I-16 - first thoughts

[[CPT]milopugdog]

I'm wondering how long it will be until German pilots just blast past one of these things when they see one. It also seems like the I-16 has a certain love for snap rolls.

 

 

 

I do love its flaperons though

[Freycinet]

Not sure if I misunderstood you Freyci, but isn't that exactly how the 109s flaps work now?

.

Yes indeed, had forgotten, my bad.

[Bullets]

I'm wondering how long it will be until German pilots just blast past one of these things when they see one. It also seems like the I-16 has a certain love for snap rolls.

 

 

 

I do love its flaperons though

It doesnt have flaperons The version we have has actual flaps ^.^ 

[[CPT]milopugdog]

It doesnt have flaperons The version we have has actual flaps ^.^ 

AAAAAAAH. I looked at it and thought they didn't look like it too.

Oh well.

[onlyforbrian]

So how the heck do you get it??????? I bought premium BoM as soon as it came out and I don't see this plane in my game. and I did the latest update...so what gives?

[IIN8II]

So how the heck do you get it??????? I bought premium BoM as soon as it came out and I don't see this plane in my game. and I did the latest update...so what gives?

You have not activated your BoM license key yet.

[II./JG53Lutzow_z06z33]

The I-16 is way over powered. I was in a dive in my G-2 and he kept up with me at 700kph then when I pulled out of it he out climbed me and shot me to bits. If the plane was that good the Russians would have owned the Luftwaffe in the first days of Barbarossa! From what I understand the I-16 barley survived against the very early 109s in Spain there is no way it could hang with a F or G model.

[=38=Tatarenko]

There were early I-16's just like there were early Messerschmitts. This is a later up-engine version.

 

Also your description of the dive is incorrect. I'm not going to give away secrets to the enemy but don't you have a captured I-16 you can use for dive testing?

 

And if the I-16 has any chance against you at all it's definitely down to you making mistakes in the Messer. The Rata is not an ueberplane and I've frequently been beaten by a Messer in a sustained turn at low level. Once the Rata bleeds off speed it dies fast.

[6./ZG26_Custard]

I do love this little flying "beer can"

[Bullets]

The I-16 is way over powered. I was in a dive in my G-2 and he kept up with me at 700kph then when I pulled out of it he out climbed me and shot me to bits. If the plane was that good the Russians would have owned the Luftwaffe in the first days of Barbarossa! From what I understand the I-16 barley survived against the very early 109s in Spain there is no way it could hang with a F or G model.

Have not powerdived in it yet but doing small dives it doesn't like going over 580kph... Let alone make it anywhere near 700 (Anyone confirm?)... Maybe the pilot was just better than you? Conserved his energy and had a good shot. From my experience the 109s can run around the i16 all day but as soon as they turn with it they get shredded (Which is how it should be).

[9./JG27golani79]

Just tried it out - at around ~600km/h everything starts shaking - if you keep on gaining speed you can say good bye to your control surfaces.

Edited July 13, 2015 by golani79

[Finkeren]

The I-16 is way over powered. I was in a dive in my G-2 and he kept up with me at 700kph then when I pulled out of it he out climbed me and shot me to bits. If the plane was that good the Russians would have owned the Luftwaffe in the first days of Barbarossa! From what I understand the I-16 barley survived against the very early 109s in Spain there is no way it could hang with a F or G model.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say: No, he did not do what you describe. You either misinterpret what happened in that situation or you are deliberately exagerating to make a point.

 

If you dive much past 600 in the I-16 the plane starts coming apart. The Bf 109s can fly faster in level flight than the Rata can dive.

 

There is one explanation though, that might make sense of what you're saying: If you dived near vertical almost to the deck and then pulled up sharply just before hitting the ground, he could easily have followed you going 600 km/h, anticipated what you were going to do, started levelling out slowly above 1K alt and cut you off at the corner, meeting you with higher speed as you were ascending again and shot you down. I do it fairly often flying other VVS fighters as well, it's called good piloting not 'overpowered'.

 

If you dive steeply to escape a pursuer, you shouldn't pull up in a sharp climb immediately after, it's very basic tactics.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Finkeren

[6./ZG26_Emil]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say: No, he did not do what you describe. You either misinterpret what happened in that situation or you are deliberately exagerating to make a point.

 

If you dive much past 600 in the I-16 the plane starts coming apart. The Bf 109s can fly faster in level flight.

 

There is one explanation that might make sense of what you're saying: If you dived near vertical almost to the deck and then pulled up sharply just before hitting the ground, he could easily have followed you going 600 km/h, anticipated what you were going to do, started levelling out slowly above 1K alt and cut you off at the corner, meeting you with higher speed as you were ascending again and shot you down. I do it fairly often flying other VVS fighters as well, it's called good piloting not 'overpowered'.

 

It's the same complaint about all VVS planes and this is almost certainly the case....it's happened to me as well.

 

I think there are issues with the FMs on both sides but the 109 is pretty much untouchable in BOS tbh so it comes down to piloting skill and understanding energy fighting.

[Willy__]

I think there are issues with the FMs on both sides but the 109 is pretty much untouchable in BOS tbh so it comes down to piloting skill and understanding energy fighting.

 

+1

 

A well flown 109 is almost untouchable, I can rope-a-dope the russian fighters all day long in the G2 (which for some reason is "worse" than the F4);

 

I'm primarily a 190 pilot and the ratas is no trouble for me, and it should not give any troubles to 109 pilots, just keep it fast, dont do tight turns, fly smart and you will see that the i16 is more of a nuisance than a threat.

Edited July 13, 2015 by istruba

[Wulf]

+1

 

A well flown 109 is almost untouchable, I can rope-a-dope the russian fighters all day long in the G2 (which for some reason is "worse" than the F4);

 

I'm primarily a 190 pilot and the ratas is no trouble for me, and it should not give any troubles to 109 pilots, just keep it fast, dont do tight turns, fly smart and you will see that the i16 is more of a nuisance than a threat.

 

 

I tend to agree with Istru and Emil.  From what I've seen to date, the in-game I-16 doesn't present a particularly significant threat as long as the 109 or 190 pilot remains disciplined.  Standard LW tactics against such aircraft (I-15s and I-16s) involved diving attacks conducted at speed.  With few exceptions, (guys like Max Ostermann for example - who was unfortunately killed of course) LW pilots didn't dog fight with these aircraft because a) dog-fighting outcomes are highly unpredictable and b) both the I-15 and I-16 types were very maneuverable - certainly somewhat more so than the 109 or 190 at modest speeds.  So to maximise the design advantages of the LW types, attack from on high at speed.

 

Now we do tend to DF with the Soviets at times of course because it's just a game and it's fun to do or, maybe because we've been caught on the hop down low without support but it's never going to be a war- winning tactic.     Stay high and stay fast.  If you don't have an advantage (and you're taking this stuff seriously - (if that sort of approach to the game floats your boat) 'disengage'.

Edited July 13, 2015 by Wulf

[Freycinet]

I always hate it when my opponents use the "superior piloting" cheat on me.... Bastards!

[ENDLESSS]

It seems allot of pilots who claim that they are getting killed by the rata or any other Russian type that the fm is warped or their speed is boosted but allot have failed to realise you cant out run bullets most who get shot say the Russian planes are faster and the fm is wrong but at the end of the day effective range for some pilots is any ware from 200-500m thus giving the illusion that they caught up to you and shot you out of the sky

 

I have also observed allot of 109 pilots only fly straight line up down up down instead of flying with slight variations in direction both in the boom and zoom I guarantee this will increase your lifespan and make you a lot harder to shoot. Its harder to shoot at something flying in different directions than something that is flying predictably

[Willy__]

 

 

effective range for some pilots is any ware from 200-500m

 

I dare to say that the effective range of Rambo's lagg3 guns is about 1-2km away.    

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

The Luftwaffe didnt deploy any captured I-16s in combat. They were too obsolete and required special training. Instead some were used as trainers and practise targets.

 

Haven't had an encounter against an I-16 in MP yet. It seems to me it was exclusively flown the day it was released and than left behind as it (unsuprisingly) isn't as competetive as the still most numerous used Yak. Maybe I get to fly it as well in October to paint my own picture of it.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Stab/JG26_5tuka

[Finkeren]

I fly the I-16 online on the fast food servers there are always plenty of low-flying, turn-fighting Jerries out there who gladly throw away their advantage the minute they see a Rooskie fighter.

 

It's a lot of fun gunning down Messers, who could easily make mincemeat out of you, if they flew to their strengths.

[BeastyBaiter]

I've been flying the I-16 almost exclusively when playing BoS since it became available. I can say with certainty right now that anything quicker than a Stuka will outrun it. If you get shot down by an I-16, you screwed up. It's that simple. Fortunately for me, an awful lot of 109 pilots love to turn fight yaks or get into slow looping fights with them. Both make them nice and easy targets for a Rata showing up fashionably late to the party.

[HR_Pingu]

"Rata" (rat in english).  I don't like this nickname very much. That was one of it's nicknames, it was given during the spanish civil war by its opponents because the I-16 pilots used to attack from the low six position, like "rats" they said.

 The common nickname for this plane on the goverment side war "mosca" (fly in english) because the boxes that contained the planes were labeled as "Mockba" =Moscow, and in spanish it sounds similar to the name of this common inscet "mosca".

There were other nicknames, so choose the one you prefer or even make up one.

[TWC_Ace]

You cant expect ppl in game will avoid turn fights or will care about their virtual life much. Thats why I adored SEOWs. One life, so be careful, just like the real dudes

Edited July 15, 2015 by blackram_