AB Fighter Plane Reviews

[tx141 815]

Hey all,

 

  As some of you may be aware, I currently run a Youtube series titled: "Ace in a Day" for the Arcade mode of War Thunder. This series involves me flying out in a given Fighter and trying to achieve a score of 5+ kills without being shot down. While I started the series merely as a showcase of a series of game-plays, I have recently started using the series to review individual fighters.

 

  My reviews involve a single game-play, whereby I give a brief historical discussion of the plane (my first few videos omit this), and then move into its most notable characteristics, my opinion on how it handles, and tactics I employ in order to achieve a reasonable score with said plane. I do not intend for my reviews to be definitive articles, but just suggestions on how one may employ a given fighter in Arcade Mode (seeing as the media market appears to be saturated with similar content for RB and FRB).

 

  Ergo, I welcome all feedback, and if you have any suggestions for which plane I should review next, please let me know! My aim is to do one review per week, although depending on my progress (i.e. with grinding for unlocks and new planes), this may be increased to two reviews per week.

 

  If an individual plane is highly requested and I have only just unlocked/purchased it, I will give a 'First Impressions' Review and re-review the plane at a later date. I intend to do each review with at least all of the plane's performance upgrades completed, if not all of the upgrades done, to give prospective viewers an idea of what the final product will handle like.

 

  The list below contains links to all of the reviews I have done so far, and this list will be updated each week (with an appropriate 'bump' post):

 

 

"Tips"/Supplementary content:

• Can WEP kill your engine in AB? (as of patch 1.37).
• Tx's Tips Part 1 - Control Set-Up
• Tx's Tips Part 2 - Basic Maneuvers
• Tx's Tips Part 3 - Climbing Technique
• Tx's Tips Part 4 - Choosing Upgrades
• Tx's Tips Part 5 - Stock Syndrome
• Tx's Tips Part 6 - Stock Syndrome Redux
• Tx's Tips Part 7 - Manipulating Match-Maker
• Tx's Tips Part 8 - Hunting Bombers

 

Enjoy!

 

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OF MY REVIEWS CONSIDER THE PLANES IN FULLY UPGRADED CONDITION UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE, TUTORIAL VIDEOS ON HOW I GO ABOUT FLYING STOCK AIRCRAFT FOR BOTH LOW-MEDIUM AND HIGH TIER PROPS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED IN THE TIPS SECTION.

Edited November 19, 2017 by tx141
Duplication of Google Sheets script with text-body list removed.

[Titan_Alpha 622]

Do the P-51D-5.

 

I would love to see how someone gets 5 kills in a single arcade match with it.

[tx141 815]

Do the P-51D-5.

 

I would love to see how someone gets 5 kills in a single arcade match with it.

 

Give me a month or so, I literally just unlocked it last night!

 

Thank you for the suggestion :)

[JA_37D 718]

I am one of your greatest fans, you already know that.. Those videos strike a very nice balance between good gameplay, interesting look at the planes, cool playstyle etc. :good: You play like me, only much better. ;)s  So I really enjoy looking at those.

 

 

And you already know I also wish you to play the Mustang so mayeb you could do a P-38 triple-ace vid?

 

(Just kidding....)

 

Keep up the great work!

Edited March 3, 2014 by DaveSchilling

[Albertrossi 67]

• German Luftwaffe:
• FW-190 A-5
• FW-190 F-8
• BF-109 G-6 (considering doing a re-review)
• FW-190 D-13 (Review: Flight model pre-1.35, Re-review: post 1.35)

 

Awesome thanx!! Now I can analyze them satan spawn planes close up...  :fighter:

 

Fw-190 D-13 review post 1.35.... at 3:50: I found that the armament was more than sufficient to kill of fighters....

 

lol you don't say  :crazy:

[EN0sh 179]

I only watched one video, the one with the typhoon, but isn't putting a high convergence distance bad for wing-mounted machine guns?

Even if it is to intercept, you can close in another 300m in seconds.

Have you tried fighting single-engine planes with something like 300m convergence? I found the firepower pretty good for 7mm.

[tx141 815]

I am one of your greatest fans, you already know that.. Those videos strike a very nice balance between good gameplay, interesting look at the planes, cool playstyle etc. :good: You play like me, only much better. ;)s  So I really enjoy looking at those.

 

 

And you already know I also wish you to play the Mustang so mayeb you could do a P-38 triple-ace vid?

 

(Just kidding....)

 

Keep up the great work!

 

Haha, thank you and will do :)

 

I will be reviewing the P-38G eventually (I know I have a video already up about it, but looking back, I really think I can get a lot more out of the plane), so who knows, maybe there will be a triple ace in that video :P

 

Awesome thanx!! Now I can analyze them satan spawn planes close up...  :fighter:

 

Fw-190 D-13 review post 1.35.... at 3:50: I found that the armament was more than sufficient to kill of fighters....

 

lol you don't say  :crazy:

 

Aye, a rather obvious comment, but I get the feeling whereas the D-13/D-9 will be the fighter hunter, the D-12 (working towards that at the moment) will be the Bomber hunter.

 

That is no problem :)

 

I only watched one video, the one with the typhoon, but isn't putting a high convergence distance bad for wing-mounted machine guns?

Even if it is to intercept, you can close in another 300m in seconds.

Have you tried fighting single-engine planes with something like 300m convergence? I found the firepower pretty good for 7mm.

 

I tried the Typhoon Mk. Ia at 250m convergence and I really struggled against both bombers and fighters:

 

Bombers - I had to get in as close as possible to pull off some nice damage, putting my plane at risk, especially when trying to take down B-25s.

Fighters - By the time I have made my first pass on the enemy plane, I found that I had sacrificed all of my energy, making me an easily kill.

 

The twelve 7.7mm machine guns are good, but I always get the feeling that I am hoping for a 'Critical hit' when I engage an enemy plane.

 

Still, as I always say, what works for me may not work for you and vice-versa :)

Edited March 3, 2014 by tx141

[Some_Old_Fokker 683]

do the swordfish  :Ps

[tx141 815]

do the swordfish  :Ps

 

Haha, I highly doubt I will ever do that  :lol:

[Acht_Acht_Kanone 402]

Haha, thank you and will do :)

 

I will be reviewing the P-38G eventually (I know I have a video already up about it, but looking back, I really think I can get a lot more out of the plane), so who knows, maybe there will be a triple ace in that video :P

 

 

Aye, a rather obvious comment, but I get the feeling whereas the D-13/D-9 will be the fighter hunter, the D-12 (working towards that at the moment) will be the Bomber hunter.

 

That is no problem :)

 

 

I tried the Typhoon Mk. Ia at 250m convergence and I really struggled against both bombers and fighters:

 

Bombers - I had to get in as close as possible to pull off some nice damage, putting my plane at risk, especially when trying to take down B-25s.

Fighters - By the time I have made my first pass on the enemy plane, I found that I had sacrificed all of my energy, making me an easily kill.

 

The twelve 7.7mm machine guns are good, but I always get the feeling that I am hoping for a 'Critical hit' when I engage an enemy plane.

 

Still, as I always say, what works for me may not work for you and vice-versa :)

Just a tip from my personal experience, you shouldnt be hunting bombers in a Typhoon. Yes it can climb well, but its high altitude handling is absolutely terrible. That and for me Typhoons are incredibly fragile. Even a short burst from MGs cripples it. You should be doing low altitude BnZ'ing or getting in real close with a turnfight.

As for your gun convergence, i've found it doesnt matter too much but the most you should have it is at 400m because the 7.7 british MG's have terrible muzzle velocity. What matters more is the bank angle you have your wings at relative to your target. You should be trying to match theirs while firing or being perpendicular to theirs. 

[fl2oxide 1,002]

Yup. I want to see the P-51.  I mean, without kill stealing it might not be half bad.

[tx141 815]

Just a tip from my personal experience, you shouldnt be hunting bombers in a Typhoon. Yes it can climb well, but its high altitude handling is absolutely terrible. That and for me Typhoons are incredibly fragile. Even a short burst from MGs cripples it. You should be doing low altitude BnZ'ing or getting in real close with a turnfight.

As for your gun convergence, i've found it doesnt matter too much but the most you should have it is at 400m because the 7.7 british MG's have terrible muzzle velocity. What matters more is the bank angle you have your wings at relative to your target. You should be trying to match theirs while firing or being perpendicular to theirs. 

 

Thank you, I will give the Typhoon Mk. Ia another go at a later date based on your advice. :)

[tx141 815]

Yup. I want to see the P-51.  I mean, without kill stealing it might not be half bad.

 

Well, now I know what I will be doing for the next couple of weeks!

[Der_Kompressor 9,185]

Love the reviews.
All the other guys have gone over to RB, you're the last good player still making AB videos.

One very important question: I noticed you shoot at the lead indicator exactly when you're at gun targeting range, and adjust your fire according to distance.

Does this mean that the lead indicator actually adjusts now for gun targeting distance?

I started in 1.29 back when gun targeting was fixed at 400. I've always been taught to shoot ahead of the indicator, but recently I've been doing very badly.
Today I adjusted my fire and I noticed an immediate improvement.

[tx141 815]

Love the reviews.
All the other guys have gone over to RB, you're the last good player still making AB videos.

One very important question: I noticed you shoot at the lead indicator exactly when you're at gun targeting range, and adjust your fire according to distance.

Does this mean that the lead indicator actually adjusts now for gun targeting distance?

I started in 1.29 back when gun targeting was fixed at 400. I've always been taught to shoot ahead of the indicator, but recently I've been doing very badly.
Today I adjusted my fire and I noticed an immediate improvement.

 

Thank you :) To be honest, AB mode is the only mode I really enjoy.

 

I have no idea whether the lead indicator adjusts for targeting distance, I take the policy of giving some extra lead to the indicator at the longer distances (i.e. 0.6km+) and then reducing this lead to that of the indicator as I get closer to my target (i.e. at ranges < 0.25km, I usually aim at the indicator).

 

Essentially, I work on the basis that even if I give slightly too much lead, by holding down the trigger for long enough, my opponent will either fly into the path of my gun/cannon fire, or try to evade it, drawing me in for a closer, more accurate shot.

 

I hope that helps :)

[StasRaskolbas 8,397]

Your favorite plane is the Hellcat?

 

Excellent taste, good sir. 

Edited March 4, 2014 by IronWorks

[tx141 815]

Your favorite plane is the Hellcat?

 

Excellent taste, good sir. 

 

Indeed, and thank you dear fellow :)

 

Fingers crossed they will add the F6F-5N!

[fl2oxide 1,002]

STOP READING THE FORUM AND DO THE P-51!

 

Lol, just kidding, do whatever... I just need to know the secrets to that dang thing.

[Budgie_ 1,742]

Do you just make Reviews for and in AB?

If yes its not very useful, too bad...

[StasRaskolbas 8,397]

Do you just make Reviews for and in AB?

If yes its not very useful, too bad...

 

As said before, all of the other good youtube players snub AB these days.

 

What's wrong with refusing to be a snob?

[tx141 815]

STOP READING THE FORUM AND DO THE P-51!

 

Lol, just kidding, do whatever... I just need to know the secrets to that dang thing.

 

Haha, sorry!  :lol:

 

I only normally play at the weekend, it will take me some time, but I will make it my number one priority!

[tx141 815]

Do you just make Reviews for and in AB?

If yes its not very useful, too bad...

 

Yup, I do not enjoy RB very much, and I am yet to try FRB.

 

I am sure you can find tons of content in RB mode concerning reviews of planes (etc.). As I said in my original post, the RB domain is saturated with content to date.

 

I apologize for my aversion to non-AB content, still, thank you for checking my post out :)

[Budgie_ 1,742]

As said before, all of the other good youtube players snub AB these days.

 

What's wrong with refusing to be a snob?

I have absolutely nothing against AB, I play AB 60% of the time but the FMs in the arcade are so wrong and similar to each that making a review seems a waste to me

[LittleBlueDot 670]

Do the P-51D-5.

 

I would love to see how someone gets 5 kills in a single arcade match with it.

I can do it with the Premium one, does that count ?  :Ps

[Lescun 92]

Do the P-51D-5.

 

I would love to see how someone gets 5 kills in a single arcade match with it.

I got 6 in a game.  Once.  4 pilot KO's and 2 rocket kills.  No real kills of course.