Tactics Against the P-51

[percydanvers]

Hello Dora enthusiasts!

I really enjoy this plane, and I feel confident with it against most every opponent... except for the P-51. It seems like the Mustang has most of the qualities that make the D9 strong, with more maneuverability, and it's so fast. When I get on on my 6 it's nearly impossible for me to lose it. Sometimes I can get away with a rolling scissors, but it's about 50/50 whether the mustang will still manage to shoot me down in the process. Offensively, I'm used to using "Boom n' Zoom" tactics against every other opponent, but if I try that against a mustang there's not zooming away from a missed pass. 

I know I have better roll rate, and better firepower, a more easy-to-manage engine, but sometimes the mustang just feels like an impossible opponent to defeat.

In the instant action "furball" against the mustangs I struggle to survive at all. What is the best way to take down this tricky opponent?

[amazingme]

 Hi,

AI, when set on 'Ace', is notorious for managing the energy state quite good, so you should keep your energy even higher and never get caught in a furball. If you have enough altitude, you can engage him in a downward spiral 'contest', he will eventually try to climb away, and now you have a small chance to get behind him. That'll work in most cases.. even against a human opponent..

[LeCuvier]

My impression is that the skill setting of the AI affects not so much the AI's tactics but rather its flight model or engine power. When I increase it from Veteran to Ace, I observe exactly the same tactics but its ability to climb and turn becomes incredible. I find it pretty much impossible to beat it at "Ace" skill level.

Edit:

Having posted this, I decided to give it one last try. I put all my energy into altitude before turning on him. He turned and climbed very fast almost to my altitude but then he was out of speed and I still had some. Then we went into a downward spiral and when he saw that he was in the defensive he started making wild evasive manoeuvres, probably trying to make me overshoot. I could avoid that and then his fate was sealed.

It seems that building energy in the form of altitude is better than energy in the form of speed. Speed is bled off quickly because drag increases with the square of speed. In some phases of the fight speed gets low and then your plane gets harder to control or even uncontrollable. I therefor engage flaps into landing position when my speed drpos below 300 km/h.

Edited January 18, 2021 by LeCuvier

[percydanvers]

5 hours ago, amazingme said:

 Hi,

AI, when set on 'Ace', is notorious for managing the energy state quite good, so you should keep your energy even higher and never get caught in a furball. If you have enough altitude, you can engage him in a downward spiral 'contest', he will eventually try to climb away, and now you have a small chance to get behind him. That'll work in most cases.. even against a human opponent..

Thank you I will try this! That scenario is kind of stupid because it starts you slow and on the deck - basically no room for any defensive maneuvers the D9 is good at. Often I'll manage a head-on pass kill and then just run like blazes to get out of the furball, but there's always a mustang or two that run me down, and this even with their AI set to the lowest value. I guess it's just not a situation the Dora is made for, but I can't resist the temptation to try and use it for everything.

 

11 minutes ago, LeCuvier said:

My impression is that the skill setting of the AI affects not so much the AI's tactics but rather its flight model or engine power. When I increase it from Veteran to Ace, I observe exactly the same tactics but its ability to climb and turn becomes incredible. I find it pretty much impossible to beat it at "Ace" skill level.

 

This fits with my own experience as well. Rookie AI will miss occasionally, and they are capable of stalling if they pull too much AOA. Their tactics will be identically no matter what though, so in testing I still see FW-190s on Ace get shot down by Rookie Spitfires because they will try to turn with them. The other thing seems to be that the AI does not overheat or have to worry about managing their engine. If you fly on PG on a hot day, you'll be at a severe disadvantage for this reason.

[LeCuvier]

Furball is not a winning proposition because you are basically alone. AI wingmen are stupid and you can't direct them to be useful for you. And if you engage a bandit with any turning manoevures you lose speed and the other bandits shoot you down. I have changed the furball mission to Bf-109 and the mission starting airborne. You still have to watch your six but you have a better chance to not only survive, but also get a kill or two.

 

[percydanvers]

1 hour ago, LeCuvier said:

Furball is not a winning proposition because you are basically alone. AI wingmen are stupid and you can't direct them to be useful for you. And if you engage a bandit with any turning manoevures you lose speed and the other bandits shoot you down. I have changed the furball mission to Bf-109 and the mission starting airborne. You still have to watch your six but you have a better chance to not only survive, but also get a kill or two.

 

Yeah... it's definitely a night and day difference between those two types in that mission. The Bf-109 owns in that mission. I've been wanting to branch out from the Kurfurst because the D9 has so much capability when it really gets going, but it's such a nerve-wracking experience flying it offline knowing that all your wingmen will get shot down. Maybe when some of the much-hyped AI fixes come in this year and AI starts flying Fockewulfs to their strengths it'll be a different story.

[amazingme]

It should look something like this:

 

https://youtu.be/Aw1C093sH_M

[percydanvers]

3 hours ago, amazingme said:

It should look something like this:

 

https://youtu.be/Aw1C093sH_M

 

Excellent flying! I will study this!

I was amazed how hard you were able to pull into that turn, but I guess that is the power of the downward corkscrew turn in the Dora.