Hauksbee Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 I just installed "Battle of Stalingrad" on my machine, and, with heightened anticipation, I went and ordered "Battle of Kuban Premium" which (I presume) will be here shortly. This is new territory for me. Previous flying has been limited to World War 1. (Rise of Flight & Wings Over Flanders Fields) So I will have a plateful in the immediate future. While I have a decent grip on WW2 history, ( & its aviation) I don't know jack about Soviet fighters. So I could use some guidance. Which planes were hot? Which, if any, were dogs? Which were best at tail-chasing Turn & Burn, and which were better at Boom & Zoom? Did any have peculiar quirks? Thanks.
Finkeren Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 That’s a long list of questions demanding a long list of answers. To keep it very simple for a start: As a new player you are probably gonna feel most at home in one of the Yaks: Simple to fly, pretty forgiving, great in turns, easy ground handling, with relatively simple controls and an engine that’s easy to tackle. The only real drawback is its low top speed and mediocre performance at altitude. The best of the Yak bunch is the s.127 which you probably don’t own, but the others will do find as well, not too much difference. After mastering a Yak, I would advice to give the I-16 a try. It’s such a fun little aircraft. Too slow to really be a threat to any German who knows what he’s doing but it’s so maneuverable and such a joy to fly. Still it’s not half as easy and forgiving as the Yaks, especially because it has no trim, and it will teach you to get maximum performance out of your plane in any circumstances. After that you can go in any direction really: MiG-3 if you want to learn the energy game from a slight disadvantage and try out a plane that’s a handful to handle on the ground. La-5 if you want a hot-rod on the deck and want to learn high-speed dogfighting techniques. It wil also teach you, that the energy game is not all about climbing as high as you can and dropping down from orbit on your target. IL-2: If you want to learn how to be useful and don’t mind wearing horse’s blinders. Pe-2: If you want to be useful immediately and annoy luftwaffles with your supposedly “indestructible tank” (note: for some reason the invulnerability of the Peshka seems to vanish the moment you actually sit in the cockpit of one) P-40: If you can handle everything else, give this beast a try. She can be quite capable, but she demands a lot out of you both in terms of handling and engine management to be good for anything.
jaydee Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 (edited) I just installed "Battle of Stalingrad" on my machine, and, with heightened anticipation, I went and ordered "Battle of Kuban Premium" which (I presume) will be here shortly. This is new territory for me. Previous flying has been limited to World War 1. (Rise of Flight & Wings Over Flanders Fields) So I will have a plateful in the immediate future. While I have a decent grip on WW2 history, ( & its aviation) I don't know jack about Soviet fighters. So I could use some guidance. Which planes were hot? Which, if any, were dogs? Which were best at tail-chasing Turn & Burn, and which were better at Boom & Zoom? Did any have peculiar quirks? Thanks. Hi Hauksbee ! Welcome to WW2 Flying !...If you haven't flown WW2 Aircraft yet I would recommend you start with the IL 16 !...Compared to what you are used to flying, it will feel like a Jet ! (1) You will have to learn to manage the Engine but once you do you will be able to jump in any Russian Plane and will be able to manage the Engine Easily ! (2) It has Great Visibility from the cockpit so you can "Get to Know " the BOX Maps and still watch your Six ...(3) It has Firepower that will give you confidence in an encounter. I think it is the Perfect "Transition" between WW1 and WW2. The German planes have more Automation to aid the Pilot....Its a bit like learning to Drive a Car. If you Learn in a Manual Transmission, you can easily drive an Auto...but not Vice-Versa... With Russian Aircraft, If you cant manage your Engine, you wont be worried about BNZ, Turnfights, etc...Do Not Even Think about the P 40 yet. You will Blow Engine after Engine and Give up (calling it a Dog)..... One thing I forgot, the IL 16 is a Joy to Fly but it has a Very Viscous Stall and Spin when pushed to far... Remind you of any WW1 Aircraft ? Hope this helps Mate ! Welcome to BOX . ~S~ ....Sorry about my Paragraphs, my mouse is dying and Double clicking. Edited December 2, 2017 by jaydee
ShamrockOneFive Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 Great question but ones worth pages (and books) of history to fully appreciate. That said I can try and summarize the Allied side's fighters for BoS and BoK: LaGG-3 Series 29 - A mediocre to average fighter that's just a little too heavy to fly right. Still not a bad fighter but outclassed by the Bf109s its up against. With available options it can be configured to hit especially hard with the 23mm and 37mm cannons. Yak-1 Series 69 - An all around good fighter and very well liked by Russian pilots. At lower altitudes its about as fast and slightly more agile than the equivalent Bf109. It can out turn almost everything it comes up against but not at all speeds (it prefers medium speeds rather than stall speeds for best turn). Yak-7B Series 36 - A very late model Yak-7B (before it became the Yak-9). Slightly heavier than the Yak-1 but performing just as well as if not better than in other respects. Hits harder with a pair of heavy machine guns in the nose (plus cannon) rather than the light machine guns of the Yak-1. La-5 Series 8 - A development of the LaGG-3. More of a boom and zoom type fighter with excellent low altitude performance and a good top speed plus twin 20mm cannons. This is an earlier development of what would become one of the USSR's best fighters of the war (the La-5FN and La-7). In-game there is a M-82F engine mod that gives the engine more time at boost (unlimited actually) allowing it to run at higher speeds for longer. Spitfire Mark Vb - The Russians received about 150 Spitfire V's during 1943 which were used for a time on the Kuban front. These Spitfires are a little outdated by 1943 but they still have advantages. Crisp handling, good but not great speed, heavy firepower (with very short supply of ammo) and good visibility. P-39L-1 - Well liked by the Russians in low altitude tactical battles. The P-39 will hit hard (37mm cannon) and be abut as good as the Bf109 for agility. We don't have it yet so we're waiting to see just how well the FM translates. P-39 had a major quirk where a stall would develop into a flat spin very quickly. Despite popular believe, the P-39 was used as a fighter and not as a tank buster.
[APAF]VR_Spartan85 Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 Hauksbee! Welcome! Glad to see a new pilot. coming from rise of flight, you'll find a lot of things familiar control scheme wise.. these guys above know what they are talking about. My personal go to aircraft when available is the LaGG-3. minimal engine management, great armament with bombs and cannon (cannon is right in the nose cone and changeable), and can really hold its self together in a dive away from those pesky 109s. maybe i've just flown it the most but i find it a forgiving aircraft if you want to start out in.
Monostripezebra Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 (edited) Just fly Pe2. All other planes stink! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pThPE4NVCOI disclaimer: obviously that is not true. A Ju52 is also always acceptable. Edited December 2, 2017 by Monostripezebra
7.GShAP/Silas Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 (edited) Just fly Pe2. All other planes stink! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pThPE4NVCOI disclaimer: obviously that is not true. A Ju52 is also always acceptable. Jeez, what a shot! Off topic, but do you know of a good guide somewhere so I can level bomb like a big boy? Edited December 2, 2017 by JV.44/Silas
Monostripezebra Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 Jeez, what a shot! Off topic, but do you know of a good guide somewhere so I can level bomb like a big boy? Well, that is what works for me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kOFJlW98D8 1
56RAF_Roblex Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 (edited) Just remember that all VVS fighters are inferior to all LW fighters though usually more rugged than a 109. Sometimes one might almost match a 109 or FW190 in one aspect like roll rate or dive speed but never in more than one aspect. The closest thing the VVS has to equality is the Yak-1b that turns & rolls beautifully in a low level knife fight but is still defenceless against 190 or 109 pilot that has the sense to stay out of the turn fight and just boom & zoom. Basically the only reason LW pilots die is because either they allowed themselves to get into a fight on the VVS fighters own terms or they were not watching their tails and got bounced because most VVS fighters have enough firepower to kill in a single pass when they get the chance though the same is true for the LW aircraft too. My take on a few models are:- I-16:- a fun plane to fly and almost a match for the 109-E7 in turning and climbing but much slower and outclassed by later 109s though still has a chance against F2s. Effective guns. Mig-3:- You will see this described as a 'high alt fighter' but really all this means is that it does not suck as much at 6k as the other VVS fighters but still not as fast as any LW fighter apart from the E7. Really an early war fighter and full of bad habits and faults but still popular & good fun to fly. In the right hands it can be quite deadly but you really need to know its well. . Fly as an energy fighter and keep it fast but if you get stuck in a low level turn fight it can survive for a while against the better turning 109s if you use flaps skillfuly. P-40:- Very heavily armed with lots of ammo and popular as a fighter bomber due to the large bomb it carries but still no match for a 109 in an equal fight. It dives fast due to its weight but does not climb well. Turns OK but not as well as a 109. It's biggest drawback is that the engine needs constant adjustments to avoid it blowing up but if you can catch a fighter unaware it will shred it and it will bring down a bomber faster than anything apart from maybe a Lagg-3 with 23mm cannon. Lagg-3:- Has some of the most powerful guns of any pure fighter and can even kill tanks but underpowered and not good at turn fighing and terrible rear visibility. Great for bombers and ground targets but you have to hope there are no enemy fighters overhead. It was the lack of power that led to them trying a big rotary engine and calling it the La-5. La-5:- One of the fastest aircraft on the deck but bleeds energy fast in turns. Rolls well but don't 'Roll & Pull' too hard when evading. Keep the pulls gentle to avoid losing energy and keep rolling and pulling often to dodge the bullets. Good for 190 style boom & zoom but without the 'Zoom' :-) You have to extend and climb away gently. Poor rear visibility which is another reason for doing frequent rolls with gentle pulls. IL-2:- a very capable strike aircraft. The guns will kill tanks. It carries big bombs and rockets. The 43 model carries anti-tank canister munitions so technically can make a mess of a column of tanks if you drop well. Very rugged so soaks up a lot of damage and keeps flying. Not bad at turning so sometimes catches out 109 pilots who forget you have deadly guns that can be brought to bear if they are careless after they complete their attack and pass you. Slow but handles well at low speed. Comparable to a Ju87. PE-2:- A level bomber and shallow dive bomber. Carries twice the load of an IL-2 but does not shrug off damage as well and barely stays up if you lose an engine. Quite fast and good defensive guns. Was initially designed a fighter so is fairly agile and has reasonable front guns which sometimes catch out 109s. Comparable to a 110. All VVS aircraft are best at fighting down low, eg below 3K, though some need altitude initially so they can have some energy when they enter the fight lower down. Edited December 2, 2017 by 56RAF_Roblex
Lensman Posted December 2, 2017 Posted December 2, 2017 To give you the opposite perspective from a predominantly bf 109 (sim) pilot: The only 2 fighters that cause me any difficulties are the Mig-3 because of its speed and turn rate and the I-16 because it's so hard to hit and zips around like an insect. P40s tend to be cannon fodder and so on ...
Hauksbee Posted December 3, 2017 Author Posted December 3, 2017 This has been a fine lot of advice. I keep a folder on my desktop for each flight sim. 'Just added one for "Battle of Stalingrad" / "Battle of Kuban". I'll copy these post into a MS Word doc and keep them for quick reference. The only 2 fighters that cause me any difficulties are the Mig-3 because of its speed and turn rate and the I-16 because it's so hard to hit and zips around like an insect. P40s tend to be cannon fodder and so on ... Good to know! Thanks.
Haza Posted December 3, 2017 Posted December 3, 2017 (edited) Just fly Pe2. All other planes stink! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pThPE4NVCOI disclaimer: obviously that is not true. A Ju52 is also always acceptable. Well, I wonder what that amazing guy who gifted you BOK is now thinking? However, I guess now having the BOK map allows you to make more videos of the same thing but just now using the BOK map!? Edited December 3, 2017 by Haza
7.GShAP/Silas Posted December 3, 2017 Posted December 3, 2017 Well, I wonder what that amazing guy who gifted you BOK is now thinking? However, I guess now having the BOK map allows you to make more videos of the same thing but just now using the BOK map!?
Monostripezebra Posted December 3, 2017 Posted December 3, 2017 (edited) Well, I wonder what that amazing guy who gifted you BOK is now thinking? However, I guess now having the BOK map allows you to make more videos of the same thing but just now using the BOK map!? I don´t see what is wrong with these. But to turn back to the topic of new player advice: a) getting bombed from high altitude at an airfield is 100% avoidable, as you can always de-spawn faster then the bombs travel down or not spawn on a red circled airfield marker. But if you do so, you are robbing yourself of a lot of fun.. as soon as you are moving it is really really hard to time a high alt levelbombing in such a way that it hits you, and taking off on an airfield that is getting hit by propper bomber action is amazing action and adrenaline. After all it is a game and we have the benefits of another and another and another virtual life.. so there is reason in the way of playing each spawned entity as if you are now there.. I had an incredble exting time on taw seeing a really great coordinated bombrun above me, and I would not have liked to miss those amazing guys: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsfAueSpaO4 So don´t think bombers are boring. They can be amazing to play and the whole game would be a lot less exting without big bombing groups! Edited December 3, 2017 by Monostripezebra
56RAF_Roblex Posted December 3, 2017 Posted December 3, 2017 (edited) If you want to see great footage of a field being bombed then *this* is the best you will ever see. It is very long so make sure you jump to 19:52 (though go back and watch it all some time!) https://youtu.be/v6u4JxgE2S4?t=19m52s No I am not pushing a rival game. I don't fly it any more. Edited December 3, 2017 by 56RAF_Roblex
Monostripezebra Posted December 3, 2017 Posted December 3, 2017 I don´t think it´s the "very best", but it is extremly cool. Overall I just use this moment of opportunity to advocate flying mission planes. That is what makes online gameplay great: purpose. So hats off to those guys on CloD that put that nice run together and those who organized it.
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