the fix posted 03-24-99 04:00 PM            

I've been playing offline to try to learn how to fly.. and.. well.. nevermind that :P

I'm fixin to sign up and get online to play..

so what's a good plane that will get me shot down the least?

thanks

the fix

-=those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't=-

Bino posted 03-24-99 04:03 PM            

I followed the advice on HOOF's page http://www.rdrop.com/users/hoofj/ and worked my way up the Spitfire food-chain. Many will suggest the P-51 or the P-40. Others, the A6M series. Few will give the 109 the nod, I think. Your mileage may vary. Welcome to our addiction!

Stiglr posted 03-24-99 04:06 PM            

sorry,fix, that plane doesn't exist, unless you can port an F-16 to Warbirds.

You're going to have to take your lumps, plain and simple...that's how you learn.

My advice to you is, pick a plane you like, and post again here and ask for a vet to help you learn how to fly it well. Many of us are all too happy to help newbies through the monumental learning cliff (not learning curve, but cliff!).

And don't worry about "not being good" when you start. Even the best WB pilot was once a hopeless dweeb who could be knocked out of the sky with with little more than sneezing in his general direction. Resolve to learn from each death and you'll soon make progress. Suck it up, stick with it and it will happen!!

Good luck!

popeye posted 03-24-99 04:28 PM            

For maximum learning, I suggest the Wildcat/Hellcats, F4F, FM2, and F6F. These planes handle well, can take a lot of punishment, have plenty of ammo, reasonable performance, and NO REAR VIEW. Once you learn how to handle the aircraft, the most important factor for success in WB is Situational Awareness -- knowing what is going on around you -- where the bad guys are, where the friendlies are, who represents the greatest threat, which way to bug out, etc., etc. Having no rear view is the fastest way to appreciate the importance of SA, and is a great tool for developing it.

popeye

juve posted 03-24-99 04:38 PM            

----- Only my personal opinions -----

best to learn ---- Airplane

Flying skill ---- P38

SA ---- F series (see popeye)

Stalls, spins ---- BF109, FW190

E mgmt ---- P47, 109, F4u

T&B fight ---- Zeke, spit, F6f

Gunnery ---- P51, Spit (low ammo)

Easy kills ---- Spit, 190, P47 (after graduation )

Best overall plane to learn al these things , is IMHO the spit IX.

P.S. : Argo no way to format text (tables, tabs, etc.) with UBB ??

Juve [pr : u-vay]

SL 334 Squadron

4th FG

www.fourthfightergroup.com

Home of WBstick!

DuneFT posted 03-24-99 07:44 PM            

By no means am I an Ace but I feel I have one HUGE piece of advice to give you.

TURN OFF EASY FLIGHT YESTERDAY!!!

I flew for a year on Easy Flight. And I got my butt kicked in T&B planes and didn't get full performance out of B&Z planes. When I finally turned it off (I stayed 'cause I got bad info) it took a full TOD before I felt like I was flying adequatly.

DuneFT

DuneFT "Via Con Dios Mis Hermanos!"

Flying Tigers - MA

487th FG - HA

www.serv.net/~weasel/FT/

Rebel posted 03-24-99 07:56 PM            

Okay, you wanna fly Warbirds. That's a given. To learn how to fly well, you have to do 1 of 2 things. Here are you're options.

1) Pick a plane you like, fly, die, turn, burn, boom, zoom and burn in it until you're good. (This is what I did for all my fave planes 'cept the -47 and the -51. I followed method #2 in those)

2) Find someone who likes the same plane, and who flies REALLY well in it, and who's willin' to coach ya. (I found -sick- for the P-51, and -vics- for the P-47, I definitely owe these guys a beer or four at the con this year)

Hope it helps!

-Rebel out-

487th Lil' Bastards

VV!

Madash posted 03-25-99 12:50 AM            

Hey bud, I told ya these guys were great! Though you've received a heck of a lot of different answers, one common theme remains. Pick a plane you feel comfortable in. There are loads of people out there who are willing to help you out.

For those of you out there reading or posting to this, help the guy out. I fly bombers, and can help him out there. As for the fighters, I'm a plain and simple wannabe there. I'd appreciate it if you would all lend this guy a hand. I've been trying to get him into this for a few weeks now, and I'd hate for him to get frustrated and give it up. My appreciation goes out to all of you who are helping, and it makes one feel good to see all his cyber-friends/acquantances/enemies helping out a newbie.

For you fixx, while most of these guys will have mercy on ya, I won't I figure you'll be killing me soon enough once ya get better, so I'm gettin my licks in while I can. Cya in class tomorrow

Madash

josf posted 03-25-99 02:33 AM            

The fix,

If you really want to be successfull then do not make the mistake I make when learning how to be successfull in the arena. Don't blame anything or any other than yourself for lack of success.

"*#@&%^@% plane can't turn worth a *&%^#@@!"

Joe

BB Gun posted 03-25-99 02:54 AM            

Rule number one: Get thee to yon training arena for much enlightenment at the feet of the masters.

That out of the way, here are my opinions:

Gunnery: F4F, FM2, P-51B/D, P-40B/E IMO the most stable planes out there to teach you gun drop, lead, etc. FM2/F4F for turn and burn type gunnery, P-40/P-51 BnZ type gunnery.

ACM - Spits (Vb and IXe). Jacks of all trades, masters of none, and killers all the way around. But you'll need to adjust your gunnery skills to those d**m cannon.

Those are the planes I started in - SpitV, FM2, then moved to F6F, and now am a pretty regular P-51D driver, but toy around in several different planes. Skills a smidge better than average, but not much - I don't listen to the trainers enough .

Welcome Fix, we can always use more cannon fodder.

Brendan "BB Gun" Bayne

Get all the latest details about the NW minicon at: www.nwminicon.warbirds.org

Kergan posted 03-25-99 11:04 AM            

Somewhere around on the net is Ogre's advice to Newbies. One phrase struck me as soooo true, after a few pages of advice it came down to "going online"

Now it's time to go Online. You are going to die. A lot.

I completely agree with Dune on his advice about easy mode. When I first went to full realism after 2-3 months playing online, I couldn't even take off without augering.

Although VERY outdated, the help files included with WB are usefull, especially the chapter on Taking Off (subtitled, "No, it isn't your joystick").

Get a good joystick. The value of rudder pedals (or twist rudders on an M$ joystick) cannot be overrated. Read. Go to the training arena. Read more. Do unto others before they can do unto you. Otto gunners are dishonorable, use them not unless in dire straights. Never take off from a base with the intent that your Otto is going to be used. Read even more. This place is the voice of warbirds, here you will find much information on the state of the Union. Anyone with = signs in their handle is a trainer, don't be ashamed when you are shot down by one. Many times over. The following people are NOT cheating, they're just so good that it might seem that way: hoolgn, hoover, mili, garn, drex, GUNJAM, drdoom, baal, ik, and the hot guns with the 4th fighter group. It is better to leave a bad fight than to be killed (but don't expect your NME to see it that way). Read yet more. Have fun. Read. Toad is the Keeper of Useful Uselessness, listen to him. Read (sensing a pattern?). Real men fly planes with realistic 6-views. Altitude is your friend. You are NOT going fast enough. Read. Warbirds gives you a chance to meet people from all over the world. And shoot them.

Kergan, VMF-214

maa posted 03-25-99 02:37 PM            

Also, get a custom gunsight. The default gunsight is, IMHO, garbage. Get one with a pipper in the center. I can't remember where or who has them but they are well worth it. My hit % went up by half right away with one.

--maa- 4th FG

Firefox posted 03-25-99 03:06 PM            

Fix

Welcome oh most unwary one. Prepare to be addicted to the Bestes most fun of games.

BE very prepared to meet thy doom a few million times.

Sorry about being blunt in the statement, but I feel its better to know now rather than expect to be an ace and wind up Fodder.

But, Do not be dispared im only warning you because is is what is going to happen. Its called the learning curve and on WARBIRDS the ladder goes straight up about 100 stories. But, once you beat the ladder, it is a blast, a kick, a ball, a tither and nothing else is like it. And its that on the way up :P

I started out as a dweeb. Im still a dweeb and always will be one. But, that is the nice thing about it. WE all are. Learning trying doing every day.

When I started out it was flying the P38L. WHY, Because I learned at a place called TOS, and that is what they started you in. Try it first. It doesnt have the Torque problem on take off. You can then learn to take off crash die take off crash and die without the evil torque the get you frustrated. You have enough things to worry about. Then I moved to the Spit. Taught me torque at first then, turning and energy and last taught me Ammo conservation (the spit don give you much) and the value of not shooting till I can see what kind of sandwich he is eating.

Then I moved to the Zeke. It too taught more Turning and banking. But It taught me Situational awareness or SA. In a zeke if you dont have SA your Paper Mache in a hurry.

Thats the way I started. But the others have good too. Pick a plane you love and learn it. Learn it to death. Following these steps to get you started

FIRST. TURN EASY MODE OFF. Sorry for yelling but I cannot stress that enough. Learning in easy mode will only do one of two things. Learn you very bad habits and get you killed (of which your going to do but why make it worse)

Kergan said it best "READ READ READ READ" Read every thing you can find on acm basic manuvers and such. There are books out there that will help by leagues. Second, Go to KRODS WB's pages find the newbie Dweeb section and READ. Get every thing you can get your hands on.

Next

ASK ASK ASK. Ask questions, find trainers (= signs in names) ask more questions, Find experts (you wont have to go far youll find out) ask more questions. Find me Ask questions.

Practice. The old addage. Practice makes perfect. You aint just whistling dixie. Fly off line alot. Drop bombs, kill drones. Practice manuevers see what the plane will do in what situations. Its better to learn off line than Die on line.

But, I wanna play now you say. Course you do. Then Play. Get in and fly and learn. Fly and learn. But do the other stuff also. It will come some rapid some not so rapid but IT WILL COME. If you want it bad enough It will come.

Third - and this may sound strange to some - I dont currently belong to one. But

FIND A SQUAD that flies the plane you like that is Recruiting. Or ask if one is recruiting and JOIN EM. There is a wealth of info right there for the taking. AND they will help you stay Alive.

This is just the tip of the ICE BERG. And its a BIG BURG at that.

See you up there, and check six there may be a mercinary there about to Give another lesson.

Firefox

Mercinary

Have Gun Will Travel

Kodiak posted 03-25-99 03:16 PM            

Would normally recommend the Spit. For years every text about learning Warbirds recommended it. In hindsight that might not have been so wise. From a quick look around the arena on any given night its clear learning in spits stunts your growth

Joking......sort of

Kodiak III./JG54

the fix posted 03-26-99 12:15 AM            

gosh.. seems like you have to goto flight school to learn how to play this game

no wonder half of you are real pilots

well a buddy of mine talked highly of the P51, but I still can't land any of them. Wish I had a week to just learn it. IF anybody has any time and wants to shoot me down a lot.. feel free to give me a yell. icq 5416929

mabey i'll see ya, if i can get off the ground

thanks anyways

whwk posted 03-26-99 08:02 AM            

I would also suggest once you do pick an aircraft stick with it untill you feel comfortable in it. Don't give up on it too soon, give it at least a week. Jumping around from plane to plane only confuses you.

-whwk-

No fighter Ace

Firefox posted 03-26-99 09:16 AM            

Fix,

sent you a message but thought I would answer here also. Give me a time we can meet this weekend and Ill give you a couple hours of lessons.

See if we can get you up and down to begin with.

Firefox

Mercinary

Have Gun Will Travel

Kergan posted 03-26-99 10:06 AM            

Almost forgot!

Get Roger Wilco and/or BattleCom. These 2 voice technologies have revolutionized Warbirds. Both of them advertize here on AGW, so just reload a few times until they come up.

Find Gunnsite, a program for making your own sights. There are some doozies out there, and they help loads. Cuda and others keep gunsight galleries showing examples.

Warbirds now includes a "route analyzer" in its setup section. Use it EVERY time you log on. (or get Sickboy's WBDetect, I prefer it to the inbuilt program).

Kergan, VMF-214

You can sleep with a blonde or a brunette, but you get no sleep with a redhead.