I am new to IL2 in a sense that I used to fly with wind/turbulence and stalls/spins and all of the other realistic settings turned off, and I have learned that IL2 can get pretty boring if your not challenging yourself and winning all the time. So I'm trying to relearn how to fly with all of the realistic settings on. I have been jumping through many different planes trying to relearn their weaknesses and strengths and I finally came to one of my favorite planes the P47D. I don't know what I'm doing wrong because I have been pretty successful so far controlling many other planes and knowing how far I can push them: Spit MK Vb, P51, hurricanes, and P40's. But when I try to fly "aggressively" in the P47D such as diving turns or climbing turns or turns that breach 10 degrees of roll, I lose control and go into a snap roll. It doesn't seem to matter how fast I'm going either at one point I was going around 420 KPH and tried to turn into a passing BF109 and I snap rolled and lost control. Sorry for the long winded explanation any suggestions would really help. Thanks.
P47's, simply put, are solid metal jugs. they make P51's and other planes look nimble. advantages? How many other planes have you seen take a 30mm round and only get a dent in the wing? you have to treat them gently, slow turns, and keep your speed up.
Many, many Thunderbolt pilots were killed in mock dogfights at low altitude with British Sptifire pilots; they had to actually ban them from doing so, because the Spitfire would pull a hard turn, the Jug would try to follow, and the pilot would lose control with no space to recover.
Aside from its reputation as a ground attack aircraft the Thunderbolt was best used at altitudes above 21,000 feet. It was here that the Jug truly comes into its own. At 32,000 feet there is NO other aircraft aside from jets which can match it. Maintaining 450 MPH TAS is simple and diving to 25,000 at 700 MPH TAS and then returning to 32,000 is doable. We do this each night in the AAA server on HyperLobby.
No Spitfire, Bf-109 or even a Ta-152 can defeat a Thunderbolt up there. Only the Mustang comes close but even then the Thunderbolt is still superior. Below 21,000 feet the performance falls markedly and at the altitudes most AAA action takes place at (5,000 and lower) the old Jug is a screaming metal death trap. Heck I wouldn't even take it on a ground attack mission, there are other more well suited planes.
Agreed. This sim is filled with many planes like that! I meant in the game.
Thanks for all the advice it really helps I guess I'll steer clear of the P47 unless I'm going to plan on fighting at high altitudes I'll have to try that some time. So far I've only played on the AAA server once and got my butt handed to me, but I'm slowly getting used to treating the planes more gently and not just yanking them around like I did when I had all the realism turned off. I really got spoiled by Jane's WW2 Fighters that's the only other WW2 era flight sim I ever really got into.
I wouldn't abandon the P-47 altogether. You can still use it offline. I fly it regularly in DCG campaigns. Online, however, is a different story. since most DF servers like to get into the fight quick, you are left with little or no time to get the JUG to altitude.
In real life, though, there were many P-47 pilots with pretty good kill records that flew the Jug.
I wouldn't completly leave the P47D as it is brillant for Ground attack. Got bounced by 3 FW190s A8's and two of them exhusted ammo on me and i was still flying. I only had to bail as ones machine guns got my Elevator.
But as said, don't attempt to dogfight low level in one, as your asking to die.
When we fly high altitude bombing in the AAA server at 25,000 feet lots of potential adversaries come on up to challenge us. But no matter what aircraft they choose the Thunderbolt is king. It retains its energy state better than any other fighter and accelerates faster as well. Its roll rate is phenomanal and without WEP it cruises easily at 450 MPH TAS. Dive one on a target and watch as the Jug quickly goes to 600 or more! No other fighter can do this. They all see parts fall off in the mid 500 range. If you stay really high (read: lower atmospheric pressures) the Jug can get above 700 MPH TAS in a dive.
Watching from my B-29 I can see the contrails like waveform in the sky from above. Then co-alt then below and finally up again. All never below 400 MPH TAS.
40,000 feet in a P-47? No problem. Wheather anyone will try and come up? Doubtful. Will your bombers retrun safe? Most assuredly...
So in summation: if you're one of the instant gratification crowd, or all you want is a qucik dogfight then avoid the P-47. However if you want full realism and historical accuracy? Take a THUNDERBOLT to high altitude and be the KING.
i think i may have seen you up there, i tried a month or so ago to get up there in a p-51, because i saw your trails from down below. a p-47 and a p-38 if i remember correctly. i hit the p-38 from range, but got shot up by the p-47 numerous times. you are right it is the king up there
I always wanted to take down a bomber at high altitude, I attempted it once in my mc 205, as soon as I started gaining alot of altitude, I noticed a p47 coming down from around the b-29, after its first pass I dived down hoping it would leave me alone. :lol:
The one time I tried to fly a p-47, I crashed near the base, after attempting a soft turn.
These things are like flying SUVs at low alt.