carrick58 23 Posted January 21, 2010 Has this ever happened to you? I was up with a wingman on a patrol 2 French N-24s at about 7000ft. We ran into 8 Albatross D-3s. What to do ? Run for It I signaled follow and we ran for the airfield. Useing all the height advantage made the ground before they had us coldmeat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itifonhom 6 Posted January 21, 2010 My best pilot yet was also known as the "white feathered Erich"! Made quite a carrier running! Anastasios Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Burning Beard 14 Posted January 21, 2010 My wingmen in this game have yet to by me a scotch or stogie after I save their sorry AI arses. So I figure if I can make it home alive, they can fend for themselves. Beard Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ConradB 0 Posted January 21, 2010 Yeah, but it's hard to run away in a DRI! The old outclimb them works to a point. But don't try diving too far, as you will have the stick all the way forward and the nose will start to come up anyway. The DVII, and Pfalz DII are good for diving and running. Very sturdy planes in the dive. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bullethead 12 Posted January 21, 2010 Yeah, but it's hard to run away in a DRI! Try running in a Fee. In that bird, there's absolutely no point so it's just a matter of forming square, fixing bayonets, and meeting the charge . Apart from that, running away is ALWAYS a valid tactic. Survival is what it's all about, and anything you can do to shift the odds in your favor helps. You might get close to friendly planes or ground fire. You might get on your side of the lines. You might even get away clean. But let's assume you're a true fighter pile-it and actually want to fight, but just don't like it that the enemy has way more energy than you do. Suppose you're in some slow rotary kite like a Dr.I and fear nothing in a turnfight, but the enemy has those peskey, fast E-fighters and a significant altitude advantage on you. Unless you can make them blow the E advantage, they'll just dance on your head all day. So what you do is dive away GENTLY. Not steeply, but at a shallow angle. You KNOW they'll catch you eventually, but you want them to because then you can kill them. The shallow angle prevents them from building up too much speed in their pursuit dive, so they're losing E by losing altitude without turning it into speed. Thus, by the time they catch you, they're essentially co-E with you. And as you know, in a co-E situation, the stallfighter almost always wins. Plus, maybe by this point they'll be too low to escape you by diving away themselves, so you can kill them at leisure. Said the spider the to the fly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
itifonhom 6 Posted January 21, 2010 Wow, BH that's quite a tactical retreat, great help indeed! When I have to retreat and feels bad, I think of retreat actually being the first step to revenge, makes this pill easier to swallow for me. Anastasios Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zoomzoom 2 Posted January 21, 2010 Excellent advice Bullet......I'd call it a "Tactical Feint". ZZ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OvS 8 Posted January 21, 2010 Has this ever happened to you? I was up with a wingman on a patrol 2 French N-24s at about 7000ft. We ran into 8 Albatross D-3s. What to do ? Run for It I signaled follow and we ran for the airfield. Useing all the height advantage made the ground before they had us coldmeat. A smart man runs, recalculates, and revises his initial decision... Do you know what they call the moron that dies because he doesn't... a hero. I'd rather not be a hero. OvS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creaghorn 10 Posted January 21, 2010 as soon as i lose SA or get too low, or find myself alone, i run and climb. it's easy to attack again when finding your mates again or when knowing exactly where the enemy is. but beeing attacked or surprised in a disadvantage or getting into disadvantage because beeing fixated on a target is stupid. period. so as soon as you don't know exactly what's happening around you, run away. the same like standing upright in an open field without knowing where the enemies are who might shoot at you. you should first look for cover and then check what's happening and where everybody is. same rules. never forget your line of retreat. dicta boelcke. the most important rule Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RAF_Louvert 101 Posted January 21, 2010 . "Brave Sir Robin ran away, Bravely ran away, away, When danger reared its ugly head He bravely turned his tail and fled, Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about And gallantly he chickened out, Bravely taking to his feet He beat a very brave retreat. Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin" And very sound advice BH. I have used the same tactic many times when flying my Camel against such birds as the DVII. . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slartibartfast 153 Posted January 21, 2010 I admit I dont run away I go home to get a bigger gun... Seriously though discretion is the better part of valour I have lost quite enough pilots trying to defeat the odds... Even when flying a plane far superior to the many opponents that are arrayed against me... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hasse Wind 46 Posted January 21, 2010 I wish the AI knew how to flee. Then we would have much less bloody missions and more believable kill numbers in OFF. I regularly avoid combat when the odds are unfavourable, especially when using my DiD pilots. Maybe an AI improvement for P4, hm? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zoomzoom 2 Posted January 21, 2010 I am all for better AI tweaks, but I think in the newer AI mix, (correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe historical blends the two), but in the newer AI from HITR, I have seen the Ai flee when injured or outnumbered. ZZ. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
UK_Widowmaker 571 Posted January 22, 2010 Running away often worked for MvR Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Duce Lewis 3 Posted January 22, 2010 Run away and fight another day, I say! I warp alot, so end up below and behind A Flight when HA appear Remembers seeing them fly right towards a gaggle of Spad 13's in their DVII's Put on my superman cape and poured on the coals to climb and rescue them Onnnnly to see them fly right on by with a slight height advantage over the Spad's Errrrrt, slam on the brakes and dive away from the Spad's now, cussing A Flight all the way It didn't turn out too bad as the gaggle was actually 2 flights, and only 1 chased Eventually they caught us and we battled about even Live long and prosper Share this post Link to post Share on other sites