I’ve been playing some Low-Mid Tier Germany again, and I’ve noticed that most 109 pilots, especially those in later model 109s (F’s, G’s & K’s) don’t fly the planes as intended, Instead opting to fly like an earlier model 109 (A, B, C, E…), just holding the Rudder until they win or get sent back to the hangar.
In this post I will try to explain how to fly Late Model 109s, Namely the G-6 and up to the K-4, though these tactics can apply to earlier models as well.
All clips too big for the Forums will be uploaded via Youtube and embedded into this post.
Belt Reccomenndations:
7.92 : Tracers
13mm: IAI
20mm: Air Targets
30mm: Air Targets
The Higher Caliber Air Target belts are mostly Minengeschoss, Which are mostly filled with explosives and can pack quite the punch compared to contemperary 20/30mm shells.
I do NOT reccomend using the nose-mounted 30mm. The German 30mm does do a lot of damage, but it has very limited ammo and very poor velocity.
If for whatever reason you’re keen on using the 30mm, the G-6 and above all have 30mm gunpods you can bring along, so you still have the 20mm.
This next part will MOSTLY apply to the G-6 to the K-4, as these planes overheat far less often, but the same can be used on earlier models, with a bit of management.
Before you go into a game, bind these controls, we are going to use Manual Engine Controls to Coax Out as much power from the engine as possible.
You do NOT need Toggle Auto Prop Pitch bound, as the Bf-109s automatically control their prop pitch.
Make sure Radiator and Oil Radiator are set to Relative Control
!!! After these are bound, be SURE to click back onto Mouse Aim. Or else your plane will be flying in Sim Controls !!!
Before you take off, do these in order:
- Engine Controls Mode
- Toggle Auto Radiator
- Radiator & Oil Radiator down to 17-25%
After this, you don’t need to touch the radiator again, unless your plane begins overheating, where you shoud open the radiator as needed (I like to go up to 30-40) and throttle down to ~90%, to cool the engine.
For the Bf-109 G-14, G-10, and K-4 I would reccomend brining a little more fuel than the minimum, 20 minutes should be enough (These models will drink fuel faster than other models when flying on WEP)
Once your engine is set up, you can take off and start climbing. I would reccomend pitching up to ~25* and climbing on WEP.
Your engine is more than strong enough to sustain this in the G-6 and above. If you climb high enough you may start slowing down, in this case you should pitch down to ~20*, You will likely start accelerating at this point. Altitude is the main tool of the Bf-109, so you always want to be higher than your enemy.
This will ensure you have enough energy to maneuver as needed, Especially if you ended up pitching down and gained speed as well as altitude.
In the 109, especially the late models, your main way of fighting will be with your energy (Hence why altitude and speed is so important). For a good summary of energy fighting, watch this Video by DEFYN:
The 109s hold energy extremely well, and their stall is very easy to control, So ideally you want to stall out ontop of people and gain position that way.
But before we get to stalling ontop of people, we need to know how to choose who we fight:
Here is a screenshot of a recent match I had in the Bf-109 G-6, in a full uptier to 5.7
Now, Who is the most dangerous oponent in this image?
Plane wise, it would be the Pyörremyrsky, Yak-3, or J2M.
But, in reality, the one that poses the most threat is the P-38, as he is higher and faster than I am.
In general, if someone is higher or faster than you are, they pose more of a threat. If they’re higher and faster, then they will probably send you back to the hangar.
In this situaiton, you should pitch down, get as much speed as you can, and try to dogfight the P-38, Do not play for energy, as the P-38 as more than you, but you can most likely outturn him.
The most dangerous planes to fight for the Late Model 109s are planes with low stall points and good stall control (A6M, Spitfires, Yaks…), Or anything with more energy than you.
But usually you will be able to climb above them, and have more speed, so you can energy trap them.
Here’s a good example of why these planes are so dangerous:
Even though I came in faster and higher he was able to pitch up and follow me through most of my climb.
Energy trapping is very dependant on defensive flying, so I would reccomend giving this other video by DEFYN a watch.
But here’s another (better) example, instead of a late-game 1v1 this was mid game, we were winning and I dove down on a slow Spitfire.
Even with how slow he was his nose was still able to be pointed around decently well, So I used my energy to stay defensive and move to the offensive.
Take note of how I look around mid dogfight to make sure there’s no enemies coming in from an odd angle to attack me. For newer players this maybe a hard habit to get into but if you can make it second instinct it will save your life MANY times.
Most of dogfighting comes down to experience.
There are many things that make someone a good dogfighting pilot, but the main three are:
Know your plane, Know your Enemies Plane, and Know how to Estimate Speed.
These three skills come with time playing the game and engaging in dogfights, you will learn them overtime.
The main thing new players need ot understand is DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL.
Mistakes are how we learn, and if you mess up an energy trap and get sent back to the hangar, take it as a learning experience to grow as a pilot.
These are the hardest things to kill after the recent Damage Model Buffs.
I would recomend ignoring them until late game, then going after them once all the fighters are gone.
Ideally, you would land on the ground, J out, and select the 20 or 30mm gunpods.
Take off and climb as you did before, Ideally you would like to attack the bomber from an angle their guns can’t reach you, so one of the front sides would usually do well.
Aim for the engines, if those go down then the bomber will crash. Another spot I like to personally go for is the cockpit. If you can snipe the pilot then the bomber wil instantly die.
Usually bombers will be the first to go or the last one standing.
From all of this post, if you can remember one thing, let it be this:
With all that in mind, practice makes perfect. So go do your best, and you’ll get better in time!