Supermarine Spitfire Performance

[turkish]

i'm looking for some indication of the different advantages each spitfire has.. mainly the best high altitude fighter.

I was on the server and got to about 15k ft when engaged my to 109s, and I literally couldn't do anything but a bunch of split S's, but ride kept overheating and I couldn't build any speed. (Spitfire IIA)

Later I was riding a Spit I, got to 16k ft without a problem, engaged some bombers. So it seemed like the Spit I was alot more capable at high altitudes.

[ATAG_Torian]

The FM on all the Spits are abysmal and performance at any altitude compared to a 109 will be less than what it should be unfortunately. Try getting any of them to cruise at 300mph...it's a joke.
It's frustrating and there has been little indication that the devs are willing to address it. What we have is likely to be what we'll be stuck with for some time.
You are on the right track getting up there in the various versions and testing them out. The Spit I has surprisingly better performance than u would
expect up high but not so good on the deck in a dogfight if u have to drop back to fine pitch. The Mk I is also less likely to blow an engine with radiators closed to a low setting.
I'm still testing them out myself using various engine management settings and haven't reached definitive conclusions as yet.

[turkish]

I see a few people really be able to handle their spits, keep up with 109s on climbs and on level runs. What are some tips to help me do this.

I use about 26-2700 RPMs for cruise 28-2900 for climb and 3000 for combat.

I try to use the 1a Octane as much as possible and use boost in combat but i seem to overheat quickly with radiator at 50%.

Thanks for any tips!!

(Also, I use the mixture lever Full Forward when using boost and full back when not using boost I always have it at either 0% or 100% I never use any intervals inbetween)

[ATAG_Torian]

U can't really "keep up" with a 109 in a climb in the current FM. If u see some1 apparently keeping up they have probably come up behind the 109 from a high energy position.
Using overboost for more than 20 seconds at 3000rpm will fry your merlin and even when using it u keep a very wary eye on temps.
Squeezing the most out of a Spit in the current FM is still under investigation. Some may be able to post about what they do in a particular Spit model.
For me it's about finding that sweet spot between rpm and radiator setting. In the stock Mark I u can shut the rad down to 35% without too much trouble and up high in full course pitch
it will go lower...I have flown it at only 15% with 4lb boost with little difficulty. U will likely need to open the rad more if u are gonna dogfight or attack bombers but not a whole lot more.
It seems the drag created from the radiator is grossly overdone in the FM so it stands to reason the more it can be closed the faster u will go...up to a point.
Take on board whatever u can glean from other pilots but there is little substitute for strapping in and getting up there.
U will likely feel a lot of frustration especially when trying to fight 109s but that is the lot of red pilots in this sim. Maybe it will be fixed, maybe not. Maybe another company will make a properly
modelled WWII flight sim. Get what u can out of the money u paid.

[Dutch]

Wise words from Torian.

Research has shown however, that the absolute minimum drag setting for the radiator in all RAF fighters is at the 35% position. Fully closed is not the minimum drag setting, and in fact in real life also was used for warming up purposes only.

Using 50% rad setting and 2400-2650 rpm is the best starting point. It's best to only use 3000rpm for take-off, then use 2650 as a max rpm in all situations. Going over this will soon blow your engine.

This vid demonstrates my point re radiator drag;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksCmgBaTrtQ&list=UUo9f9X9-8JQXXqL2ObozOSQ&index=4&feature=plcp


And this one demonstrates a good starting point for rpm and rad settings;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4mVFScdS3M&list=UUo9f9X9-8JQXXqL2ObozOSQ&index=3&feature=plcp

[Gromit]

U can't really "keep up" with a 109 in a climb in the current FM. If u see some1 apparently keeping up they have probably come up behind the 109 from a high energy position.
Using overboost for more than 20 seconds at 3000rpm will fry your merlin and even when using it u keep a very wary eye on temps.
Squeezing the most out of a Spit in the current FM is still under investigation. Some may be able to post about what they do in a particular Spit model.
For me it's about finding that sweet spot between rpm and radiator setting. In the stock Mark I u can shut the rad down to 35% without too much trouble and up high in full course pitch
it will go lower...I have flown it at only 15% with 4lb boost with little difficulty. U will likely need to open the rad more if u are gonna dogfight or attack bombers but not a whole lot more.
It seems the drag created from the radiator is grossly overdone in the FM so it stands to reason the more it can be closed the faster u will go...up to a point.
Take on board whatever u can glean from other pilots but there is little substitute for strapping in and getting up there.
U will likely feel a lot of frustration especially when trying to fight 109s but that is the lot of red pilots in this sim. Maybe it will be fixed, maybe not. Maybe another company will make a properly
modelled WWII flight sim. Get what u can out of the money u paid.

I'm a newbie to this game and having some problems with the merlin, its as fragile as glass, flying a hurri 100oct at 11k ft I had the rad open 50%, pitch back, 2750rpm 4.5lb boost during the patrol, found a 109 slightly below moved to engage, 109 climbed so I opened the rad pulled the boost cutout to pull up behind him, set the mixture to lean in overboost as you seem to have to do????? and the motor started vibrating and rumbling after about ten secs!
what are you supposed to do to use full throttle in these red planes , I dont have these probe flying blue?

[ATAG_Deacon]

I'm a newbie to this game and having some problems with the merlin, its as fragile as glass, flying a hurri 100oct at 11k ft I had the rad open 50%, pitch back, 2750rpm 4.5lb boost during the patrol, found a 109 slightly below moved to engage, 109 climbed so I opened the rad pulled the boost cutout to pull up behind him, set the mixture to lean in overboost as you seem to have to do????? and the motor started vibrating and rumbling after about ten secs!
what are you supposed to do to use full throttle in these red planes , I dont have these probe flying blue?


Welcome to what used to be known as "Oleg's World" in the old IL2-1946. Damn history...it's how the dev's see fit to develop things.

And the only "probe" is the one you get up the bum for flying Red. :PP

Sorry, just my opinion...

[turkish]

heres to hoping for good things now that the patch is out

[ATAG_Torian]

....so I opened the rad pulled the boost cutout to pull up behind him, set the mixture to lean in overboost as you seem to have to do????? and the motor started vibrating and rumbling after about ten secs!


U may have to try a coarser pitch. 2750 (even 3000rpm) worked in real life over 10,000ft but in this sim u may need to pull it back to 2600. U may also find that pulling the mixture slightly back from full lean might help with the vibrating.
To be honest the 100_oct planes are more trouble than they are worth when u try to engage overboost. Experiment with it and use it with caution.

[ATAG_Torian]

Ok scratch all of the above......new patch out now so will have to test everything all over.

[startrekmike]

The new patch seems to improve performance of red aircraft, I am not really well versed enough to explain it, it just feels a bit better.

[ATAG_Snapper]

Hi startrekmike,

As Torian said above, now all the testing has to be done all over again! :doh:

Well, not really. But you're right, the performance of the 100 octane Spits (1a_100 octane, 2a) are much better in this new patch (1.09 "Release Candidate) than the previous one (1.08). It's a shame, really, that as a new player you had to go through the convolutions of work-arounds with beta 1.08.

The two Spitfires mentioned can now be operated, in large part, by the procedures and settings laid out in the original 1940 Pilots Notes. (Throttle must be opened to 20 - 23% to start, vs the real Spitfire's "cracked open" at 7 - 10%). Although these Spits in Cliffs of Dover are still under-performing (speed, rate of climb) compared to their real life counterparts, so are the 109's in CoD. The good news is that now these Spits and 109's at least have similar relative performance as their somewhat faster real life versions.

Unfortunately, be it a mixture problem or something else, the CoD Spitfire craps out somewhere around 12000 feet (IIRC - someone else correct me here); the 1a_100 octane does fine until 18000 feet. The devs are aware and will hopefully correct this. Please note: you can still burn out the Merlin engines, but to a more realistic degree of "abuse" compared to the beta 1.08 versions.

What does this mean? Great dogfights. Tons of 'em! Make no mistake, the 109's will still crop your tail feathers. They still climb better. They can dive faster without losing control surfaces. They roll faster (avoid "scissors" duels), they can "bunt" into a dive without engines cutting out, their leading edge slats now work better, be careful of low speed turning fights with them. Their armament (guns and cannon) is very good vs a Spitfire's

What advantages do the Spits have? They have better sustained turn capability. It's harder to stall a Spit, and easier to recover vs a 109's wicked accelerated stall and spin. We have better rearward visibility from the cockpit. Spitfires are far prettier aircraft.

Haven't tested the Hurricanes yet, other than a quick jump into a cockpit offline. Online the Hurricane Mark 1_100 octane won't even START (same problem we had with 'em two betas ago -- 1.07) If you have a hankerin' to fly one you can do an "airstart spawn" at Eastchurch.

We're getting good turnouts on our Server with this beta for both sides. Hope to see you there! :thumbsup:

[ATAG_Colander]

Spitfires are far prettier aircraft

At least they they got that right from the beginning :)

[III./ZG76_Keller]

...Spitfires are far prettier aircraft...

Now that I have to disagree with.

Spitfires look like a boomerang lying underneath a dog turd, the 109 is pure chiseled sex with a Daimler-Benz core of raw fuel-injected power!

:PP

[Dutch]

the 109 is pure chiseled sex with a Daimler-Benz core of raw fuel-injected power!

I agree mate, something like this piece of gorgeousness;

1005

[III./ZG76_Keller]

I agree mate, something like this piece of gorgeousness;

1005

hahaha HOT!

[Ohms]

Had a girlfriend with the same personality once!:geek:

[Tonester]

Now that I have to disagree with.

Spitfires look like a boomerang lying underneath a dog turd, the 109 is pure chiseled sex with a Daimler-Benz core of raw fuel-injected power!

:PP

Haha...gold!