P-40 ammo levels?

[Pontov]

Quick question: any way to tell how much ammo is left in the P-40's guns?

 

 

 

[Finkeren]

Nope, but you can always count seconds of firing time.

[Pontov]

Cool, thanks Finkeren. 

[Pontov]

I CONTINUOUSLY fired the P-40 guns for each of its 4 load-outs until the Out of Ammo message came up. BTW, guns overheat at about 7 seconds but continue firing. Also, they stop firing visibly shortly before the message pops up. Note that I had sound off, due to normal humans asleep. The sound may be a good indication of exactly how long the guns fire.

 

4 mg with 940 rounds fires 18.5 seconds approx. 

 

4 mg with 2460 rounds fires 45 seconds approx. 

 

6 mg with 1410 rounds fires 17.5 seconds approx. 

 

6 mg with 1686 rounds fires 20 seconds approx. 

 

These test was made sitting on the runway in a Moscow August QM, engine idling.  Thanks for the tip. Finkeren! Now all I have to do is keep track of the seconds.

 

A clever programmer might be able to hook a timer to the trigger. Anybody have any thoughts?

[TP_Jacko]

With practice you don't need the timer 

[Pontov]

I look forward to having that level of experience! Every hour in the P-40 is a good way to learn. A great plane in all ways except one.

 

By the way, as one might have expected, the P-40 fires approx. 60% more rounds per second with 6 guns blazing than with 4 guns.

 

About 80 rounds per second come out of that heavy old bird when it carries six guns, 50 rps with 4 guns. These are very approximate figures based on approx. firing times.

 

Comparable to rps figures for other planes? Better?

[6./ZG26_McKvack]

Nope, but you can always count seconds of firing time.

Or if you are really good count the amount of bullets you fire

[ACG_KaiLae]

Or get them to add residual ammo belt as a feature, which is how it was really done.

[Monostripezebra]

just take the 4 guns and extra ammo... then you always get shot down way before running out of ammo!

 

;=P

[Finkeren]

I look forward to having that level of experience! Every hour in the P-40 is a good way to learn. A great plane in all ways except one.

 

By the way, as one might have expected, the P-40 fires approx. 60% more rounds per second with 6 guns blazing than with 4 guns.

 

About 80 rounds per second come out of that heavy old bird when it carries six guns, 50 rps with 4 guns. These are very approximate figures based on approx. firing times.

 

Comparable to rps figures for other planes? Better?

The weight of fire for the P-40 with six guns is quite good, though the rate of fire for the M2 guns is somewhat lower than the UBS, and the firing time is better than most Soviet fighters (which almost universally carry very fast firing guns with fairly low ammo supply)

 

If not for its horrible climb rate I would consider the P-40 the best bomber interceptor in the game.

[Venturi]

Oh is that what it was used for?

[vincini]

I love flying the p40. She can shoot anything down from just about any firing angle with a quick burst. My issues are the same as Finkeren, she climbs slow and fast dives kill the engine(even with the limiter) unless you pull the throttle back and lose all of your energy. Though, I tend to never fly the thing ever since I discovered the Mig 3 with those UBS MGs   Im pretty sure more than 80% of my kills with those guns have been spontaneously exploding 109s. 

[ShamrockOneFive]

Oh is that what it was used for?

I'm guessing this is a serious question about what the P-40 was used for?

 

It was designed to be a "pursuit" fighter in USAAF parlance so it's job is both to intercept enemy bombers and fighters. In actuality the P-40 did do that role but it was also used effectively as a fighter-bomber.

 

It's overall performance was considered mediocre but it was available in great numbers and was used by virtually every allied air service and on nearly every front (except over Western Europe).

[Finkeren]

The VVS used the P-40 pretty much as they used all other single-seat fighters. They didn't really dedicate certain types to specific roles. Different tasks were given to different regiments more based on the strength, level of experience and reputation of that unit than on which plane type(s) it was equiped with.

Edited December 19, 2016 by Finkeren