Cowboy1968
Charter Member
I have recently been playing around with some of the pre war birds. I found a plane here that can actually turn with the Zeke, but not as well with the Oscar. The stubby little P-35 is actually quite nimble on the stick. Its" main problem is like that of many of the American prewar machines. It was underpowered and therefor lacked speed.
The key in fighting this machine proper, is to find an enemy somewhere and then fall in behind. He is most likely going to try to extend the range on you. You have to keep the throttle to the firewall. This gives you a few seconds in straight line run to fire. And if, he is like most pilots he is going to panic when he hears and feels machine gun rounds, is going to go into evasive turns and tricks. This eliminates the speed advantage and the Guardsman comes into its own. It can do a fur ball with the best of them. It is nimble on the stick. It truly is a pilot's plane, but you have to remember its not a greyhound. It isn't going to out run an enemy Zeke, so you do have to watch your six.
But, if properly fought, this plane can be a jewel for those early war missions. By 1943 the speed of the new types coming into service made the aircraft obsolete, but it could still do its job in the early war.
My question is, does anyone have or know of a better model then this one?
The key in fighting this machine proper, is to find an enemy somewhere and then fall in behind. He is most likely going to try to extend the range on you. You have to keep the throttle to the firewall. This gives you a few seconds in straight line run to fire. And if, he is like most pilots he is going to panic when he hears and feels machine gun rounds, is going to go into evasive turns and tricks. This eliminates the speed advantage and the Guardsman comes into its own. It can do a fur ball with the best of them. It is nimble on the stick. It truly is a pilot's plane, but you have to remember its not a greyhound. It isn't going to out run an enemy Zeke, so you do have to watch your six.
But, if properly fought, this plane can be a jewel for those early war missions. By 1943 the speed of the new types coming into service made the aircraft obsolete, but it could still do its job in the early war.
My question is, does anyone have or know of a better model then this one?
