Does anyone fly the Fokker E.III by choice?

[Hauksbee 103]

I've tried the E.III a few times, just often enough to know I want to stay 'way clear of it. The E.III has to be the most squirrelly, stall-prone, under-powered POS ever to get off the ground. Still, they did make a reputation. Has anyone here gotten sufficiently adept with it to fly it by choice?

[Hasse Wind 46]

I think the main reason for its reputation was that it used a synchronized machine gun, while the Entente had none. As an aircraft, it was mediocre at best.

 

I can't say I've flown the Einie too much, just a few short campaigns. I'm sure I'd fly it more if OFF had more of the early war aircraft included. I hope this will be the case in P4.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Quite right HW, and I too would fly the E.III more if there were more early war plane types to do battle with in OFF. That being said, I have flown several campaigns in the Eindecker and did quite well with it, as long as I flew it as if the handle of the control column were a raw egg. Make all maneuvers very, very gently.

 

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[Olham 164]

The Fokker E.III was not yet a fighter aircraft - it was a wingwarping kite.

With (as Hasse Wind said) the first gun to fire through the prop - which is a great advantage.

 

If you fly the craft like a kite - carefull in all energy management - then you can achieve kills

in it. I have actually shot down two Nieuport 11 in the Eindecker. I like flying the Eindecker.

But it is only just the pre-fighter-aircraft flying of a wingwarping kite.

Hard to become an ace in it.

 

And as Hasse Wind also said - the E.III doesn't have the right opponents yet.

The FE2b, the DH.2, the Nieuports and even the Bristol Scout are better aircraft.

If the Eindecker would only face the early Morane types, it would be a better balance.

A Morane Saulnier will be in P4.

Edited August 26, 2011 by Olham

[Hauksbee 103]

...and did quite well with it, as long as I flew it as if the handle of the control column were a raw egg.

I couldn't imagine a better description.

[Lewie 7]

I just started a campaign with a 1915 Einie squad. The problem is when you take off from the airfield, the planes you want to chase down are all at '9000+ and you've got to climb up to engage them, and since you can't warp while they're in the neighborhood, you're stuck with having to manually climb, and Einies are slugs when it comes to gaining altitude.

 

It's a bit of a bother that they climb better when under AI control than they do while being piloted.. But they do have half a chance against Bristols as long as you skid turn them, yup, keep the banks shallow and somewhat skiddy and you can maintain altitude. That's the trick.

[Olham 164]

You can also bank steeper, when you have energy = when you dive (gain speed).

Dive, turn tight and attack, and climb up again (unbanked).

That way you can catch a Nupe.

Edited August 27, 2011 by Olham

[Lewie 7]

I seem to do better if I take my time and pick my fights with some altitude against the Bristols. Which will definitely lose height in a turn fight, but I don't do so well with the EIII when doing boom and zooms.

[Olham 164]

A simple rule may be: the earlier the kite, the more difficult to fly.

The Eindecker or the Airco DH-2 are rather for the very experienced pilots.

We have that choice - the RL pilots had to take what they got.

[Hasse Wind 46]

A simple rule may be: the earlier the kite, the more difficult to fly.

The Eindecker or the Airco DH-2 are rather for the very experienced pilots.

We have that choice - the RL pilots had to take what they got.

 

True, but there were also some early crates that were very easy to handle, like the BE.2. But then it was so steady and slow that it became dangerous for pilots when the first real fighters appeared to challenge it.

[Olham 164]

True, Hasse Wind - I meant the single seaters only.

[Lewie 7]

Has anyone flown the EIII - EIV DH2 combo for CFS3 that AV History's website hosts?