03.01.2009, 00:30
This is completely normal.
Some of the gunner stations on the betty are 20mm, not just 7.7. I am about halfway through this campaign, and I have been shot down or nearly so on every mission.
I believe that this is partly due to the intercept nature of the missions, where you're climbing to meet and attack fast, manueverable fighters and bombers in an aircraft that climbs like a brick. The P-40 does best by diving down on it's victims from high altitude and escaping. Though in the sim it turns very well, the wing loading is just too high to dogfight with zeros. And if you are attacking Betty's from below or behind, with IL2's robo-sniper, gyro adjusted, computerized bomber gunner stations, then the result will be exactly as you have described. Every time.
If surviving interests you, disregard what your flight does. Climb to 12,000 feet over Darwin, and when the bombers get there, dive at high speed and make 1 or 2 (at the most) passes on Bettys, staying in the vertical and then extend and escape, ignoring fighters. If you do this you will live. Almost every time. As their escort breaks off into into individual dogfights, you might with your altitude/energy advantage, be able to help your friendlies that have zeroes on their tails.
Enjoy.
B50
Some of the gunner stations on the betty are 20mm, not just 7.7. I am about halfway through this campaign, and I have been shot down or nearly so on every mission.
I believe that this is partly due to the intercept nature of the missions, where you're climbing to meet and attack fast, manueverable fighters and bombers in an aircraft that climbs like a brick. The P-40 does best by diving down on it's victims from high altitude and escaping. Though in the sim it turns very well, the wing loading is just too high to dogfight with zeros. And if you are attacking Betty's from below or behind, with IL2's robo-sniper, gyro adjusted, computerized bomber gunner stations, then the result will be exactly as you have described. Every time.
If surviving interests you, disregard what your flight does. Climb to 12,000 feet over Darwin, and when the bombers get there, dive at high speed and make 1 or 2 (at the most) passes on Bettys, staying in the vertical and then extend and escape, ignoring fighters. If you do this you will live. Almost every time. As their escort breaks off into into individual dogfights, you might with your altitude/energy advantage, be able to help your friendlies that have zeroes on their tails.
Enjoy.
B50