Pfalz DIIIa Vs Albatros DVa?

[Majpalmer]

Is it just me, or are there others out there that prefer the Plalz D IIIa to the D Va? 

[VonS]

A good question and depends on the sim:

 

In RoF, I much prefer the Pfalz D.IIIa to the Albies D.III and D.Va - more sturdy, not that much slower, and more of a "Jack of all trades" I would say (can't comment on the Pfalz in FC since I don't have that series). Come to think of it, the Pfalz D.IIIa is my favorite German aircraft in RoF - I need to fly it more.

 

In the WoFF series, I prefer the Alb. D.III both to the D.Va and also to the Pfalz D.IIIa (the Pfalz in WoFF is the worst of these three mentioned - i.e., is the most challenging).

 

In the venerable-when-modded First Eagles 2, if you download Geezer's Pfalz D.III (and also the D.IIIa) - all available in the large package on p.25 of the "New Aircraft" thread (under the FE2 forums on CombatAce) - you will find that the D.III/III.a are somewhat slow but have their advantages, sometimes (i.e., good for diving, but not for turn fighting; also, they feature a nasty snap stall/roll in FE2, particularly the earlier Pfalz D.III, that may prove handy when trying to escape a Camel, or two or three).

 

Good Pfalzing to you across various sims (and remember, "in flight school they'll tell you anything"),

?

 

[No.23_Starling]

17 hours ago, Majpalmer said:

Is it just me, or are there others out there that prefer the Plalz D IIIa to the D Va? 

Both are all rounders with the DVa being one to learn on as a new player. They also both suffer the issue of all the Rise of Flight Albi series of being too slow but having turning and prop hanging capability that’ll beat pretty much anything that isn’t a Camel; rumour has it we might see the speed of the DVa fixed at some point and the turn rate reduced.

 

The DIIIa also used to be able to pull insane Gs (10+) when undamaged. I personally prefer the DIIIa for survivability but both are handicapped by their speed. 

[BMA_Hellbender]

Nowadays the Pfalz D.IIIa suffers from a strange weakness: its pilot sits very exposed, meaning it’s one of the easiest pilots to PK, especially compared to the pilot in a Fokker Dr.I.

 

This of course makes zero sense, since unless the engine block is directly in the way, there’s not really anything stopping a bullet from going through a wing or fuselage that is mostly wood and canvas before fatally wounding the pilot, but alas in FC it seems that anything located between the machinegun and the pilot still acts as pilot armor.

[Zooropa_Fly]

47 minutes ago, =IRFC=Hellbender said:

meaning it’s one of the easiest pilots to PK

 

Only if you let someone take a shot at you

 

 

I think I prefer the Pfalz these days, it's much stronger meaning you can fly very aggressively without worrying about a wing dropping off.

Not as good a shooting platform as the Alb, but it's diving ability and strength give it the edge for me.

[JGr2/J5_Klugermann]

Pfalz is better. Albie is borked by weight of DV frame with DIII engine.

[BMA_Hellbender]

12 minutes ago, J5_Klugermann said:

Pfalz is better. Albie is borked by weight of DV frame with DIII engine.

Yup, it needs the 200hp engine. And, well, wings that don’t fall off in a dive.

 

Still it’s far too maneuverable compared to how it should handle, so you can do a bit of turning before you eventually have to bail out in this highly realistic late 1917 scenario.

[Majpalmer]

It's nice to know that I'm not alone. I suppose it's mostly impressionistic for me, but I seem to do better in the Pfalz. I get hit less, and I kill more. 

 

When I dive, I don't worry about the wings. And it seems to me that the Pfalz gains energy when nose down more quickly than the Albatros. To me, it's the A4 Skyhawk of FC--the Scooter! 

[Majpalmer]

Still flying the Pfalz DIIIa. Did some QM tests and the Pfalz rolls better than the Albatros DVa. 

[US103_Baer]

On 5/6/2024 at 12:25 AM, Majpalmer said:

Still flying the Pfalz DIIIa. Did some QM tests and the Pfalz rolls better than the Albatros DVa. 

IIRC try snap rolls in the Alb. It should flip around much faster than the Pfalz that way.