The P 38 is easily recognizable, benefit or curse?

[polisheagle1939]

Hopefully by my next paycheck I will be able to purchase the P-38. In the meantime I had a question about online play. Is the fact that you can very easily recognize a P- 38 a benefit or a curse? Both? Just curious to see what your opinions are.  I remember hearing somewhere that they used a lot of P 38‘s on D-Day because they were so easily recognizable they were safe against trigger happy Allied anti-aircraft gunners. Just curious how this works out when you’re going against another human. 

[-SF-Disarray]

It is a bit of both, really. You aren't likely to get shot at by friendly planes flying it given the easily recognizable profile from most angles. On the other hand anyone on the other side will recognize it just as easily. I don't know if the easy to recognize profile contributed to it's use in D-day operations, though. I suspect it had to do with having them on hand more than anything else.

[[CPT]Crunch]

In my limited time online, I've been hit by a Mustang, Spit engaged and fired close up deflection, and even another Lightning from behind.  There's lots of guys who apparently are legally blind, or the visuals they experience really are that bad and they're flying Bird BOX.

Edited October 16, 2019 by [CPT]Crunch

[BraveSirRobin]

Curse.  I was recently diving in on a fight and thought I had ID'd a Tempest.  Then I spotted a P-38.  I switched to the target which I was certain about rather than something that I had doubts about.

[RedKestrel]

2 hours ago, polisheagle1939 said:

Hopefully by my next paycheck I will be able to purchase the P-38. In the meantime I had a question about online play. Is the fact that you can very easily recognize a P- 38 a benefit or a curse? Both? Just curious to see what your opinions are.  I remember hearing somewhere that they used a lot of P 38‘s on D-Day because they were so easily recognizable they were safe against trigger happy Allied anti-aircraft gunners. Just curious how this works out when you’re going against another human. 

You have the tag for BoBP in your signature. If you preordered BoBP you already have the p38!

 

[[APAF]VR_Spartan85]

P-38... can’t mistake it for anything else in game.... 

however the tempest... for some reason people get it confused with the 190....

is was in it with a 109... and over my Canopy comes red tracers.. then zoom a Spit...   then watching the track later... it was direct dive to intercept me.. luckily a horrible shot.

 

 

[Feathered_IV]

Sooo…...  We need an Fw-189 to balance things out?

[69TD_Hajo_Garlic]

Both

cant count the number of times I’ve been in a 110 or pe2 and got friendlied. 

I think in our western scenario that planes are more distinguishable than ever in the east though so i don’t think it is as big a deal.

 

As with flying the 110 as a fighter like I enjoy doing, the size of your aircraft is worse than the silhouette  because you are more visible and easier to hit.

7 hours ago, spartan85 said:

P-38... can’t mistake it for anything else in game.... 

however the tempest... for some reason people get it confused with the 190....

is was in it with a 109... and over my Canopy comes red tracers.. then zoom a Spit...   then watching the track later... it was direct dive to intercept me.. luckily a horrible shot.

 

 

I can see how a 190/tempest could be confused from low 6 but that’s about it

Edited October 16, 2019 by Hajo_Garlic

[[APAF]VR_Spartan85]

Maybe from 6 ya... but from top down... the wings alone are a giveaway....

 

i know now that you can find all information on the web.  I just wish they would make a training mini game or something for spotting silhouettes...

 

need more in game training aids...

[AndytotheD]

On 10/16/2019 at 12:11 AM, BraveSirRobin said:

Curse.  I was recently diving in on a fight and thought I had ID'd a Tempest.  Then I spotted a P-38.  I switched to the target which I was certain about rather than something that I had doubts about.

Coincidentally, I was flying a Tempest, ID’d a 109 and moved to engage, while a heavy twin was approaching me from his direct front aspect. I thought it was a P-38 from that Aspect “cause no one is going to take a Bf-110 into a 1945 fight”. It turns out it WAS a Bf-110 and he killed me in his first pass.

 

Lesson learned; if it’s moving to engage, get out of its way and figure out what it is.