posted 05-25- 09:12 AM               

Contrary to the popular belief that the P-47 is a mediocre fighter, try this stat on for size

Air to Air kill ratio in Europe:
P-51 4:1
P-47 5:1

Hmmmm Zur's Jug can be DEADLY if flown right. I talked Psi into flying against the Jug one night in the P-47 vs 190 mission. He did get in the first shot, but hey, that's the nice thing about flying one of these tanks

Anyway, ask him what it was like trying to shake the P-47 once the tables were turned.

The trick is- your opponent turns (cuz everyone knows the Jug is not a good turner), you drop the nose & roll & about halfway through his turn he's crossing your gunsight.

8 .50's make for lots of lead in the air.

If you use real tactics in this plane, it can be as deadly as the real Jug. Note I didn't list total kills per type of aircraft, this is because after D-Day, most P-47s were relegated to tactical ground suport missions cuz they didn't have the range of the P-51.

When you consider the kill ratio includes both the C & D version, it let's you know how good this plane was. (I wonder what the kill ratio for the D version was).

Also keep in mind that from 43 thru 44 when the Mustang was not in operation, Jug pilots were going up against Luftwaffe pilots with more experience and were usually facing worse odds than the Mustang pilots saw.

There's an account of a flight of 6 Jugs plunging headlong into an incoming group of OVER 50 German airplanes. The pilots admitted that their main concern for the next 5 minutes was staying alive while they hollered MAYDAY over the radio. It took that 5 minutes for a squadron of P-38's and some more Jugs to get there and join in. ALL 6 of them came back! You don't survive odds like that in a "mediocre" fighter.

------------------------
Which end does the propeller thingy go on?
(Formerly posted as Da Jug head)

posted 05-25- 09:29 AM            

Actually working on a 1:48 P47D right now too, Gabreski's.

Werner

posted 05-25- 09:53 AM               

Jug...please excuse my ignorance, but I have a hard time sometimes following tactics -- when you point nose down and roll-- do you roll in the same direction of his turn, or opposite direction? Thanks!

------------------

Brought to you by the campaign for a better Dauntless!

posted 05-25- 03:05 PM               

I rolled and rolled getting snapshots here and there but never getting the final punch in. Twice we made head on passes barely missing each others props. On one pass he opened up with his 20mikemikes and I saw tiny explosions on my big Pratt and Whitney. Lucky for me I was flying the Big Ol' Jug!

Finally the Kraut got exhausted and turned for home so I reefed into a tight turn and ended up on his tail closing fast.

He spots me closing but its too late and my wings start twinkling with my eight fifties! He goes vertical and my tracers follow and score hits, hits! His engine bursts into flames and I jam the stick away from me to miss his crippled fighter by yards.

As I fall away I see his engine explode and I do a slow victory roll to celebrate another kill.

But he's not dead yet and I see him recover below me so I swoop down from above to take a look. We pass head to head again and I can see the bright flames licking the cowling of his Focke Wulfe. I realise he still wants more so I turn again and line up for another head on pass. I see the shape of the fighter getting bigger and just as I am about to fire I hesitate, I don't know why but I do. The chance to fire whips by so I dive to avoid a collision and just as he passes overhead there is a thunderous explosions and my aircraft disintegrates around me. I rip open the canopy and jump out taking the silk elevator home.

Man, what a fight! It was one of those so cool SDOE moments. The reason my plane exlpoded was just as I passed below the German explode because of his engine fire. The blast actually knocked the wings off my Jug and I bailed. SO COOL!

Snake

posted 05-25- 06:28 PM               

I got on the tail of a 109- real close (<75 yds) When I opend up, his plane shredded & exploded. Instead of pulling up to clear the debris I did a dumb move and dove under. As I was passing under, the engine from the 109 caught my wing as it was falling and ripped half of it off! What an amazing game.

Also, the Jug is a good (not great) climber, but NOTHING can keep up with it in a Boom & Zoom. Get some altitude on your opponent. After making your boom attack, drop another couple hundred feet or so while ramming the throttle all the way forward (you usually have to back off in a dive cuz of the weight of the Jug).

Pull back HARD on the stick and climb. Between your momentum and the prop, tain't nothin' catching you that was in level flight.

As your opponent climbs after you, you get to pick the next moment. Chop your throttle, kick the rudder over amd throw your stick in the same direction as the plane gets close to stalling (If you still have enough speed, use your elevators too). She'll do a 180 really fast and pick up speed immediately from her weight.

Give her some throttle and point your nose at your opponent. They can keep climbing and try to take you on head on (as Snake discovered there's a lot of metal between you & them), or try to get out of your way.

You can wind up picking up speed fast enough that, if they continue climbing, you can do an immelman or loop as soon as you pass and wind up getting another shot at them.

Lot's of techniques with this bird once you learn to use them to your advantage. If you get in trouble, point the nose down and dive- if the FM is correct on the other plane, nothings going to be able to keep up with you.

posted 05-25- 10:34 PM               

------------------
nealg=FC=

posted 05-26- 11:27 AM               

li'l LOL bastard