Before You Go - The Ultimate Dora

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

I know it's late in the game (pun) but before this series wraps up, I'd like to cast a vote for an Fw 190D-13. I would really like to see a Ta-152C and explore the DB 603 possibilities at middle altitudes but it's unlikely more than a handful were produced, less than likely they made it to any operational units, and would be a boatload of work to produce from a Dev standpoint.

 

The D-13 on the other hand was definitely produced, definitely made it to training and operational units, and possibly saw some limited combat in the West. While a bit of a unicorn, it's not an outright pretend-o-plane. She is exceptionally fast, well armed, but not particularly more nimble than our D-9. Climbs and dives well, rolls on par with the Anton's due to boosted ailerons, turns meh. To exploit her is to fly her on the edge of the envelope. All else would be folly. But, while I would never ask for any sort of artificial aircraft "balancing," it would offer something competitive against the best of the late war Allied fighters at mid altitudes. Something the current Dora does not in most respects. She still would not outperform the Tempest at low altitudes in most respects or the Mustang and late Spits at high altitudes. It would just be one more option to be competitive, particularly online, and only if flown well.

 

It would require a modified FM from the D-9 but the airframe is largely the same cosmetically. The data already exists on her three 20mm cannon. There is a decent amount of original data/source material to draw from. So there would be a bit of re-tooling to get it in the game but not an ungodly amount to get it done. Since Odessa is still in the pipeline, maybe we could get one more for the West before we wrap up the series in the current engine? Just one more Collector before we go? I'd absolutely pay for this one.

 

 

Edited September 14, 2024 by II/JG17_HerrMurf
Clarity

[Enceladus828]

I would want to see the Bf-110F-2 and possibly the Hs-123 and Mosquito Mk. IV or P-47M before another later war Luftwaffe plane. The Bf-109 and Fw-190 have been milked to the death in this game and it would make more sense to add some of the above first.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Sure, but all of that goes against the basic premise of adding a slightly more competitive late war Luftwaffe AC. (At a fairly low development cost) Getting seal clubbed as a Luftwaffle on a nightly basis, after 1944, is not conducive to good game play, on or offline. There are lots of good guy planes to choose from. The list of bad guy planes is fairly limited by its very nature.

Edited September 13, 2024 by II/JG17_HerrMurf

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

20 hours ago, II/JG17_HerrMurf said:

She is exceptionally fast, well armed, but not particularly more nimble than our D-9. Climbs and dives well, rolls on par with the Anton's due to boosted ailerons, turns meh. To exploit her is to fly her on the edge of the envelope. All else would be folly. But, while I would never ask for any sort of artificial aircraft "balancing," it would offer something competitive against the best of the late war Allied fighters at mid altitudes. Something the current Dora does not in most respects.

I‘d hate to burst your bubble, but the D12/13 were slower than the D9 until about 4000m altitude, and only marginally faster until about 6000m altitude. Given their weight, they’d also likely climb worse than the D9.

 

Compare the black lines 2 (D9) and 3 (D12). 
 

I mean, I would definitely buy it if it were on offer, as I love the 190 series, but it‘d only make sense for high altitude scenarios.
 

Edited September 14, 2024 by FTC_ChilliBalls

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Considering I do not start most fights in late war fighters below 6k, you are mostly making my case for me. 4-8k is mid altitude after all. She's only 100 kilos heavier with better power. Climb should be at least on par with the D-9 until 4k where she would start to shine. With the Jumo 213EB she'd be a screamer at upper mid to high altitudes. She'd still get owned by the Typhoon on the deck, though, and be on par with the P-51 D's/late Spits in the mid ranges. Climb should be as good or possibly better than the D-9. Interesting your chart is annotated and in color. Mine is native only and BW. Different dates I'm guessing as the compared aircraft and curves are slightly different as well. Also, I think one of your dog legs might be mis-labeled. With the 213F the D-12 should be making 740 kph at 9k (*edit: might be 725 at 9500m, hard to tell) . With the 213EB she should be making nearly 760 at 9500m.

 

The D-13 certainly makes more sense for where we tend to fight than the 152.

Edited September 14, 2024 by II/JG17_HerrMurf
Updated data

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

AFAIK, the Jumo 213F isn’t any more powerful than the 213A, it just also has a more efficient second gear and a third gear.

 

So given the 120 additional kg the D12 and 13 would most certainly climb worse than the D9 until 4K altitude. 
 

As for the EB, whilst certainly very interesting, I wouldn’t know of any ever being finished beyond prototype stage. I doubt any were ever put into a production model, making a Dora with an EB even more of a unicorn than the Ta152.

 

As for the coloured chart, it‘s from Calum Douglas' Secret Horsepower Race.

Edited September 15, 2024 by FTC_ChilliBalls

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

You're right, for some reason I thought the F picked up another 100hp. It just maintains it better as she climbs with the better supercharger.

[FTC_ChilliBalls]

What I don‘t understand is how the 213F's second gear is able to have a higher critical altitude than the 213A's.

 

That goes against any conventional idea of how centrifugal mechanical superchargers are supposed to work. 

[=BLW=Pablo]

A Dora with better performance at high altitude?