Beginner Friendly Plane

[captain_frog]

Hi all,

 

So a few years ago I purchased pretty much every title apart from Normandy as I've taken quite a long break from the game.

 

Just thought I would ask, in your opinion what plane should I learn to fly as a beginner? I have a joystick and mouse, Axis or Allies I don't really mind, but I would like to dip my toe in multiplayer hopefully at some point, I've heard good things about Combat Box!

 

Any up-to-date guides would be great too, Youtubers even better!

[LukeFF]

Reqiuem's YouTube page is a good place to start: https://www.youtube.com/@RequiemsACTL

[Raptorattacker]

What @LukeFF says. He knows you know!!

Rap

[JG27*PapaFly]

53 minutes ago, captain_frog said:

what plane should I learn to fly as a beginner?

I recommend LA-5FN, LAGG3, and Yak7. Honest, straightforward to fly, and decent performers.

[69th_Mobile_BBQ]

Any 109 F or G model.   65% throttle is the cruise setting.  Right rudder to keep it straight on takeoff.  450kph and it flies straight with no need for rudder.  ~550kph and will need some left rudder.  Default stabilizer setting is fine but, you can bind a key/axis control and manage it on your own.  No need to manage any other engine settings.  Has EZ guns with plenty of ammo.  Out-turns almost anything else in the game but, if you fly gently, line up your shots, and use your speed to create distance after you attack, you'll never need to.

[cardboard_killer]

I'm a Yak man, and I like the -7 most of all. Simple complex-engine management, decent firepower, good low level performance.

[AndyJWest]

Hurricane.

 

IL-2 AM-38 model 1941 or model 1942 (the '43 model doesn't handle quite as well).

[czech693]

Hurricand II is the best plane to start with.  Easy to fly and land.  No unusual traits.

[[CPT]Crunch]

And nearly none of those recommended planes will be found on Combat Box.  If that's your goal start out learning the 109G-6 Late, no rads, and no prop controls, everything automatic, as a minimum your going to need something with a boost system to stay alive through matching the yanks speeds close as possible. 

 

What you heard about the Box is true, great bunch of guys to fly with and compete against, with adult management firmly in charge.  Allied, try your hand with a P-51D, best all around allied fighter in many's opinion.  But it's a bit more in depth, trim on all three axis is crucial along with correct fuel planning. 

 

Don't be discouraged with bad sorties in there, even the the best have them, and the less gifted hit the jackpot on occasion, the campaign can be very deep, the most perfect environment for a tactical strike fighter.  You just have to figure out what's going work to get you home alive most of the time.

[R33GZ]

6 hours ago, captain_frog said:

Hi all,

 

So a few years ago I purchased pretty much every title apart from Normandy as I've taken quite a long break from the game.

 

Just thought I would ask, in your opinion what plane should I learn to fly as a beginner? I have a joystick and mouse, Axis or Allies I don't really mind, but I would like to dip my toe in multiplayer hopefully at some point, I've heard good things about Combat Box!

 

Any up-to-date guides would be great too, Youtubers even better!

I started off with the Yak 7B. It was so easy to handle, I thought the engine management was screwy lol. If you have your oil and water rads open you can pretty much fly at the stops.

 

If you really wanted minimal engine management, then probably any of the 109s from the F series onwards as the engine is fully automated - oil and water radiators, pitch and mixture are all controlled using just the throttle.

 

If you're new to flight simming, I'd seriously consider at least getting a HOTAS setup (hands on throttle and stick)

[Charlo-VRde]

1 hour ago, [CPT]Crunch said:

And nearly none of those recommended planes will be found on Combat Box.  If that's your goal start out learning the 109G-6 Late, no rads, and no prop controls, everything automatic, as a minimum your going to need something with a boost system to stay alive through matching the yanks speeds close as possible. 

 

What you heard about the Box is true, great bunch of guys to fly with and compete against, with adult management firmly in charge.  Allied, try your hand with a P-51D, best all around allied fighter in many's opinion.  But it's a bit more in depth, trim on all three axis is crucial along with correct fuel planning. 

 

Don't be discouraged with bad sorties in there, even the the best have them, and the less gifted hit the jackpot on occasion, the campaign can be very deep, the most perfect environment for a tactical strike fighter.  You just have to figure out what's going work to get you home alive most of the time.

+1, and if you try the P-51 then take 40% or less fuel, otherwise it’s a challenge to handle - those fuel tanks were designed for hours-long escort missions.  
 

Any 109 on Combat Box is easy to fly with easy engine management, as others have noted. 

[Gambit21]

109's don't require much brains to fly if German birds interest you.

Other than that, I really like the good old Yak 1b, or IL2 for this.

 

Edit: Or Yak 7 would be the same as the 1B as far as management etc. 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Gambit21

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

To practise taxiing, takeoffs and landings, any Yak will do, or an Hurricane. 

 

In the air though I would suggest maybe to begin with a 109, like the F-2 or F-4 for instance, because of the fact that rads are automatically controlled and you only have to manage one lever for throttle, revs and mixture. Be mindful though of the fact that you cannot stay at emergency power for long else you will damage your engine. 

 

And yeah, go check Requiem's yt channel. And if you really are interested in more in depth technical information about the engineering behind ww2 aircrafts, go check Greg's airplanes and automobiles yt channel, so much content, and learning how a piston engine actually works helps me get the most of an engine in a flight sim.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by I./JG52_Woutwocampe

[JG27*PapaFly]

9 hours ago, captain_frog said:

I've heard good things about Combat Box!

I love CB, but IMO it's not the right environment for a beginner. You'll take off,  be in transit for 5-30 minutes,  and probably die before you know what happens. Learn to fight and build situational awareness on Berloga. It's where a lot of the full real flyers warm up or train specific stuff. Learn how to take out ground targets on one of the training servers (72AG or CB training). Learn navigation offline. Go to CB after you've built some level of proficiency in these areas, and you'll have a lot more fun.

[69th_Mobile_BBQ]

I wish there was a forum AI bot that would post this whenever somebody posts, "I'm new, which plane?":

 

The Air Combat Tutorial Library - YouTube

[kestrel79]

Early IL-2, Yaks, 109F or G.

[captain_frog]

Thank you very much everyone, really appreciate all the advice.

 

I've decided to go with the BF109 G6-Late and pick up Normandy as well, my favourite theatre. 

 

I don't have any head tracking and don't play in VR, this might sound silly, but what hand do you all use your joystick in? And yes I mean the hardware kind ?. I'm right handed but find it awkward looking around using my mouse in my left.

[cardboard_killer]

1 hour ago, captain_frog said:

I'm right handed but find it awkward looking around using my mouse in my left.

 

I could only use my right hand as my left is for jabs only. If your mouse is awkward in your left, your stick probably will be too. Not sure what stick you are using, but most people that don't use head tracking or VR use a 'hat' on their stick. Much easier than a mouse, IMO.

[R33GZ]

3 hours ago, captain_frog said:

Thank you very much everyone, really appreciate all the advice.

 

I've decided to go with the BF109 G6-Late and pick up Normandy as well, my favourite theatre. 

 

I don't have any head tracking and don't play in VR, this might sound silly, but what hand do you all use your joystick in? And yes I mean the hardware kind ?. I'm right handed but find it awkward looking around using my mouse in my left.

Hat switch on top of the stick. My throttle also has a small stick for moving the view around. I've been flight simming for over 25 years and still don't have TIR lol.

 

I have my snap views setup so I have all the view points covered about as good as I can get them without TIR or VR. Takes me probably 15min to setup each time I fly a new aircraft - the default snapviews are too close and poorly positioned for my liking

[[LeLv34]Lykurgos88]

I have come to the conclusion that BF-109G2 is the single most beginner friendly plane in the game. Most systems are automated, but even better yet is that you have very easy and non risky combat timers (with 30 mins of combat setting). G2 is also very easy to fly, take off and land. Weapons are neatly placed and offer decent amount of ammunition with the option of additional 20 mm gunpods.

 

Other Bf-109 models have timers that can wreck beginner's engines unexpectedly or have some other quirks (like K4's "overmodeled" energy bleed and mk108 with bad ballistics).

[I./JG52_Woutwocampe]

5 hours ago, captain_frog said:

Thank you very much everyone, really appreciate all the advice.

 

I've decided to go with the BF109 G6-Late and pick up Normandy as well, my favourite theatre. 

 

I don't have any head tracking and don't play in VR, this might sound silly, but what hand do you all use your joystick in? And yes I mean the hardware kind ?. I'm right handed but find it awkward looking around using my mouse in my left.

 

Absolutely get a track IR. Seriously.

[FeuerFliegen]

On 8/2/2023 at 4:14 PM, [LeLv34]Lykurgos88 said:

(like K4's "overmodeled" energy bleed)

 

Can you explain further?

[Avimimus]

I'd go for a U-2VS Collector Plane...  It was used as a trainer after all!

[Lusekofte]

8 hours ago, Avimimus said:

I'd go for a U-2VS Collector Plane...  It was used as a trainer after all!

Besides it is the best plane ever built for this game. 

[spreckair]

14 hours ago, Avimimus said:

I'd go for a U-2VS Collector Plane...  It was used as a trainer after all!

But...not in career mode!!!  On a lark, I decided to start a career in the U-2VS.  If you like flying for an extremely long period of time in the dark at a maddening slow pace to miss a target with your bombs, only fly back for an extremely long period of time in the dark at a maddening slow pace, than this is the ticket for you.  After the first mission, my pilot loaded up on vodka, pulled out his service revolver, and ended his life (so to speak).

[69th_Mobile_BBQ]

On 8/2/2023 at 4:14 PM, [LeLv34]Lykurgos88 said:

I have come to the conclusion that BF-109G2 is the single most beginner friendly plane in the game.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot about the G2.   30 minutes of 100% throttle with no engine kill, handles just as good as the F4. If you only use it sparingly and go back out of combat power when you don't need it, lasts basically forever.

 

The only real drawback of 109s is when your get hit in the wings.  Getting hit toward the wingtip will potentially break it off.  Getting hit in the middle of the wing can cause the wing to break if you keep adding G-force or handle the plane roughly.  Then, there's the potential of getting the wheels shot out of the wheel well, which you probably won't find out about until you try to land. ? 

[Sheriff88]

Hurricane!! Yes, the Hurricane. It's super stable, great turn fighter, very stall resistant. A killer with four 20mm! I have had great success flying online in Hurricane. Word of caution. When flying online you have to fight your way out of any engagement because you can't bug out. Every other fighter you encounter will be faster. After Hurri I would agree a G-4 or G-6 AS gives you a lot with simple engine management.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Sheriff88
add image

[RossMarBow]

On 8/2/2023 at 5:47 AM, captain_frog said:

Hi all,

 

So a few years ago I purchased pretty much every title apart from Normandy as I've taken quite a long break from the game.

 

Just thought I would ask, in your opinion what plane should I learn to fly as a beginner? I have a joystick and mouse, Axis or Allies I don't really mind, but I would like to dip my toe in multiplayer hopefully at some point, I've heard good things about Combat Box!

 

Any up-to-date guides would be great too, Youtubers even better!

As you have probably now realised it's not worth overthinking.
I started off flying the P47 on CB with zero previous experience in single player and had a lot of fun.
You might know a few things about the P47 already  

[duko]

On 8/2/2023 at 6:26 PM, captain_frog said:

Thank you very much everyone, really appreciate all the advice.

 

I've decided to go with the BF109 G6-Late and pick up Normandy as well, my favourite theatre. 

 

I don't have any head tracking and don't play in VR, this might sound silly, but what hand do you all use your joystick in? And yes I mean the hardware kind ?. I'm right handed but find it awkward looking around using my mouse in my left.

https://smoothtrack.app/

Try this 10$ android&iphone app for head tracking, it makes a very big difference on everything u do in flight, not only combat. Is not perfect but is better than nothing, after that u can try a more expensive solution but u can use this as permanent just fine, having head tracking is a must in my opinion.

Edited September 7, 2023 by duko

[FlyinCoffin]

I recommand FW190. Very good for beginner.

 

How Do I get in to standard seat position again after I changed view?

 

 

[Ghost666]

17 hours ago, FlyinCoffin said:

How Do I get in to standard seat position again after I changed view?

Delete the saved view, located as above.

 

 

[Stonesss]

Ahh nice man