Joe D.
Posts: 4004
Joined: 8/31/2005 From: Stratford, Connecticut Status: offline
|
From the UV manual: Air To Air Combat In this game, once aircraft have closed for combat, the most important factors include maneuverability and speed. If a plane has a significantly higher maneuverability, the pilot will try to dogfight. If the plane has a significantly higher speed, the pilot will try to make slashing attacks. If the pilot succeeds or not is primarily dependent on his skill. So, you will find that a trainer, such as the Wirraway, will suffer horribly against a high performance fighter, such as a Zero. Here the manual refers only to pilot, not pilots or squadron, but read on. The Zero is much faster and far more maneuverable. The only saving feature of the Wirraway, in such a case is the rear-firing gunner. The Wildcat is also in trouble, as it is not any faster than the Zero, and is less maneuverable to boot. The Kittyhawk, on the other hand, is significantly faster and quite durable. The Kittyhawk pilot will try for slashing attacks, using speed to fly by very quickly, fire his guns and then dive or make a very lazy turn around and come back. He also can go head to head with the Zero and stand a good chance of living to tell the tale. Later war Allied aircraft, such as the Lightning, Thunderbolt or Corsair are adequately maneuverable and extremely fast and rugged. Very few Japanese aircraft can stand up to these. Tell me about it! Pilot experience determines, of course, if the desired tactic can be achieved and squadron commander’s air skill is influential. If the pilots do not know the tactic, they will not use it well. Fatigue and morale are also important. So the squad cdr's skill must figure into the algorithym, which may explain why UV annouces the death of these pilots, so it must be important. It should also be noted that although the combat display reports the total number of fighter aircraft attempting to engage, the actual number of planes that dogfight are usually much less. This is based on the temporary disruption taken during previous combat rounds, or the inability of CAP aircraft to reach the incoming strike in time. Also, it is possible for CAP to force a bomber group to abort its mission prior to the bomber group’s bomb run. I wonder if fuelli's Beaufort ave. experience calculations were on the first half of the first turn and UV needed the whole turn to make the correct calculation?
_____________________________
Stratford, Connecticut, U.S.A. "The Angel of Okinawa" Home of the Chance-Vought Corsair, F4U The best fighter-bomber of World War II
|