Marikc0

Marik's Flight Techniques and How to Win

By Marikc0, in F.A.Q and Tutorials

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Most relevant for: Arcade mode. Some points may not be relevant for historic or full real.

This guide is ongoing and will be updated. Updated for 1.29.
You can find 1.29 patch notes here (translates automatically with Chrome).

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Boom and Zoom / Energy Fighting / Other Information:

  • Boom and Zoom: Aircraft capable of high speed, controllable descent, vertical speed and sustained climb are best suited for the BNZ. This is something the Germans are famous for in WWII that allowed them to decimate Allied aircraft. You begin with an altitude advantage, drop down on the enemy, wait until the last possible minute, fire, pull off and escape with the accumulated energy in the descent. It's advantageous to maintain an energy advantage throughout your time in the aircraft; even when not in combat. Once you start to lose energy in a climb, regain it with either another committed dive-attack or short dive/level flight/slight nose-down. One American aircraft capable of this in Warthunder is the Kittyhawk. In WWII the Germans accomplished this with aircraft such as the 109. Do not overextend yourself against turn fighters. Other aircraft: LAGG, Yak.
  • Energy Fighting: In one word this can be described as potential: for maintaining or gaining speed or climb rather than the assured loss of it over the enemy. Know the potential of the aircraft near you. Right now in 1.27 things are pretty weird. A YAK7 in a 300MPH/482kmh High Energy climb can be harassed by biplanes like the Nimrod or I-153P. Losing energy potential or build up is dangerous.
  • Situational Awareness: Awareness of allied and enemy aircraft around you. "Lose sight, lose the fight".
  • Deflection Shooting: Hitting an aircraft from any angle and leading the target. The lead indicator is only helpful at doing this well. This requires a great deal of foresight and this is where a lot of skill comes into play. It's just as important to setup your attack for an easier shot.
  • Turn Fighting: One reason that the Japanese aircraft excel at turn-fighting is their low speed. The reason for this is simple: At higher speeds you begin to approach the target in the turn. In a turn fight, you do not want to get closer to the target. Doing so will force you to turn harder to maintain a consistent weapons fire or solution. While other aircraft do excel at turning, they begin to overtake the target when doing so. At pure turn-fighting: the Japanese reign.
  • One Second Burst Mass: The amount of mass ejected from the aircraft's gun in one second. Think of it as a measurement of Burst DPS (Damage Per Second).

AMMO BELTS and ROUND TYPES: (working on this)

 

Note: HEIT = Partial HE, I and T. Supposedly a HE round is more effective HE than a HEIT. Etc.

  • I = Incendiary 
  • T = Tracer
  • IT = Incendiary Tracer
  • AP = Armour Piercing
  • HE = High Explosive
  • API = Armour Piercing Incendiary
  • APT = Armour Piercing Tracer
  • HEI = High Explosive Incendiary
  • HET = High Explosive Tracer
  • APIT = Armour Piercing Incendiary Tracer
  • APRC = Armor Piercing Reduced Caliber
  • APCR = Armor Piercing Composite Rigid
  • HEIT = High Explosive Incendiary Tracer
  • SAPI = Semi Armour Piercing Incendiary
  • APIHC = Armour Piercing Incendiary Hollow Core

Video: RAMJB on Ammo Types

Resource: (Reddit) Comparison of New Ammo Types

 

DIRECT HIT BOMB DAMAGE (#) = Required Hits
Instead of listing everything, I've listed what bombs are probably best used for. Some changes were made in 1.29.

  • 50KG (110.231lb): AAA, Artillery, Light Pillbox, Light Tank, Tank, Aircraft, Cargo Ship, Smaller Boats
  • 250KG (551.156lb): Light Pillbox, Tank, Light Tank or other armored columns
  • 500KG (1102.31lb): Destroyer, Pillbox, armoured columns
  • 2000KG (4409.245lb): Carrier, Battleship
  • 100LB: AAA, Artillery, Light Pillbox, Light Tank, Tank, Aircraft, Cargo Ship, Smaller Boats
  • 500LB: Destroyer(2), Tank, Light Tank or other armored columns
  • 1000lb: Destroyer, Light Pillbox, Pillbox, Carrier(4), armoured columns
  • 4000lb: Carrier, Battleship
  • TORPEDO: Destroyer, Carrier (4), Battleship (3-4)
  • ROCKET: AAA, Artillery, Light Pillbox (1-2), Light Tank, Aircraft, Cargo Ship(3), Destroyer (3-4)
  • KAMIKAZE: You're a bomb! Bombers do not do this well (a bug as far as I know). They tend to just break apart.

Note: 1x50KG will splash damage AA/Artillery if it hits relatively close. Rockets can splash kill multiple landing boats or tanks.
Rockets: Splash damage multiple targets if fired between them (ie: landing boats in Pearl Harbor, tanks, etc).
Mid-air bombs vs. aircraft: I've been told by several people that bombs can collide with aircraft in mid-air. Unconfirmed.
Cannons: You can use them on cargo ships. Example: 20mm Hispano.

Relevant Links:
Ground Targets - Guide by Sliver

Airspeed, Climb, Escape Velocity and other Comments

  • CLIMB SPEED: Determine the balance between airspeed and climb. At a specific angle of attack your aircraft will begin to either lose speed, gain speed or maintain speed in a climb. This will be different for each aircraft and in theory, whether or not flaps or landing gear is down and the angle of flaps (raised, combat, landing or takeoff). Use this knowledge to your advantage. Excess angle of attack in a climb can be beneficial for a very quick altitude gain, but air speed will drop significantly. Depending on the aircraft, at about 15 degrees climb (give or take 5 degrees or so) aircraft will lose or gain speed slowly, but continue to gain altitude. To maintain escape speed for a long period of time (after a strafe for example or BNZ) you can use this knowledge to maintain escape velocity.

CREW SKILLS / Repair
Honestly, I see no proof that crew skills have any effect whatsoever in Arcade, so I would plan your crew skills according to what you need in HB/FR (such as Keen Vision).

  • AUTO-REPAIR: Turn it off. Aircraft will repair over time. Repair them as you need them. Helps earn Lions.
  • REPAIR RANK: Must be as high as your aircraft's rank for repair speed to work (ie: Corsair Rank 8).
  • REPAIR SPEED: The rate that your aircraft repairs itself on the airfield while in-game and in the hangar when you are not flying the aircraft or away from the game. Auto-repair must be turned off.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT or ETHICS
For those with an open mind, I propose the following Rules of Engagement:

  • TWO PER BOGEY: If you see two team mates attacking a bogey (lead and a wing man) and the bogey is not attacking another team mate or asset (ground target for example) move on to another target that is in range. If the bogey is attacking a team mate or asset or no additional bogey is in immediate range, engage the bogey if your presence will not endanger the lead or his wing man.
  • PROTECT: If you see a bogey engaging a team mate or ground asset, engage the bogey. You can get additional hefty experience bonuses for this.
  • COLLISIONS: Keep your "head on a swivel" as we skydivers call it and try not to collide with team mates.

VIDEOS and GUIDES
Fighter Tactics 101 (WWII) (Video Documentary)
Energy Combat Tactics
Basic Fighter Maneuvering (PDF)
Ground Targets Guide by Sliver (Warthunder Forum)
Fighter Combat - Tactics and Maneuvering (PDF)
P-47 Thunderbolt during World War II (1945 Documentary)
Dogfights: Thunderbolt (Video Documentary)
Dogfights: P-51 Mustang (Video Documentary)

YOUTUBERS
BohemianEagle (The Mighty Jingles)
BaronVonGomez
SideStrafe

MY VIDEOS AND GUIDES
Dxtory, Handbrake and Premiere Settings Guide
Fan Video - Winter in Stalingrad
Bf 109 E-3 Boom and Zoom Energy Fighting
Fan Video - Top Gun

Evading 11 Fighters and Winning

Free 250 Eagles - How Should I Use Them?
How should you spend them? Save them for a while. Once you have experience with all of the nations and have an idea of their strengths and weaknesses you can make an informed decision of how to spend you eagles. Use them on an extra crew slot (aircraft) for a nation that you will spend a lot of time with. Save the remaining Eagles for later when you find an aircraft that you will keep for a long time. Then spend it on the crew (things like Gunner precision for example).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRWiadS_VYA&feature=youtu.be

GRAPHIC OPTIMIZATIONS and PERFORMANCE GUIDE
[spoiler]

  • NV Users: Manage 3D Settings / Power Management Mode / Prefer Maximum Performance
  • Task Manager: (CTRL+ALT+DEL/Task Manager/Processes Tab) Check the "Show processes for all users" box. You can safely close all processes (keep Explorer.exe running) that will allow you to end them. There may be a few processes running required for things like sound, depending on your system (close it and see what happens safely).
  • Services: (CTRL+ALT+DEL/Task Manager/Services) You can also close "most" services that will allow you to do so. Though certain ones will effect network connectivity or sound for example. Closing a service will not harm your system. The worst case scenario is the need for a restart. A couple of examples of services that you can shut down: Print Spooler, Windows Search, Windows Firewall, Offline Files, etc.
  • Software Firewalls: If you have software firewall like Zonealarm; uninstall it. No, I'm not kidding. Unless you're gaming on a system with sensitive files or connected to an office network, just leave them alone and your office should have a hardware firewall like a PIX anyway. Anyone in IT worth a grain of salt will laugh at a software firewall. You're just wasting resources with a placebo. And you're obviously not running a Smoothwall.
  • Antivirus: Turn it off while you're gaming. Most antivirus have "gaming mode" features. I recommend Avast.

[/spoiler]

AIRCRAFT ENERGY POTENTIAL (Update 1.27)
[spoiler]This is an attempt to grade various aircraft's potential for Low to High energy, Boom and Zoom, interception, climb and so forth. Turn speed may be high on some aircraft but air speed is very important in a turn fight.

Low Energy (LE): Unacceptable for Boom and Zoom. Low ability to intercept aircraft or escape attackers.
Medium Energy (ME): Adequate for Boom and Zoom, but not exceptional. Acceptable at intercepting other aircraft and escaping.
High Energy (HE): Speed and energy potential for great interception, escape and climb.
BNZ - Capable of Boom and Zoom attacks TF - Skilled turn fighter

A6M2-N/A6M3/A6M2/A6M3 Mod 22: ME/BNZ/TF Exceptional escape ability due to unbeatable turn speed and low air speed, allowing for maneuvers to pull out and turn the fight around onto the attacker.
Bf 109: HE/BNZ Just as the zero excels incredibly well at turn fighting, the 109 is a master of Boom and Zoom. Don't get caught with so little energy that you can't climb and do not hang out at low altitude engaging in turn fights.
YAK7B/LAGG-3 35: HE/BNZ
Airacobra/King Cobra: ME-HE/BNZ (At higher speeds they are unstable, so I wouldn't recommend very high altitude BNZ where you'll gain a lot of speed in the dive)
Corsair 1A/1D: ME-HE/BNZ (Best to commit to sustained fire in an attack due to smaller 12.7mm and large round capacity)
Ki-61: LE/TF
Ki-43: LE/TF
Beaufighter Mk. Vlc: ME (Setting up the perfect attack is essential. Deflection is everything).
Beaufighter Mk X: ME (Setting up the perfect attack is essential. Deflection is everything).
P-40E-1 Kittyhawk: ME/TF Note: low damage potential, but can be difficult to kill a Kittyhawk.
Spitfire Mk 1 / Mk 2: LE-ME/TF
P-47D Thunderbolt: LE-ME (Speed is high, but I don't feel that it's exceptional at interception or climb). Bomb and zoom!

Low energy aircraft: HE 112 B-0, IL2, I-16 Type 18 (I-16 has good turn speed, but not great at turn fights due to maneuvering issues).
[/spoiler]

EXPERIENCE GAIN
[spoiler]
Objects which you normally cannot kill easily with gunfire can be fired upon to acquire experience. A couple of rounds should do the job. Note: Lots and lots of hits will kill a tank.

#1. SHOOT for XP: Light pillbox, pillbox, dead aircraft (white text), tank, light tank, etc.
#2. QUIT: If you're finding yourself outmatched and you're losing planes, not getting many ground kills or air kills, leave the game. Don't waste your planes. It's going to cost you. Unless you're premium.
#3. TEAM KILL: Don't do it. The penalty is stiff.
#4. PROTECT YOUR TEAM: Saving teammates earns you a large experience bonus.
#5. STREAK: Getting more than one ground, water or air kill in a short time results in a large experience bonus.
#6. KILLING BLOW: The first kill of the match and/or a "killing blow" earns you an experience bonus.
#7. TOP KILLS: Getting the most air or ground kills earns you an experience bonus.
#8. LAND, TAKE OFF: Landing with a black wing/engine/prop/etc or taking off earns you XP. Right now you can break your prop intentionally pretty easily. When landing and holding the break (S) your plane will want to tip forward. If you don't eventually let off and allow the back wheel to drop down you might tip over and break the prop. You will get the bonus.
#9. BOMB AIRFIELD: Additional reason to bomb enemy fighters on their own airfield. You get experience.
#10. TOP ASSISTS: Getting the most assists grants you an experience bonus.
#11. WATER STREAK: Getting a "water kills" streak grants an experience bonus (Credit: ElcomeSoft).
[/spoiler]

Fire Evasion (from the Rear)
[spoiler]
#1. GET HELP: Always immediately head for your teammates in the direction of your airfield.
#2. NO CROP DUSTING: Do not. I repeat. Do not get too low. AAA/Destroyers can just as easily kill you through a tree line and aircraft will crack you wide open. Maintain altitude. Hitting the deck without an energy advantage to pull out seals your fate.
#3. MOUNTAINS: Use mountains to your advantage. Hug them and keep them between you and the chaser. You may use any time this gives you to turn and engage or execute a maneuver that will regain the advantage.
#4. DO NOT PULL UP: Do not pull up and expose your roof or canopy or attempt to out climb the enemy on your rear.The worst aircraft can climb ridiculously well. This only exposes you as a massive target. If you are sure you have the energy advantage and that the chaser is not in position to chase (check his position with the camera) then you can pull up.
#5. DON'T OVER EXPOSE YOUR AIRCRAFT: You are more difficult to hit when you are small. Don't expose your roof, canopy or underbelly to the enemies' guns longer than you have to.
#6. EVADE: Turn left, right, left, right and keep on eye on the rounds coming at you. The more random you are, the harder it is to guess your next move and fire accordingly.
#7. CORKSCREW: As opposed to simply rolling your aircraft to where it rolls around a maintained axis, roll the aircraft in a corkscrew maneuver instead as if you are rolling and spinning around an object.
#8. SITUATIONAL AWARENESS: Hold C and pan the camera behind you. Keep an eye on the enemy. Use any mistakes against him to evade or get back around on his six (or to escape).
#9. OPPOSITE TURN: Keep an eye on your six and when the enemy is in any kind of turn in one direction, pull in the opposite direction. This is your moment to make him work for it.
[/spoiler]

Fire Evasion (from the front), Winning at "Playing Chicken"
[spoiler]
#1. FIRE EARLY AND DISENGAGE: Engage head on (if you dare) and START FIRING EARLY before you are in range. Fire ABOVE the target (rounds drop) and not directly at it. You can prove this by seeing the indicator when you get in range. It will be above the target a bit. If the target is moving to the right a bit, firing in front of it and above. As soon (or BEFORE) you are in range, BREAK OFF, because so is your enemy, then roll or dive to evade any incoming fire (which is more than likely sure to be coming) and keep your aircraft small. One way to keep your aircraft small is to roll left or right and have your wing pointed straight up.
#2. Engage weak aircraft longer: You will need to learn the weaknesses and strengths of other aircraft and the armament equipped by your enemy. Engaging for too long head-on against cannons isn't a great idea. You can distinguish the type of rounds by observing the appearance of the rounds being fired and the sound. You may decide to engage with a LAGG/Yak longer. Although they do have cannons, accuracy is very difficult. Know your opponent and make a decision.
#3. DON'T COLLIDE: If you are about to collide, PULL OFF and evade. Losing an aircraft in a head on isn't worth it. Though sometimes I tend to turn my aircraft so that my wing will clip the other aircraft, but I expect to be disappointed when I do it.
#4. USE ROCKETS: Use rockets if you get close enough. Quick kill.
#5. DON'T OVER EXPOSE: Your ROOF is exposed in a head on fight. Roll and point your wing straight up to expose only the side, making yourself small.
#6. DON'T DO IT: Don't engage in a head-on period. Your chances of getting killed are just high as you getting kill, or both of you getting killed.
[/spoiler]

Few "random techniques" for killing people or ground objects:
[spoiler]
#1. SUICIDE WITH BOMBS: If chased close by and on the deck, drop a 1000 lb. bomb (or other high blast radius explosive). It works.
#2. THE INDICATOR LIES: The indicator is not an accurate lead. Fire in front of it by a small amount or further depending on the gun. Cannon rounds are slower, so fire further ahead.
#3. USE ROCKETS ON CAPTURE ATTEMPTS: Use rockets if you have them when an aircraft is attempting to capture your airfield (check my video for an example).
#4. USE BOMBS ON CAPTURE ATTEMPTS: Drop bombs on your airfield if an aircraft is attempting to cap and drop it quite far in front and then start using guns (also an example in my video).
#5. CRIT AND DISENGAGE: If you crit an aircraft in the right spot, break off and engage another aircraft (wings or control surfaces like flaps for example). Unless none are nearby. Disengage bombers early.
#6. AIM FOR THE WING: Shoot for the wings (fire off center).
#7. PREFER TOP OR BOTTOM SHOTS: Prefer firing at an aircraft that is turning or whose top/bottom is exposed over shooting at its rear (larger area). Fire and scare the target. Make it attempt to evade and turn.
#8. ROCKET BOMBERS: Use rockets on bombers.
#9. RAKE: I picked up this word from a WWII dog fighting documentary. It describes a "raking" (back and forth motion). Try "raking the wing span" or raking in front of and back into the lead indicator.
AKLCSUG.jpg
[/spoiler]

Chasing or Choosing a Target and "Getting the Shot"
[spoiler]
#1. TURN AIM OVERCOMPENSATION: Don't over compensate. If a plane is being evasive, don't start pulling hard on the stick and over turning to get the shots. The enemy is just going to evade back the other way anyhow. Under compensate so that he when he turns back the other way again he slides right back into your firing line.
#2. SHOOT IN FRONT OF THE INDICATOR: As I said above, shoot in FRONT of the lead indicator. Not at it.
#3. FIRE LESS AT SMALL TARGETS: Fire less often when shooting a small target (the rear/sides). Fire more often when shooting at the top/bottom or larger views of the enemy. Especially when they pull up hard or make a hard turn. This is your chance to get the kill.
#4. BE A WINGMAN: Help your team. Go after aircraft attacking them.
#5. ENGAGE THE REAR FIGHTER: Engage the rear fighter. If you engage a fighter that puts you in a position with aircraft behind you, you're in the worst possible position. Imagine that you're diving from above and you see two fighters on the rear of a teammate. You may want to engage the rear most attacker, putting you at the advantage to attack both from the rear.
#6. ENGAGE FROM THE REAR: If you're engaging an aircraft from above then attempt to get off early shots and then point your nose behind the target so that you do not fly past it, until you're nose is back up and behind the target. Keeping your nose pointed at a target in a boom and zoom for too long will cause you to fly past the target and be forced into a hard turn to re-engage.
#7. NOSE UP FRONT: Turning to engage a target that might fly past you: turn with your nose in front of the target. The further back your nose is behind the target, the harder your going to have to turn. Turn early.
#8. STAY BEHIND: Don't pass over a target you're chasing, it makes you their target. It might be better to disengage or pull up, back off the throttle, allow lateral separation, then dive and re-engage.
#9. PATIENCE: Wait until you get in close, don't let the enemy know you're coming and take the shot when it's a sure thing and easy to make the kill. This is a tactic many WWII ace's swore to.
#10: RAKE THE LEAD: As far as I'm aware, I coined this term! I hope so, because I think it sounds really neat. Imagine that you're raking leaves and the hand movements involved. Now imagine you're aiming lead on a target in front of you. Now start "raking" the lead, starting ahead of the lead indicator then sliding back into it and continuing these motions. I also use this technique on bombers, except I "Rake from wing to wing" attempting to a soft spot on a massive target. This is actually a technique that I picked up from documentation of a WWII ace's account of a dog fight.
[/spoiler]

How to Win Games
[spoiler]
#1. GROUND MISSIONS: You probably ask yourself all the time why your team loses ground missions so often. The answer is simple: too much dogfighting. Your job is not to dogfight, it's too take out ground objectives or to protect those who intend to. If you have the ordinance available, use it. Protect bombers. Don't dogfight just to dogfight.
#2. DOMINATION: Capture airfields on domination maps. This isn't something I'm very good at. It's difficult. You're one hell of a target when doing so. Not all maps' airfields can be captured. If the only option you have is to dogfight then protect your airfields and help cover teammates that are capturing.
#3. CLOSE CALL MATCH: Opposing teams tickets low, as well as yours? Find a high value target such as a destroyer or carrier. Do you have bombs or rockets available? Use them. If that's not enough: ram a smoking water target. Use everything you've got to help. I've won games this way. And it often means the difference between a win or a loss.
[/spoiler]

A few points on versus certain aircraft:
[spoiler]
#1. BEAUFIGHTERS: The beaufighter has a really bad tendency to "dip over" in turns. Don't take one head on. Make it turn. Beaufighters are for the most part only viable dogfighters when they don't have to turn to engage you. Corsairs experience a similar issue (but not nearly as bad). Engage the Beau from the rear as if it is a bomber.
#2. GERMANS: Not swell turners and have lots of issues in turns. I'm told most of them lose serious speed when turning. Use it to your advantage.
#3. BOMBERS (or aircraft with turrets): Learn where the turrets are (or watch the rounds and where they are coming from). Most of the time you will prefer to engage from UNDER the bomber. But some have turrets on the bottom. Bombers can take a lot of hits. Go for the wings or engines. If you're not having any luck, break off and disengage before you get cracked open by a turret. Bombers are also very vulnerable when turning and when their top is exposed. Use this to your advantage and open fire hard. Use ROCKETS if possible.
#4. JAPANESE, HURRICANES or SPITFIRES: When you see a Japanese aircraft, know that 99.9% of the time they are superior turners and DO NOT expect to win in a turn fight. Actually, don't GET in a turn fight with one. If it's a Spitfire or Hurricane, they aren't bad turners either but if you're in a zero you have the turn advantage. If it's a Ki- type Jap then the guns are very weak. If it's a A6 type then expect cannons.
#5. AIRACOBRA or KING COBRA: 37MM M4 cannon with only 30 rounds. When they run out of cannon rounds (VERY distinguishable sound) you have the advantage.
#6. YAK or LAGG: Due to the way they fire, it's difficult to hit anything. Use this knowledge to your advantage and be evasive. Personally, I tend to be wary of the YAK9T and expect little from the others.
#7. IL2: Painful cannon, but worthless as a dogfighter. Just don't let it get an easy shot.
#8. MIG: Honestly, pretty worthless. It only has a few rounds. Being evasive means they waste ammo and due to their EXTREME speed, they just fly past you after a few shots. Also, staying close to the ground or putting a mountain on the other side of you will prevent a Mig from even getting a shot because if he takes it, he crashes.
[/spoiler]

BOMBING / TORPEDO Runs
[spoiler]
#1. AIM: In your mind divide the DESTROYER/CARRIER/etc into 3rds. Imagine the lines dividing the ship into those thirds. Aim at the front first line. This is just to somewhat compensate for it's movement (very slow) and still be aiming for a large section. The round will land exactly in the center, regardless of how you are flying (in the arcade crosshair).
#2. ENGAGE FROM the FRONT or BACK: Prefer to engage the ship from the front or back and not the side. But don't fly straight over the target after dropping to avoid getting hit by the blast. Once you drop the bomb, roll and point your wing straight up and pull back on the stick away from the ship.
#3. HIGH ALTITUDE: If you're high altitude bombing then don't waste your time engaging ships or vehicles. Unless you're amazing at high altitude leading. Actually, I personally would advise not wasting your time with high altitude bombing at all right now. To be effective whatsoever at high altitude bombing, you also need to be extremely aware of the targets you're dropping bombs on and whether or not they can crack the target at all. For example: dropping 50kg on a pillbox is pointless.
#4. BLAST RADIUS: Understand the blast radius of your ordinance (bombs or rockets). A single 1000lb or larger can take out a pillbox and surrounding AA/artillery if placed correctly or a large number of clustered vehicles/etc. I hate 50KG bombs. You pretty much have to get a direct hit to not be wasting your time with 50KG (on vehicles/etc).
#5. TOO CLOSE: Do not get too close to a blast from a 1000lb or other large bombs.
#6. LINE UP STRATEGICALLY: Line up to engage as many targets as possible in a straight line. The more you are forced to turn to engage ground targets around you, the less kills you're going to get. and will need to make a go-around. The longer you're alive engaging ground targets, the longer the enemy has to kill you and you get to take out less targets.
#7. TORPEDOS: Line straight up above the water (you must be below about 2000 feet/0.6km high but I'm not sure of the exact height). Select your target (X). Wait for the green firing line. Once within 1km distance: fire. Do this from the SIDE of the ship you are targeting if possible, but you can very accurately fire at the front of a destroyer and get a hit (and you won't need to lead the target at all). If firing from the side, divide the ship into thirds in your mind and fire at the first front dividing line (will hit center due to forward movement). If you have multiple torps, plan your attack run so that you can immediately fire on another ship.
#8. ROCKETS: Use'em on destroyers and cargo ships (3 hits). Enough will do the trick. Or you will at least do some damage and help others take them out.

zofIDON.jpg
[/spoiler]

FLAPS / LANDING / STALLING
Controls: F to switch between two modes of flaps and [ ] to switch between them all. The purpose of flaps is to increase lift.
[spoiler]
#1. RAISED FLAPS: In arcade raised flaps do not really help (much) to increase speed over combat flaps. You might prefer to keep combat flaps. Some people will disagree, but it's up to you. Even so, I still tend to use raised flaps in a chase or when desiring to gain nose down speed. It's good practice to keep.
#2. COMBAT FLAPS: Increased turn speed, by a small noticeable amount. Also increases lift by a very small amount.
#3. LANDING FLAPS: Engage them when landing and if you "float" over the airfield with some aircraft, hit F to raise flaps so that you drop. Provides very high lift (causing you to "float" over a runway at times).
#4. GEAR: For landing! Does not seem to be helpful in combat in arcade and you expose your gear to being shot off?
#5. PULL UP (LANDING): If you're going too fast, pull up hard with throttle at 0-30%, but not if you're too high (descending will just regain your speed). No real risk for stalling in arcade, so being low isn't a big deal.
#6. TOUCH AND GO: If you fly over the airfield with too much speed, keep your gear/landing flaps, pull up and flip over (partial Immelman) or pull hard into a full Immelman and land with as little speed as possible. No real risk involved.
#7. BROKEN PROP: Hold S to brake. Sometimes if you hold S down for too long your nose will tip over and break your prop. Watch your nose. Let off S for a moment, let your back wheel drop down and re-engage brake. Or allow your prop to break and get experience for landing a broken airplane (or sometimes - really screw up your plane and explode).
#8: STALLS: In arcade there's no risk of an actual stall. Your aircraft will just be pulled back level with the horizon (and this is not a stall). Even so go to WEP speed, lower your nose and regain speed.
#9: DAMAGE WING / Loss of Roll: If you lose the ability to roll your aircraft due to a damaged wing, use hard rudder until your aircraft is level again so that you can land.
[/spoiler]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0cpTpTAwZY

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its been helpful to me already. I prefer the US and am trying to learn to play them well.  I got into a bad habit of turn fights which apparently doesn't work well with US fighters.  I also see the point about bombers and such and the big exp difference in hitting ground v air targets

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Posted

its been helpful to me already. I prefer the US and am trying to learn to play them well.  I got into a bad habit of turn fights which apparently doesn't work well with US fighters.  I also see the point about bombers and such and the big exp difference in hitting ground v air targets

 

Yea, they aren't exceptional. I learned pretty quickly that if you know how to position yourself you'll have plenty of time to get off enough shots to make the kill. If for example a Japanese aircraft goes into a hard turn to come around on you don't follow his lead and pull back hard on the stick engaged in a turn with him. Sometimes turning the other way for a moment to get some space is better. The closer you are to the target the harder you will have to turn, so you can space yourself out (stop chasing for a moment and go out wide) then come around hard. It's hard to explain.

 

Edit: Why this forum auto-edits some words is beyond me.

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I'm going to watch that video and make sure of what I'm thinking you mean but I believe you mean to not chase too close, slow down if needed and to bank the other way if he goes into a hard turn?

 

edit: yep that's what I thought I saw you start to do in a couple of those clips

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Posted

I'm going to watch that video and make sure of what I'm thinking you mean but I believe you mean to not chase too close, slow down if needed and to bank the other way if he goes into a hard turn?

 

edit: yep that's what I thought I saw you start to do in a couple of those clips

 

I guess it would be easier for me to say that it's not the best idea to force your guns into a shot through an entire fight and instead it's best to turn out wide to prepare for the shot at times (especially in a Boom and Zoom). Had to re-word that to make sense.

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Posted

I was looking exactly for a general tips list like this. Nice to read.

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"#1. RAISED FLAPS: In arcade raised flaps do not really help to increase speed over combat flaps. You might prefer to keep combat flaps. Some people will disagree, but until you prove otherwise you're just making it up. I haven't seen any proof myself. Even so, I still tend to use raised flaps in a chase or when desiring to gain nose down speed. I can't say I've seen the proof that it helps though."

 

Go to the test flight on any of your planes. Take off, and start climbing slowly, find an angle of climbing that your speed(IAS) doesnt change, or raises very slowly. Now let go of your controls and hit combat flaps. You will notice your speed will start dropping. Change back to Raised, and you will pick up speed again. Or after take off, level you flight, and wait till you reach max speed (may take a while ;P), then deploy combat flaps, your plane will slow down. The influence on speed isnt big, but its there for sure. It is noticable if you are chasing somebody on combat flaps and you close in slowly, change to rised and you will notice you are closing faster than with combat flaps.

 

 

 

"In GROUND maps I immediately pick the Thunderbolt, hold W, put my nose down a bit and gain as much as speech as possible and head towards the closest ground targets on the map. Since the 1x500lb will drop first, I will target something clustered close together, but not a pillbox. Then I will likely hit a pillbox with a single 1000lb which cracks a pillbox in one hit and likely takes out surrounding AAA or artillery. Then I'll try and drop the last 1000lb on a cluster of tanks." 

 

I'm pretty sure the 1000lb bombs located under wings drop first. The 500lb bomb(smaller one located "under belly") goes as last. So you can take out 2 pillboxes first and drop the last 500 on tank column for example. Thats what ive been doing at least  :)s

 

Anyway, that was a good read, a lot of usefull information for new players(and not only)  :good:

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Posted

"#1. RAISED FLAPS: In arcade raised flaps do not really help to increase speed over combat flaps. You might prefer to keep combat flaps. Some people will disagree, but until you prove otherwise you're just making it up. I haven't seen any proof myself. Even so, I still tend to use raised flaps in a chase or when desiring to gain nose down speed. I can't say I've seen the proof that it helps though."

 

Go to the test flight on any of your planes. Take off, and start climbing slowly, find an angle of climbing that your speed(IAS) doesnt change, or raises very slowly. Now let go of your controls and hit combat flaps. You will notice your speed will start dropping. Change back to Raised, and you will pick up speed again. Or after take off, level you flight, and wait till you reach max speed (may take a while ;P), then deploy combat flaps, your plane will slow down. The influence on speed isnt big, but its there for sure. It is noticable if you are chasing somebody on combat flaps and you close in slowly, change to rised and you will notice you are closing faster than with combat flaps.

 

 

 

"In GROUND maps I immediately pick the Thunderbolt, hold W, put my nose down a bit and gain as much as speech as possible and head towards the closest ground targets on the map. Since the 1x500lb will drop first, I will target something clustered close together, but not a pillbox. Then I will likely hit a pillbox with a single 1000lb which cracks a pillbox in one hit and likely takes out surrounding AAA or artillery. Then I'll try and drop the last 1000lb on a cluster of tanks." 

 

I'm pretty sure the 1000lb bombs located under wings drop first. The 500lb bomb(smaller one located "under belly") goes as last. So you can take out 2 pillboxes first and drop the last 500 on tank column for example. Thats what ive been doing at least  :)s

 

Anyway, that was a good read, a lot of usefull information for new players(and not only)  :good:

 

I guess the thing is that it's just such an incredibly small difference that you either dedicate time to switching or don't. I still do, especially while BNZ fighting, but at times I just switch to combat flaps and concentrate on flying. It just depends on the situation. I think they actually need to increase the effectiveness of raised a little bit or whatever is needed.

 

You may be right about the TB, I'll have to check. Right now, I'm not using it. When I realized how much money it was costing me I stopped flying it. Just removed that section because the post was getting pretty long.

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Posted

nice guide

btw. one rocket is enough to destroy a cargo ship

 

Thanks, wasn't sure. I just remembered spamming them the other day and getting the kill.

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Posted

So most of the time in US planes you will find boom and zoom most effective?

 

A lot of the ones I've used in the list, but they are "ok" turn fighters, you just can't really engage in flat turn fights, you need to find a way to out maneuver in the turns. Especially against zeroes or spitfires for example. Also, they don't seem to be stable in a high speed dive, so I wouldn't get too high above the target so you don't gain too much speed in the dive attack.

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Wow marik you really did your homework there. Big post, hope it's gonna be helpful!

 

Btw, is there any special technique of slowing down plane when you dive, in try to put yourself in a rear of your oponent. You know, if you miss him from 1 dive, you just gooooo.... in front of him ? Turning power off doesn't really help.

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Wow marik you really did your homework there. Big post, hope it's gonna be helpful!

 

Btw, is there any special technique of slowing down plane when you dive, in try to put yourself in a rear of your oponent. You know, if you miss him from 1 dive, you just gooooo.... in front of him ? Turning power off doesn't really help.

 

Well, the simple answer is if you want to slow down, pull up ;). Some will tell you to drop your throttle, which technically works, but that takes a lot of time (and doesn't do anything at all in a dive, except lower the rate at which you're becoming a bullet). Depends on the situation. If I'm going to overshoot someone and I'm too close, I usually just pull up to a climb right above them long enough for them to get some distance laterally then dive back down behind them. Seems to work really well. Keep an eye on them with the camera.  :salute:

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A lot of the ones I've used in the list, but they are "ok" turn fighters, you just can't really engage in flat turn fights, you need to find a way to out maneuver in the turns. Especially against zeroes or spitfires for example. Also, they don't seem to be stable in a high speed dive, so I wouldn't get too high above the target so you don't gain too much speed in the dive attack.

 

Thanks for that.  I find myself engaging in sraight turn fighting way too much.  Guess I should stay with the Japanese.  :Ps

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Posted

You, sir, are awesome!  :yes:   This guide is much appreciated. Great job and thanks!  :good:

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You, sir, are awesome!  :yes:   This guide is much appreciated. Great job and thanks!  :good:

 

Thank you brother. Appreciate the praise.

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i can confirm that if you drop a bomb and a enemy hits it in air you will get a kill. onfortunately i dont have any proof :( but it happened to me

 

Probably right, I know several people have told me the same. I haven't really tried it yet personally.

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