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Khanti -> RE: Update v1.02 (9/4/2007 3:58:17 AM)
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About JAP fighters in scenario.
In scenario you have the following:
1)
Ki-84a available from 44-05 with 408 speed and 37/32 stats.
Ki-84c available from 44-11 with 388 speed and 36/32 stats.
2)
Ki-100 available from 45-02 with 372 speed and 36/32 stats.
3)
NIK2-J available from 44-06 with 390 speed and 36/33 stats.
A6M7/M8/Reppu available with stats similar or worse than NIK2-J.
1)
Conclusion:
In game Ki-84c should NOT be replacement (auto upgrade) for Ki-84a because of its different role (FB instead F), lower speed and stats. Variant 'a' was anti-fighter and variant 'c' was anti-bomber.
About Ki-84:
"Hayate codenamed 'Frank' by the Allies is generally regarded as the best Japanese fighter of the World War II period. Though Hayate was primarily used as a fighter it served in bomber capacity as well. Due to it's advanced direct-injection engine Hayate was able to outmaneuver and outclimb it's American counterparts, the P-47N Thunderbolt and the P-51H Mustang.
Ki-84 was not without problems. Due to the war time shortages and increasingly poorer quality control meant that Japanese pilots never knew how their plane was going to behave. For instance poor treatment of the high-strength steel meant that the landing gear could simply snap upon landing."
Source: http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1041681&lastnode_id=124
Some interesting stuff:
"From the data tables the Ki-84 could outpace the F6F but would lag behind the other Allied fighters. However, 390 mph made the Ki-84 the fastest Japanese fighter of the war. Apparently a captured example run on high octane petrol, not available to the Japanese, was able to outpace both the Mustang and Thunderbolt."
In my opinion this was the best experiment. With proper support Ki-84 prove itself to be superior to American fighters. When some others disregard it as 'superior' most agree it was 'equal' to all Allies newest fighters.
"This has been determined from unladen weight, but puts the Ki-84 as the design with the best amount of power for its weight available. This would mean it could it could theoretically out accelerate the allied fighters from a low to medium starting speed."
"No Japanese fighter aircraft had a better all-round performance than the Ki-84. As far as protection goes, the Ki-84 had seat back and head armour of 12 mm steel, and self-sealing fuel tanks. The self-sealing tanks were not considered as efficient as those fitted to American aircraft at the time.
The Ki-84 was not clearly superior to any of the Allied fighter aircraft opposing it. In perfect running order it was perhaps the equal of any allied fighter at 20,000 feet or below. A good pilot would be able to take advantage of its excellent turning, climbing and acceleration characteristics to at least give an allied opponent a hard fight."
Source: http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/ki84performanceaj_1.htm
2)
In game Ki-100 comes nearly year later than Ki-84a, but its inferior so its worthless - no one would change production line for that plane. I suggest upgrading its performance in some or other way drastically.
They say:
"Almost immediately, engineers and pilots alike realized that they had stumbled into greatness. The Ki-100 was slightly slower than the Hien due to wind resistance from the radial engine, but was lighter and more maneuverable. More important it could be counted on due to the reliablity of the engine. It soon acquired a reputation as the best, most reliable, and easiest to fly of any IJAAF fighter. Even the newest pilots could fly the Goshiki-sen like a pro, and in the hands of a pro it could be deadly. It was supposed to be superior to the F6F Hellcat and pilots soon regarded the Grumman fighter as an easy kill. It also proved capable if intercepting B-29's. It even proved itself the equal of the P-51 Mustang, contests between the two aircraft being determined by pilot skill rather than the merits of the aircraft. It was in a Ki-100 that Major Hinoki Yohei, the Douglas Bader of Japan, an ace who kept on flying despite severe injuries, scored his 12th and final kill of the war, downing a Mustang flown by Capt. William Benbow. Not bad for an improvisation."
"On 25 July 1945, 18 Ki-100 fighters from 244 Sentai encountered ten F6F Hellcats of the Belleau Wood Air Wing in a monumental air battle where the Ki-100 pilots claimed 12 victories with only two losses. Claims and counterclaims regarding the "true" results center around this action but it was an indication that the Ki-100 was a deadly adversary. The real losses were two Hellcats and two Ki-100s; one Ki-100 and one F6F were lost in a collision between Major Tsutae Obara and Ensign Edwin White in which both pilots were killed."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_Ki-100
I suggest making Ki-84 and Ki-100 more manuevrable but less durable than allied fighters.
Pointing out that Ki-100 wasn't better than Ki-84 I think the best way to show its performance would be introducing Nik's concept of "centerline" armament. I would eqiup it with the same cannons/MG but with +50% better accuracy. It will simulate its user-friendly abilities.
I have made test version of your 1.02 mod with "centerline" for devices 153, 154 etc to use with Claude, Nate, Rufe, A6M2/M3/M3a/M5, N1K Kyofu, Hayabusa, Ki-45 KAIa, Ki-61-Ib and Ki-100 (all those aircrafts need this from different reasons).
It changes air combats respectively: those fighters still can die quickly, but have greater chance to disable its opponents. Ki-43 is great example. It was very succesfull fighter, yet in game its armaments make it rather poor choice.
I'm not gonna make another mod with Nik's ideas, instead I prefer 'updating' this one with some Nik's basics :)
The other tested by myself issues are:
- Ki-84 top speed +30 (faster IRL than P-51D and P-47D, 438:437:428)
- upgrade path A5m4->A6M2->A6M3 4/42->A6M3a 9/42->A6M5 8/43->A6M7 4/44->N1K2-J Shiden-Kai 6/44->A7M2 Reppu 5/45
- A6M8 was left out as it is inferior to Shiden-Kai, was it IRL?
- Claude, Nate, Hayabusa, Zero MVR increase 38/25, 38/24, 36/26 for Ib and 37/28 for IIa, 35/25
- All A6 +2 MVR
- Ki-44 +2 DUR
- NIK2-J from 36/33 to 38/33.
- Sally upgrade to Ki-67 (as in stock scenarios) instead to Ki-49 (as in CHS)
- engine factories should be also 'optimized' (Kanazawa still produce unused engines)
3)
I don't see a reason to build later A6/A7/A8 aircraft series. Am I wrong?
Some updating stats or some careful inspection would be sensible.
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