Projekt: MiG-15bis

[SURPRISE_ATTACK 971]

 

This is "Projekt: MiG-15bis," an ongoing diary where I will document my findings on one of the jets currently available to the German tree.  

 

The MiG-15bis sits below the He-162 in Tier V, requiring one to have unlocked almost all of the planes in the Focke-Wulf line before being able to research and buy it.  The MiG-15bis is also currently notorious for purportedly being one of the worst endgame jets in the game at the moment, as of patch 1.39.  Common complaints include the fact that it is outclimbed by Sabres, outturned by Sabres, outdived by Sabres, and outgunned by Sabres.  In many of these departments, from my initial impression and from videos posted on YouTube, it appears that many of these complaints are not groundless, but also exaggerated.  In other words, it sounds a lot like this plane.

 

As I am morbidly fascinated by broken things, train wrecks, and convoluted conundrums, I am going to be flying the MiG15bis(German) extensively over the next few weeks to test its capabilities and report back with my personal findings on how the plane flies, whether or not the plane is worth flying, and if so, how one should be flying the plane, in my opinion.  The MiG15bis is my first real jet in the game, and as a result, I am starting from a position of limited experience, which will give me an interesting insight into how it is to be properly flown, whether it is contributing to the team by killing enemies or staying alive via defensive maneuvers.

 

Included in this thread will be screenshots, detailed descriptions, and replays of particularly good games I've had in the MiG15bis, which should be familiar to most who have read my G6 Diaries thread.  I do not possess the ability to upload videos to YouTube due to limited time and limited internet, and as a result, replays will have to suffice.  I sincerely apologize in advance for anyone who might find this inconvenient.

 

It is, however, important to note that the plane I will be flying is the Luftwaffe/German MiG-15bis, NOT the standard Russian MiG-15bis.  As a result, I will have a significant advantage in the form of queuing(for the present moment, at least) with CL-13A Mk. 5 Sabre.  The fact that this happens is a double edged sword.  While I will be unable to evaluate the MiG15bis in its purest sense, I will also actually be able to consistently get into jet games rather than wait in queue for extended periods of time, allowing me more flight time.  If you are wondering why I specifically chose the GDR MiG-15bis over the Soviet one, the answer is simple: The German MiG was added to the end of the Focke-Wulf tree, of which I had acquired every plane in, including the He-162.  To procure the Soviet MiG-15bis, I would have to go through the MiG-3s, MiG-9s, and the standard MiG-15.

 

I would simply much rather be flying the MiG rather than spending time grinding it up.  If you find this distasteful, please turn your attention elsewhere!  

 

As in my "The G6 Diaries" thread, I request that this thread not be used as a forum for debate and discussion about whether X is underpowered or Y is overpowered.  Feel free to comment on my observations and make observations of your own, but please make another thread if the topic of your post is anything along the lines of: "Sabre vs MiG... Balanced?"

 

Time for some stats:  As of 4/27, I have flown five battles with the MiG15bis, with three victories, two losses, and four kills to three deaths. 

 

Without further ado, it is my pleasure to bring something that will hopefully contribute to your gameplay experiences.

 

All credit for the MiG-15bis skin I use goes to aaathrunn.  The skin can be found here.

Edited April 27, 2014 by SURPRISE_ATTACK

[Bearcatz 267]

Since you have only flown it out 5 times are you fully stock? partially upgrade? (which upgrades?) or have you full upgraded the plane with the use of GE? 

 

I am very interested in this post because I am a new MiG pilot who got the GDR MiG as my first and only (for a long time at least) MiG-15. I have flown a handful of battles so far and I have not shot any actual human player because the cannons are hard to get used to. 

 

For you, what aspect of the MiG has been the biggest learning curve for you so far in your games with it? 

[ColorCopycat 7,171]

I am also going for the MiG-15 in order to finish off the Focke-Wulf line. I'm exactly halfway there. 190k RP to go!

[Bum_Carrot_Smash 32]

I'm actually really interested in this. BTW at the moment there is a glitch with the MiG-15 that If you press i it does not make you lose fuel.

[SURPRISE_ATTACK 971]

Thanks for reading and commenting!

 

First, a few observations about the MiG-15bis itself:

 

1) It performs better the higher you go.  Myself and two other MiGs forced this F86 to bail, the exact event can be seen in replay 5.  The lack of sportsmanship, by the way, exhibited by some people at Tier V was absolutely appalling.  

 

2) It rolls alright!

 

3) Ideal climb is 710kmph TAS, not IAS.  The IAS values fluctuate, and setting it to 710 TAS and climbing at a 13-14 degree angle will get you where you need to be while saving you a headache.

 

4) Do not pull high-G maneuvers beyond 1000kmph.  Control stiffening will not save you.

 

5) Following 4, the airbrake is your friend.  If you're approaching 1000kmph, popping the brakes is always a good idea.  Snapping makes people type "lol" in all chat.

 

6) The spread on the cannons is atrocious.  

 

7) High angle deflection shots are really hit or miss for me at this point in time - I simply do not know how much to lead by.  In Replay 1, I manage to get a Panther, but in all earnestness, I got lucky as well.  In Replay 5, you can see my attempts at high deflection shots fail utterly.  The two kills I get happened when I positioned myself directly behind my target.  In one, my target was damaged, and I got directly behind him.  In another, I turned inside his turn, and managed to get an excellent series of shots off.  In my third, which did not really count, since it was a P63 who had been squadded with a jet, I killed by aligning myself with his flight path and firing at the last possible moment, critting his tail with the only two rounds of cannon ammo I had left.

 

8) The 37mm is your primary damage dealer.  Ammo on the 23mm is not really adequate for you to rely on the pair to cause any plane serious issues, unless you have godlike aim.

 

In other words, due to the low ammo count, poor ballistics, and potentially questionable hit detection of the 37mm cannon, as far as aiming is concerned, I would recommend flying this plane like a Bf 109 equipped with a Mk108 cannon.  

 

 

Since you have only flown it out 5 times are you fully stock? partially upgrade? (which upgrades?) or have you full upgraded the plane with the use of GE? 

 

I am very interested in this post because I am a new MiG pilot who got the GDR MiG as my first and only (for a long time at least) MiG-15. I have flown a handful of battles so far and I have not shot any actual human player because the cannons are hard to get used to. 

 

For you, what aspect of the MiG has been the biggest learning curve for you so far in your games with it? 

Your questions answered in order:

 

1) My MiG-15bis is not fully upgraded, but I have all the FM upgrades by way of GE.  Jet upgrades require a significant time investment, and that combined with the fact that queue times are longer and the huge difference in performance is what motivated me to purchase the FM upgrades.  The total cost ran around 2500, which is about USD $14, which, in my opinion, is a meager, meager amount compared to the amount of time you would be spending grinding those upgrades out.  

 

2) The cannons are indeed hard to get used to, partly because the amount of spread is, quite frankly, insane.  To put it lightly, sustained fire of the cannons will actually produce a shotgun-like effect.  This, combined with the fact that 37mm cannons seem to have sparkle hits rather than do damage sometimes is an issue.  For reliable kills, you want to be shooting at enemies at very close range.  If you need a quick speed reduction in order to get back on target, remember that your airbrake is your friend.

 

3) The biggest learning curve as far as the MiG-15bis has been concerned is figuring out what you are capable of compared to what the enemy is capable of.  For instance, in a game where I was ultimately shot down by a F9F Panther, I managed to win an initial energy fight against the F9F, only to find that the F9F actually is capable of outaccelerating me in a shallow dive.  That, combined with the excellent ammo load of the quad cannons on the F9F, can make getting separation from a F9F a dangerous proposition.  

 

I am also going for the MiG-15 in order to finish off the Focke-Wulf line. I'm exactly halfway there. 190k RP to go!

 

Good luck!  In my opinion it's worth it, but do consider setting aside some pigeons to buy all the FM upgrades.  

 

Edit:

I'm actually really interested in this. BTW at the moment there is a glitch with the MiG-15 that If you press i it does not make you lose fuel.

 

I did not mention this earlier in the hopes of not spreading it more, since it will ultimately hurt MiG 15 pilots in the long run, but now that you've mentioned it...  This is 100% correct.  I tested this and can confirm its existence.  The real benefit of this, however, is not the fuel loss, but the fact that your engine cools down and does not overheat, allowing you to run it at 100% indefinitely.  It will, however, be fixed, so you shouldn't rely on it!   :Ps

Edited April 27, 2014 by SURPRISE_ATTACK

[Bum_Carrot_Smash 32]

Glad to see your new reports, It will definitely help me :) One problem I can't figure out with the MiG-15 is how to engage bombers.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Foster_9999

[Ottobon 19,138]

Something worth pointing our is that it was reported a little while ago that the German Mig-15Bis is actually using the standard Mig-15 FM.  Not sure when or if it has been corrected. 

Edited April 28, 2014 by Ottobon

[BUTCH_JACKSON 16,636]

Something worth pointing our is that it was reported a little while ago that the German Mig-15Bis is actually using the standard Mig-15 FM.  Not sure when or if it has been corrected. 

Tests have been done to show that that Soviet and German 15 bis climbed identical. I'd wager it's safe to assume that they are identical in general at this point and that the only discrepancy is the different numbers on the upgrades.

[Dakarius 123]

I'm having a hard time vs the F series sabers. Even When diving with superior energy, they manage to outrun me. What do?

[Ottobon 19,138]

Tests have been done to show that that Soviet and German 15 bis climbed identical. I'd wager it's safe to assume that they are identical in general at this point and that the only discrepancy is the different numbers on the upgrades.

 

 

Good to know, i was working with old info then and things have been fixed  :good: