Is the P-39 a plane?

[JohnBrownStan]

Sorry, this is probably a dumb question, I'm really new, just bought the game a couple weeks ago.

 

Is the P-39 a plane? I ask because, like... it looks like a plane? It has wings and a propeller and all that stuff you would expect a plane to have. So I was pretty sure it was a plane when I first saw it. But then I tried to fly it didn't seem to be able to do plane things, like turning or climbing or remaining stable, etc. It was able to dive, I guess, but I'm still not really sure if it's a plane or just a misleadingly plane-shaped object that was added into the game as a joke.

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Okay, obviously I'm kidding. In all seriousness, how do you use this thing effectively? I understand that not all planes are turn-fighters, but like...

1) You can't see much out of the cockpit because of all the massive bars in the way. So, hard to find people to jump.

2) Even if you manage to jump someone, it's not a very stable platform to aim with.

3) Say you do get a shot or two off. If you don't kill whatever you were aiming at, what's the plan? You can't really run away unless you're coming from way, way higher, because they're all faster than you! Especially if whatever you jumped has friends.

4) Jumping someone in the first place usually requires being at a higher altitude, and as bad as the P-39 is on the deck, it's even worse the higher you get. So what if someone finds you up there?

 

Curious how you all use this thing. I would have expected it to be better, given that all the top Soviet aces loved them.

Edited December 15, 2019 by JohnBrownStan

[CountZero]

Probably worst airplane in game, i liked it in il-2 1946, here its crap

[danielprates]

Still a plane, tho.

[ShamrockOneFive]

I don't think I can count myself as being too capable with the P-39 but it does have some pros that you can try and use to your advantage. The P-39 versus the Bf109G-4 for example actually has speed advantage up to about 3000 meters (or roughly 10,000 feet). The con there is that you only have about 5-minutes on take-off power where that's needed so you have limited ability to sustain that speed. You also have a seemingly better turn rate and control responsiveness versus most of the Bf109's you'll fight which in theory, with enough speed or engine power, can let you cut inside of them.

 

All of these are moment to moment capabilities that an experienced P-39 pilot can use to their advantage, it's just not easily done. Climb rate is inferior so you have to already be in position and try and hold on to your energy advantage and then use that against your opponents.

 

The other big advantage is firepower. I recommend taking just the .50cals and the 37mm if you want maximum all out fighter performance and even with that you've got a pretty good battery of guns with that 37mm, if aimed correctly, capable of taking down fighters in a single shot or maybe two.

 

As for the Russians in real life, the P-39 was well liked because it was a solid aircraft with a reliable engine, good canopy glass (better quality) and a good radio (again, better quality). Combat performance is just part of the overall equation and pilots tend to like things in combat aircraft that aren't just about their raw performance potential.

[CrazyDuck]

Well, I agree - it's a challenging aircraft to use for anti-fighter combat. However, you are wrong on account of enemy always being faster. P-39 is the fastest aircraft on the ground in 1943 vs German opponents, if you know how to handle engine. That said, it's also devastating vs bombers or/and heavier aircraft (which don't maneuver hard and are easier target to hit with the 37 mm howitzer you are howling around in the nose).

 

[MasserME262]

The only thing I like from it, its the gear disposition. Its too hell easy to take off and land, and you dont need a long runway at all. That's the only considerable advantage IMO.

[MeoW.Scharfi]

1 hour ago, 77.CountZero said:

Probably worst airplane in game, i liked it in il-2 1946, here its crap

 

If you would fly something else than LaGG3 online, you wouldn't say such things, my lovely dear.

 

@JohnBrownStan

How to P39

 

@Krupinskii

 

 

 

Then mine of course, only doing advertising for me

 

Of N3croo

 

 

@DerSheriff

 

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by MeoW.Scharfi

[Avimimus]

Odd... I find that it has excellent visibility and about twice the armament I need. I'll try some experiments to see if there is a way I can't like it.

 

Honestly, my major reason to encourage people to get Kuban is this plane (of course, my main reason to encourage people to get Moscow is the Mig-3 so... **shrugs and looks innocent**)

[Gomoto]

Thanks for your post. I did not try this beautiful aircraft yet. I just returned from a quick VR flight in the P-39 instead of my cold. The handling is great and I like the cockpit a lot. You must be kidding indead.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Gomoto

[Venturi]

It is a good aircraft, although its roll rate is optimistically modeled.

 

If anything, it is too well performing, compared to its P40 cousin.

[JohnBrownStan]

3 hours ago, CrazyDuck said:

Well, I agree - it's a challenging aircraft to use for anti-fighter combat. However, you are wrong on account of enemy always being faster. P-39 is the fastest aircraft on the ground in 1943 vs German opponents, if you know how to handle engine. That said, it's also devastating vs bombers or/and heavier aircraft (which don't maneuver hard and are easier target to hit with the 37 mm howitzer you are howling around in the nose).

 

 

Really? Hasn't been my experience. How do you get it going faster?

[FTC_DerSheriff]

8 hours ago, JohnBrownStan said:

 

Really? Hasn't been my experience. How do you get it going faster?

You have 2mins on max power with 3000 RPM and 100% mix. If you do that you outrun Fw 190 A3s and A5s on the deck. Its ridiculously fast. I would only use that setting for running away tho, or very short chases, since you run out of E-Power quickly and you dont have long on the combat power setting.
 

Btw the bad visibilty of the aircraft seems to be limited to non VR setups since binocular vision helps immensely to look around the bars. And there is this weird bug with the head movement. Some movements are too slow etc.

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by DerSheriff

[Cpt_Siddy]

35 minutes ago, DerSheriff said:

 

Btw the bad visibilty of the aircraft seems to be limited to non VR setups since binocular vision helps immensely to look around the bars. 

 

 

Can confirm, as a VR user, the p-39 cabin is just fine. It almost like they were designed for people with two eyes, who knew 

[danielprates]

The worst feature of this plane is that it is such an unstable gun platform. I try to bring my guns to bear on a target and the damn nose bounces all over the place. I end up having to spray bullets all over the path of the target to try to get a lucky shot, which kills the high firepower advantage.

 

Seems like good historic modeling from the dev team though.  The p39 had a reputation for being unstable but nimble, which are characteristics which usually go together. That being said I can't wait to see how the FM of the hurricane will turn out, as it was an anti-p39 of sorts: stable but less maneuverable.

[Luftschiff]

I love the P39 to bits, personally. The 37mm has a flawless arc for ground attack and the rest of the guns hose down any overshooting aircraft like a full complement of super soakers. It's hardly a plane I'd put up as top pick for air supremacy but then no country did that either, so it fits nicely. A very competent plane that just didn't quite hit the competition with the right timing. I love flying it.

[Georgio]

In VR this is an awesome bomber masher, probably better than anything else as long as you have a height advantage.

[=621=Samikatz]

I feel like I am doing the whole flying thing wrong, now. I can fly La-5s, Yaks, etc, all day to no success at all, then jump into the P-39 and immediately run down and latch onto the tail of a 109 and put him down. It just feels so much more right than the other aircraft

[danielprates]

@Elem you don't agree, it seems. Well, tbh I always wondered if it is my joystick  to blame. In your game, the p39 is a stable gun platform?

[Elem]

16 minutes ago, danielprates said:

In your game, the p39 is a stable gun platform

Yes, very. One of the most stable in the sim. The worst for me is any variant of the Spitfire,

[RedKestrel]

I find the P-39 to be very stable when its going fast. Its a dream in a dive for this reason. But if I get into a turning dogfight and my speed drops, the nose seems to wobble all over the place.

Its always a good idea to keep your speed up obviously, but the P-39 in particular seems to reap serious dividends at mid to high speed flight regime. 

[JohnBrownStan]

1 minute ago, RedKestrel said:

I find the P-39 to be very stable when its going fast. Its a dream in a dive for this reason. But if I get into a turning dogfight and my speed drops, the nose seems to wobble all over the place.

Its always a good idea to keep your speed up obviously, but the P-39 in particular seems to reap serious dividends at mid to high speed flight regime. 

 

I think not keeping my speed up is my issue overall.

[purK]

Unfortunately the 37mm on the P39 is broken since they made all those DM changes, hit something with it and there's a 75% chance it'll keep going as if nothing happened. ?‍♀️

 

@DerSheriff The P39 is even faster using 66% mixture

Edited December 16, 2019 by Krupinskii

[69TD_Hajo_Garlic]

I think it’s one of the most fun aircraft, kinda a low alt jack of all trades. It is pretty good at everything, it just can’t sustain itself. It can turn really well at high speeds and with flaps, but will overheat if you hang on too long. It can give wonderful bursts of speed, but again not too long. You gotta think ahead to be successful in it. It’s engine in the back is useful for attacking bombers and strafing, its a nice aircraft for sitting below a low cloud deck and hitting attackers as well as escorting friendly attackers and helping hit some aaa positions for them.

Kinda unhistorical but I find the ap ammo to be the way to go with the 37mm.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Hajo_Garlic

[Cpt_Siddy]

1 hour ago, Krupinskii said:

The P39 is even faster using 66% mixture

 

At full manifolds and RPM? Will it not shorten the duration, as the 100% mix is for anti knock reasons?

Edited December 16, 2019 by Cpt_Siddy

[JohnBrownStan]

Just took it out for a couple more skirmishes in SP, and I actually think I'm getting the hang of it. The problem was I wasn't managing my speed well, and the plane just doesn't have the low speed stability I'm used to from the Yaks (which is what I've mostly flown so far).

 

Anyway, blew three 109's out of the air, one of them with the 37mm, so I'm figuring it out slowly but surely.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Edited December 16, 2019 by JohnBrownStan

[Leon_Portier]

Its a crazy plane, I know. I thought it was a car first!

 

The 12mm guns on it are great tho.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Leon_Portier

[gimpy117]

ive never seen it as a meta aircraft. the 109 has always taken that cake. the problem with it's "speed" is the 2 min timer. it's pretty hard to pull any appreciable distance from a contemporary 109 within that two min. you better help friends are not less than 1km away or so. I don't doubt how great the p-39 is when you get guns on target...but you better pray the 37mm and 50 cals get a good RNG roll and evaporate the 109.  

 

[Leon_Portier]

I never liked the term meta in my flightsim tbh. ?

[gimpy117]

1 minute ago, Leon_Portier said:

I never liked the term meta in my flightsim tbh. ?

I don't like it either, but until we get into bodenplate the 109 is the king of the skies if you don't fly is like an absolute pillock. there is a reason why a lot of people straight up refuse to fly Russian and "don't like Russian planes". 

 

besides the 2min glass Allison using prewar engine tables doesn't help 

[=FEW=ayamoth89]

Well, here's a video of mine where I jump a FW and immediately after I have to reverse a very bad situation against a 109G4. As you could see, you might use flaps and do scissors and barrel rolls. At those conditions it's a reasonable plane to fly. I don't love it, but it's still better than a Lagg or a P-40, in my opinion...

 

 

[Cpt_Siddy]

9 minutes ago, gimpy117 said:

I don't like it either, but until we get into bodenplate the 109 is the king of the skies if you don't fly is like an absolute pillock. there is a reason why a lot of people straight up refuse to fly Russian and "don't like Russian planes". 

 

besides the 2min glass Allison using prewar engine tables doesn't help 

 

 

[ Laughs in Mig-3 and La-5FN ]

[gimpy117]

1 minute ago, Cpt_Siddy said:

 

 

[ Laughs in Mig-3 and La-5FN ]

no i agree, those planes can outrun a 109. but it feels like you really gotta run the hell out of them to do it.

 

and also implying that the La-5FN is available or isn't used up any given match 

[Cpt_Siddy]

 

14 minutes ago, gimpy117 said:

no i agree, those planes can outrun a 109. but it feels like you really gotta run the hell out of them to do it.

 

and also implying that the La-5FN is available or isn't used up any given match 

 

Then you have problems with server, not soviet plane set.

 

If you play on a server where owner insist on axis sausage fest, that is your personal matter. 

 

Soviet planes were cheaper to make and were optimized for its intended mission. The fact that poorly trained Asiatic peasant-chad in glorified plywood with an engine (with barely enough power to lift his enormous testicles in the air) can kill Germanic blond haired, blue eyed, virgin-knight in his Teutonic air-mount should give you more than enough satisfaction points and a good reason to fly VVS. 

Edited December 16, 2019 by Cpt_Siddy

[JohnBrownStan]

I've had the game about two weeks, and actually haven't flown any German planes yet. Not sure why, but now I kinda wanna see how long I can hold out.

 

[Diggun]

1 hour ago, gimpy117 said:

there is a reason why a lot of people straight up refuse to fly Russian and "don't like Russian planes". 

Wonder what the name for that would be? 

[danielprates]

6 hours ago, Elem said:

Yes, very. One of the most stable in the sim. The worst for me is any variant of the Spitfire,

 

Took it for a spin this afternoon, after a long time away from it. Yes, it's not as bad as I remember. I think since last time I flew it, I tweaked my joystick sensitivity and now it really does not feel that wobbly. 

[69TD_Hajo_Garlic]

5 hours ago, [_FLAPS_]Diggun said:

Wonder what the name for that would be? 

I genuinely think it comes down more to the German ac being more noob friendly as far as engine management, at least it was for me when I began. I really don’t think the population of those you refer to is significant 

[303_Bies]

On 12/15/2019 at 9:22 PM, JohnBrownStan said:

1) You can't see much out of the cockpit because of all the massive bars in the way. So, hard to find people to jump.

 

IRL visibility was good. VR and having two offset eyes makes the bars to look far thinner and overall visibility lot better than i.e. TrackIr.

When it comes to Soviets; most original Soviet made planes suffered from poor manufacturing quality (i.e. being made in furniture factories by unqualified children and women - this was really hard time for the Soviet Union) and had performance lower than official specifications or specially prepared prototypes which won government contracts. Every plane was different.

P-39s made in save US with all quality control had reliable preformance close to the manual and high quality, that's the reason.

[Mac_Messer]

Solely for SP to survive most of VVS campaign I advise you to :

1) stay in target area just for the Critical Objective Accomplished message and head to base immediately;

2) if left alone to die, go for the trees and run.

16 hours ago, JohnBrownStan said:

Just took it out for a couple more skirmishes in SP, and I actually think I'm getting the hang of it. The problem was I wasn't managing my speed well, and the plane just doesn't have the low speed stability I'm used to from the Yaks (which is what I've mostly flown so far).

 

Anyway, blew three 109's out of the air, one of them with the 37mm, so I'm figuring it out slowly but surely.

Just don`t go online yet. Even though the P39 is a good plane, out there against human 109 it is a world of hurt. Takes advanced skill to survive.

[6./ZG26_Klaus_Mann]

With the Wing MGs the 39 really is a bit of a Dog. Once you remove those and reduce your Fuel Load to about an hours worth (330 Litres) she flies pretty well. She is powerful if you allow her to be.