My 1st Real test of the 4.01 patch
Posted: 17 Jun 2005, 09:35
Last night was my flying squads 1st night flying the 4.01 patch that counted.
It was one of my missions. Feb(ish) 1943 off Guadalcanal in F4U-1 "Birdcage" Corsiars flying CAP over a inbound supply convoy NW of Savo Is.
Oh and it was ugly weather, dark and rainy but not a thunderstorm......
So there we are lined up on Fighter One, waiting to take off. The CO in Red1 rolls out first....and goes careening off to the left and buries the prop then does a head stand. Red2 veers so far left that he hits the parking revetments and goes boom. Rinse and repeat down the line. I got a little squrrily but stayed on the runway fine (some right rudder trim and a locked tail wheel help a LOT) and one other got off the ground.
Of course we were all on comms and as guys do, we were just ripping the guys that ended up as a twisted pile of spare parts....only to have the next guy do the exact same thing. I was laughing so hard i was horse. I mean several of the guys I fly with are active pilots or retired pilots.
After restarting the COOP 4 times, and changing to clear weather (the buffeting was insane to those of us that actually got into the air) we proceeded to our CAP over the convoy with 3 flights staggered from 12-16,000 feet. We got there and looked down to see Kates circling the transports like sharks and the DD escort was doing it;s best but.....it looked grim.
I called for White flight (mine) to head down into the Kates (6 or so of them) while Red flight was going to stay as High cover and Blue was going to head north of the convoy to break up any further attacks.
Down we go, I jump on a Kate that still has a fish, take his wing off and he dives into the water.....I climb for alt. We got 4 of the 6 but looks like one ship took a fish and is bow to the sky and sinking. I'm trying to get my flight gathered up and not paying much attention to the chatter on the radio when I fly right thru a flight of Vals maing dive attacks on the transports.....oh crap!
What I missed was Blue flight missing the Vals but getting jumped by 2 Sho-tois of Zekes and getting shot to ribbons and Red flight has missed the Vals and is chasing shadows. So once again I dive to follow the Vals that are busy sinking 2 more transports. I flame one, a wonderful flamer.
I head after another one low on the water, after skiing around 2 ship masts, and I am just about the hammer him when I see tracers just off my right wing....not good friendly red ones but those Star Wars light saber ones of the Japs.....aw crap!
I'm low, pretty slow, and out of luck. I think they fixed the AI so that they can now shoot deflection because the old method of a slight turn and they miss is over. I got hammered and it was all I could do to get some flaps out before I went swimming.
I like the new FM, even if it wil take time to get used to. I do think they have the plane feeling like it is on a gimble, but I think they will work that out. Overall I give this the Buffalo stamp of approval even if I did end up in the drink.
It was one of my missions. Feb(ish) 1943 off Guadalcanal in F4U-1 "Birdcage" Corsiars flying CAP over a inbound supply convoy NW of Savo Is.
Oh and it was ugly weather, dark and rainy but not a thunderstorm......
So there we are lined up on Fighter One, waiting to take off. The CO in Red1 rolls out first....and goes careening off to the left and buries the prop then does a head stand. Red2 veers so far left that he hits the parking revetments and goes boom. Rinse and repeat down the line. I got a little squrrily but stayed on the runway fine (some right rudder trim and a locked tail wheel help a LOT) and one other got off the ground.
Of course we were all on comms and as guys do, we were just ripping the guys that ended up as a twisted pile of spare parts....only to have the next guy do the exact same thing. I was laughing so hard i was horse. I mean several of the guys I fly with are active pilots or retired pilots.
After restarting the COOP 4 times, and changing to clear weather (the buffeting was insane to those of us that actually got into the air) we proceeded to our CAP over the convoy with 3 flights staggered from 12-16,000 feet. We got there and looked down to see Kates circling the transports like sharks and the DD escort was doing it;s best but.....it looked grim.
I called for White flight (mine) to head down into the Kates (6 or so of them) while Red flight was going to stay as High cover and Blue was going to head north of the convoy to break up any further attacks.
Down we go, I jump on a Kate that still has a fish, take his wing off and he dives into the water.....I climb for alt. We got 4 of the 6 but looks like one ship took a fish and is bow to the sky and sinking. I'm trying to get my flight gathered up and not paying much attention to the chatter on the radio when I fly right thru a flight of Vals maing dive attacks on the transports.....oh crap!
What I missed was Blue flight missing the Vals but getting jumped by 2 Sho-tois of Zekes and getting shot to ribbons and Red flight has missed the Vals and is chasing shadows. So once again I dive to follow the Vals that are busy sinking 2 more transports. I flame one, a wonderful flamer.
I head after another one low on the water, after skiing around 2 ship masts, and I am just about the hammer him when I see tracers just off my right wing....not good friendly red ones but those Star Wars light saber ones of the Japs.....aw crap!
I'm low, pretty slow, and out of luck. I think they fixed the AI so that they can now shoot deflection because the old method of a slight turn and they miss is over. I got hammered and it was all I could do to get some flaps out before I went swimming.
I like the new FM, even if it wil take time to get used to. I do think they have the plane feeling like it is on a gimble, but I think they will work that out. Overall I give this the Buffalo stamp of approval even if I did end up in the drink.
