Baby Types?

[TX-Cage]

Howdy TX-Squadron.  I don't know any of you, and haven't had the pleasure as of yet to see you Gents fly.  I do plan on making it over to your server though, just feeling a little embarassed about my flying skills at the moment.  
However, I was wondering if you guys wouldn't mind sharing which baby you prefer to fly.  I myself am a noob to IL-2 and flight sims all together really.
I personally keep being drawn to the BF109 for some reason, and really keep eyeballing the G-6/AS.
Hope to see you all soon, and learning something or two from you.  
Cage

 

[TX-Rahman]

Cage,            Hello and welcome to the TX website              Which plane is my baby of choice you ask...  I am way partial to the 109 G-6/AS!  It is without a doubt my plane of choice in the game.  I do enjoy flying the YaK3 and YaK 9 series with the uber cannon from time to time, but the G-6/AS is home.  The standard TX Squadron skins happen to be for the 109 G-6/AS and the Yaks.  I know TX-Deck is partial to the LA5.Regards and Salute!TX-RAHMAN"BLUE 3"

[TX-Zen]

Cage,In the current version of IL2 (1.1) you are right on the money about the  109G6/AS, or GAS for short. IMHO its the best all round plane in the game. ultimately better than the big-gun yaks or the ultra agile yak-3. The russian plane that most closely matches it is the LA5FN but the GAS has a few advantages. For one, it appears to be the fastest plane in level flight, something which is always nice to have. Though not great at flat turns, it makes up for it by amazing acceleration in a dive, decent roll rate and a superb zoom climb, especially if you go pure vertical and let speed drop to 0. It has a higher tendency to stall than russian planes but with experience you can ride the edge of the stall and the blackout and still make some great turns in a pinch. As I said its not great on flat turns, but its not so poor as a FW190 and russian pilots must work to turn inside you. Firepower is awesome with the mk108 nose cannon, but don't compare it with the big gun yaks, the damage model in the game does not favor less than 30mm and you do not always take your oponent down after a hit with it...but is far better then the default 20mm nose cannon. Ammo is very limited with it, maybe 3 to 4 seconds of firing so you must aim carefully, avoid spraying and return to base often. Shoot for the wing if firing from a rear quarter shot a good hit and the target is down. The 13mm engine mounted machine guns are useless, so much so that I have them disabled when I fly the GAS. I simply return to base when out of the mk108 rounds. Engine overheat is a severe problem for the GAS requiring constant use of the radiator, which causes drag and reduces acceleration and limits use of WEP to short periods. That in turn makes you need more altitude to make up for the lack of acceleration by not using WEP so often. If overheat is off on the server you fly on, crank it up and leave it on unless it will cause an overshoot of your target...but generally if you can use it at will keep it on all the time. As to general flying, avoid flat turns unless it will drop you into a firing position. Stay high, stay fast and avoid flying low to the ground unless you are extending from an unfavorable engagement. Even at low speed and altitude, make your turns in the vertical, the GAS on WEP will loop reasonably well at just over 300kph. Use combat flaps for extra stall control but be aware they cost you acceleration...sometimes one is more important than the other. As a rule I only use flaps when I have to go to the edge of a stall to make a shot, otherwise know your stall velocity and don't pull violent manuevers unless absolutely necessary. It would be safe to say its a good idea to fly the GAS with a light hand and smooth movements. When entering the usual horizontal stall apply full left rudder and bring the stick all the way over to the left...usually causes the GAS to recover almost instantly. For more severe stalls it is much more difficult to recover from requiring the use of WEP on/off, rudder and stick placement. BnZ is is the trump card of the GAS. Stay high over the dogfight, select your target, nose down at full power and come in as fast as you can, take a shot and then zoom climb back up over the dogfight. No russian plane can catch the GAS at 650+ knots in a climb even if they followed you thru the dive...take advantage of that. BnZ requires discipline and many firing passes, but is very safe and very rewarding when executed properly. If you simply must dive into the middle of a furball, watch your speed, watch your 6 and be aware that it is very easy to get a yak on your 6 that will be hard to get rid of. Energy fighting is the other area where the GAS performs well...this is partly what I mean when I say make your turns in the vertical. Altitude is potential energy (speed) and speed is actual energy. A flat turn causes high drag which bleeds speed without gaining altitude but a vertical loop, which also burns speed, places you at a higher altitude so your net loss is very small. The GAS is an energy efficient vertical fighter meaning it can (when flown properly) actually make a series of loops that eventually takes you to a higher and higher altitude...most russian fighters cannot compete with this. In summary I think the GAS is the plane with the most advantages, the least serious disadvantages and is the best all round fighter in the game. When flown properly it is hard to beat. Since the FW190 did not receive favorable treatment in the game (which has always been my favorite fighter, the 109 2nd) I fly the GAS almost exclusively. The big gun yaks are fun to fly but suffer from very poor acceration, the yak 3 is incredibly agile but lacks a heavy punch. The LA5 is rather like a GAS but turns better than it accelerates, it is possibly the easiest russian plance to under-estimate when E fighting. Hope this helps,TX-Zen"Black 6"TX Squadron CO

[TX-Deck]

Very true Rah, for some reason I like the way the plane handles and feels.   Sometimes it can take a real beating and stay in the air, too.However, after I realized the 109GAS can walk away from it in a shallow climb, I'm leaning my flight time towards that plane more often.  When I first started flying in IL2 I worked with the 109, and it looks like that will always be the primary plane for me.   I think it is important to fly as many planes as possible, almost the only way to learn the strengths/weaknesses of all the different models.TX-Deck out.

[Seeker]

Excellent synopsis of the GAS TX-Zen. I have to agree it's the best all-around fighter considering performance and firepower. But, personally, I find it somewhat of a chore to drive. Sure, it puts an evil grin on your face when you hit the speed of sound in three seconds in a steep dive, but it's propensity to stall in tight manuevers can be disheartening.I prefer agility over brawn. My plane of choice is the Yak-3, with the La5n and LaGG close behind. No, you don't usually down an opponent with one shot and send him spiraling down in a ball of flame. And you can't keep up with a 109 bent on fleeing. But if you're patient and anticipate your opponent, you can usually manuever yourself into position and keep on his tail long enough to disable his aircraft and score the victory. And when you see tracers zooming past your nose, it's nice to know you can stick down and pull an inverted loop from low altitude. More often than not, if he tries to follow, you'll hear a nice explosion behind you as he impacts the earth.

[TX-Zen]

Interesting point Dreggs,I do not often hear a 109 described as a brawny aircraft. I spend so much time getting chased around by Yaks and LA's that I feel in the close fight the 109 is seriously disadvantaged, which is why I prefer the BnZ or E fighting style so much. Less dangerous, more calculating. But brawny is not a term I would normally apply to the 109, though now I will begin to evaluate it more closely, thanks. I prefer to think of the GAS as a thinking man's fighter, because you must fly it carefully, manage your energy and have a game plane once contact is made. To me the Yak series has such a large agility advantage over the 109 that you can almost certainly deny the attacker a shot by pulling stupifying G's. As a rule, no plane has all the advantages and each pilot has a certain amount of thinking they must do. I just feel that when I fly a Yak, I find that I get kills more quickly and at less risk to myself. Unfortunately I do not like the handling qualities or the overall feel to flying them, though I adore the stall characteristics and easy recovery. The acceleration is just too slow for me, I suppose because of my Mach 1 GAS. TX-Zen"Black 6"TX Squadron CO

[Seeker]

By brawn, I'm just speaking in terms of horsepower and firepower.  Not so much it's survivability. It's muscle is it's strength. The only time I feel comfortable in a 109 is when my six is clear. Maybe I'm not using the 109 to it's advantage because I''m used to the more agile planes, but when I go into evasive maneuvers my odds of hitting earth are much greater. The good thing about the 109 is you don't really need agility--if you can zoom in on a bogie and squeeze off a quick burst on target with the nose cannon, they usually disintegrate without having to chase it around. I actually prefer the chase better. It's not as safe or effective as BnZ, but it's much more exciting and satisfying to test wits and skill with another pilot. Getting a kill after several minutes of intense aerial action just appeals to me more than a quick one-burst kill. (Although there's a certain sadistic pleasure in that as well.)

[TX-Cage]

Wow, alot of great info and views.  Thanks for the help.  I also had a ton of fun in your TX-server as well as watching the races.  I definely have alot of practicing to do, and really need to learn to be a wingman or fly with one.  I was a little lost trying to use or be a wingman.Anyways, I enjoyed the flight and fight guys.  You guys have a bunch of talent and teamwork.Cage