25.05.2008, 04:05
Fabianfred......... the Brewsters were actually good against a lot- that is, the B-239 and the Dutch B-339C/D. The RAF's B-339E and the USN's F2A-3 were heavily overloaded with all sorts of "useful and necessary" equipment which severely handicapped their performance. In the case of the F2A-3, this included a HUGE fuel load as the USN wanted to use the plane as a long-range scout. The RAF demanded extras such as parachute flare tubes, flare bins, excessively heavy armour protection etc.
In the sim, 1C used the same FM for the B-239, F2A-2 and Buffalo Mk.I if 4.05m is anything to go by, which is totally incorrect. The FM seems fairly accurate for the B-239, but would need significant changing for the F2A-2 and Buff- 1C probably did this to save time. Never quite understood the reasoning behind the F2A-2 in the sim rather than the F2A-3 as this version never saw combat, until I saw that the FM is the same for all Brewsters in 4.05 (and, we can safely assume, for 4.08/09). The F2A-3 differs significantly externally from the F2A-2- longer nose, no spinner etc etc and would have required considerable reworking for a version that only saw action at Midway in March and June 1942. The F2A-2 differs little from the Buff externally and is easier to do.
In the sim, 1C used the same FM for the B-239, F2A-2 and Buffalo Mk.I if 4.05m is anything to go by, which is totally incorrect. The FM seems fairly accurate for the B-239, but would need significant changing for the F2A-2 and Buff- 1C probably did this to save time. Never quite understood the reasoning behind the F2A-2 in the sim rather than the F2A-3 as this version never saw combat, until I saw that the FM is the same for all Brewsters in 4.05 (and, we can safely assume, for 4.08/09). The F2A-3 differs significantly externally from the F2A-2- longer nose, no spinner etc etc and would have required considerable reworking for a version that only saw action at Midway in March and June 1942. The F2A-2 differs little from the Buff externally and is easier to do.