P-51 is just tough :P

Sprayed him 3-4 times ... flies like nothing happened.

Was it AI?

Looks like AI, then it is common for current state.

I think everyone is waiting for NEW DAMAGE MODEL being released.

Was it AI?

Looks like AI, then it is common for current state.

I think everyone is waiting for NEW DAMAGE MODEL being released.

Yeah it's AI, I am not going after real players till I can beat good AI easily at least.

I have seen Ai flying with out wings :P

I have seen Ai flying with out wings :P

Just landed anton after fighting bombers, tough as well... look at that holes

I hope that new damage model is coming soon, i think this is main reason why WW2 in dcs is on the hold.

Glad to hear it's not just me. If I free flight the p-51d it flies great, but whenever I jump into the challenge campaign (stuck on the shoot down to ai p-51's), it's like it's a different plane. I can barely turn in any direction at any speed or altitude without spinning or shaking out of control and if I take any bullet damage I'm done, while hitting the AI planes seems to do no damage whatsoever.

Very frustrating.

I hope that new damage model is coming soon, i think this is main reason why WW2 in dcs is on the hold.

Flying the K-4 I got in a skirmish and lost aileron control, like the control cables were shot out. I had to use rudder to control my roll and maintain level flight. Managed to land in a reasonably controlled manner. The damage model is definitely improving and becoming more intricate.

As a test I put ONE easy AI 109 full fuel against 6 ACE P-51s including me, low fuel., unlimited ammo . I even had this slaughter over a dozen friendly AAA gunning at him.

His pass and quick blips on the gun usually results in hitting 1 or more critical systems if not death. We were armed with marshmallows. There were times I was glued to hid 6 and holding down the trigger till my wrist was sore. He was smoking, parts falling off started repeated themselves.

After 10 or so of these he won the majority of the sometimes long dogfights. Now go after some well defended bombers if you want to swiss cheese a plane in record time.

'Glad to hear it's not just me. If I free flight the p-51d it flies great, but whenever I jump into the challenge campaign (stuck on the shoot down to ai p-51's), it's like it's a different plane.'

I've noticed this for years. I get the Mustang set up in free flight to where it seems perfect, then jump into a combat scenario. I'm stalling off on one wing and spinning.

Maybe we just fly a lot more aggresively in combat and don't realize it, I suppose. We aren't trying to turn as tightly when we're just flying around looking at the sights, as we are when trying to stay on someone's tail....or shake him off of ours.

Watch your airspeed when doing tight turns. You should be able to hold the stick back without seeing to much speed dropping off. You see your airspeed dying off, let up on the stick pressure. This works in the '51, and should work in the '190.

Speed is life in a dogfight. Loose it, and you just gave the other guy the advantage. You start mushing around at nearly stall speed and the stick feels like it's in a vat of oatmeal....and you've lost the fight.

we just fly a lot more aggresively in combat

That is it. And it happens a lot. We're subconsciously pulling more than we would when the adrenaline isn't flowing, and thus end up losing all our airspeed and falling out of the sky. And then we're toasted, because the AI, for better or worse, doesn't do such mistakes.

Have been flying 12-on-12 AI missions in the P-51D: Normandy '44 map/ Air-start/ 10,000 ft./ 2 mi. Head to Head/ Finger-Four formation/ High Right and Trailing flights.

Three Allied Flights:

All Mustangs.

Pilot ratings/Flight: Better-Good-Good-Average.

(I replace a "Better" AI pilot)

Three NGR Flights:

Two - Bf 109 K-4

One - FW 190 A-8

Pilot ratings/Flight: Good-Average-Average-Average.

Send the rest of the Flights to attack on the tally, and my wingman to cover my butt.

Usually get 2-4 kills, and am generally out of ammo by the 5th.

They wipe us out Four-out-of-Five times, and am invaluably downed by the Good Bf 109 pilots unless my wingman or I get them first.

The Average AI 109 pilots are beatable, the Good pilots - barely.

Both the 190 AI pilots are beatable, the Good pilot requiring a little more work.

Kills require ~ 60 hit rds./ea.

Incredible fur-ball - like a knife fight in a phone booth...while it is tumbling down a mountain.

1X zoom/ Logitech E3D Pro/ Hat pan/ instrument panel and Gunsight snap views/ Left and Right over the shoulder fast pan views.

Corsair One Pro 16/ 28" 4K monitor.

Bowie

Had an interesting evening w/ the above QC mission.

Got cleaned Eight straight times.

On the Ninth run, we wiped them out.

Realized that:

- If I pull up the "Arm and Re-fuel" window at the end of the mission, I can get a percent ammo load remaining.

- The mission debrief has the number and type of rounds "hit".

On this mission, I concentrated on firing a little longer bursts, in the 0.5-1.0 second range. (vs. the multiple 0.25-0.5 second "snap" shots.)

Got Five(5) kills - All Bf 109's,

#1: 48 hits.

#2: 26 hits.

#3: 52 hits.

#4: 57 hits.

#5: 12 hits. (right into the top of the cockpit from ~ 300 yards.)

- Started w/ a full load of 2080 rounds. (4x270 + 2x500)

- Shot 52% load for 1082 rounds fired. (Returned w/ 48%)

- Average rounds fired per A/C = 216

- Scored hits on Five(5) Bf 109 A/C = 196

- Average hits per A/C = 39

- Hits/rounds fired = 18%

This was a very productive mission - well above the norm.

Bowie

Something to keep in mind, the K4 has a 30mm cannon. In comparison your 50s ARE marshmellows, a single hit will down you depending on where it hits. This was late war when they were trying to pump up the 109's inadequate firepower to deal with USAF bombers.

I noticed you mentioned blipping at targets, back when I firsr started simming I did that. After I got better and started training other pilots I always told them ''Fire enough to kill or don't bother. And if you aren't aure the burst will hit, why are you shooting at all?''

I do it one of two ways, either so close you can't miss, or with a lomg deflection burst just ahead of the target where he'll definitely fly through it. Getting raked nose to tail is almost always fatal, engine, coolant line, pilot, fuel tanks, something important will get shot.

Something to keep in mind, the K4 has a 30mm cannon. In comparison your 50s ARE marshmellows, a single hit will down you depending on where it hits. This was late war when they were trying to pump up the 109's inadequate firepower to deal with USAF bombers.

 

I noticed you mentioned blipping at targets, back when I firsr started simming I did that. After I got better and started training other pilots I always told them ''Fire enough to kill or don't bother. And if you aren't aure the burst will hit, why are you shooting at all?''

 

I do it one of two ways, either so close you can't miss, or with a lomg deflection burst just ahead of the target where he'll definitely fly through it. Getting raked nose to tail is almost always fatal, engine, coolant line, pilot, fuel tanks, something important will get shot.

Generally fire when the curves cross.

And in a rolling scissors, that is generally a short opportunity window.

Unless the setup is sweet, like on the way up a zoom climb, and his wingman isn't lining up on you, a one second burst is a long time.

And a few short ranging bursts on a 300 yard deflection shot, followed by the hammer, is pretty efficient and effective.

Short bursts also keep the guns cool and accurate.

Close only seems to work for me if I fly one wing's guns right up his tail.

And, as the aforementioned mission illustrates, a short burst can and will do the job if it is concentrated (300 yards) and in a good spot.

Bowie