]

Originally Posted by Ancient Seraph

Yep, 2 x 20mm ShVAKs.

According to German range tests, they can penetrate 27mm. of armour plate @ 100 metres, (about 50mm. of steel) with APHE shells and 63mm. at 100 metres with later HVAP solid shot.

The ShVak cannon fire too fast in the game. In real life, all cannon fire somewhat slower than machine guns, the larger the calibre the slower the rate of fire.

The ShVak was also the sole armament of the T-60 light tank, which has a 1 round per second fire rate, if one watches WW2 newsreal footage.

Some mono-planes could turn inside 1930's bi-planes..... the Brewster B-139 Buffalo could turn inside the US Navy's Boeing F1 and F2 bi-plane fighters it replaced. The RAF found that the B-339 version could out turn the Gloster Gladiator and pilots commented that it handled more like a bi-plane than a mono-plane.

The Finnish B-239 could out turn the I-16 and match the I-153 in turns.

It seems that radial engined fighters have better maneuevrability than inline engine arrangements. Also that fighters with a short fuselage with wide wing ratio handle extremely well, but have too much drag to attain high speeds, hence as fighter speeds rose, aircraft became longer with shorter wings and maneuverability decreased in relation to earlier and slower predecessors.

Note how the Spitfire IX handles better than the XVI version.

Short and stubby with wide wings (I-16, Buffalo, Wildcat, Ki-27, A5M, Raiden) = highly maneuverable but slow.

Long and sleek with long wings (Hurricane, Spitfire, Zero, Oscar, Hellcat, P-51-D, Fw-190) = good maneuverablity, good speed.

Long with average wings (Bf-109, Yak, La) = aceptable maneuverability, good speed.

Long with average wings (P-39, P-40, P-66, G-50, LaGG, P-51-B) = mediocre maneuverabilty, good speed.

Long and sleek with short wings (Mig-3, P-43, ) = not so maneuverable, good speed.

.... And then their are the way too heavy types.

(P-47, Fulmar, etc.) = flies like a piano, brick, etc.

[mattmanB182]

The I-173 is only "Cheap" in acrade mode, which does not bother me since I never play that.

I will get flamed for saying this, but I think the LA-7 is the cheapest plane in the other modes. I am not trying to rip the people that fly them, I actually like when people fly them because the challenge makes me a better pilot.

A high speed pass with a quick burst of my 30mm and the 153 is meat.

Perhaps by trying realistic or sim, you would be far less annoyed by the 153.

[David603]

Originally Posted by jkerr419

Has anyone mentioned forcing them into a Negative G dive?

The I-153 has a great roll rate, so the pilot will just roll it on its back and then follow you down. That tactic will get you some breathing space though, so its worth trying if you need to escape from an I-153 on your tail.