Redemption story

[macelena 1,070]

So I've played this game since around 2007/2008, with a couple hiatus i had to take, and i've always learned to like each aircraft for what it is. So, keeping it to stock aircraft, I first was obsessed with the F-104G, it was always barely under control, but i loved it, and getting air to air kills or simply hitting targets after flying fast and low was pretty nice. The Phantom was originally more about BVR, opportunity sidewinder shots and running away, until i got to find out how to dogfight with it. I bled Mirages dry of energy, but then i managed to get them to work and they lived up to the reputation they got with Israel. And so on with others.

Then there was the F-100. I kept hating the damn thing with all my heart. I couldn't make it climb, run, turn nor anything. I tried, from time to time, but curiosity got bounced by frustration within minutes. 

Until i just picked it again a few weeks ago. And i got it to fly smooth. Started killing MiGs, and enjoying how it flew into them. I've played with it for a while, in Germany, Vietnam, and even Israel, just as a what if. And when i go back to other aircraft i miss it.

Is there any aircraft in the game that you hated for quite a long time, until one day you just got used to it?

[Spinners 15,986]

Great question!

Probably the A-6A from WOV. I initially didn't like it because of it's unappealing shape but grew to love it when flying it in game due to it's smooth FM and generous payload and I especially enjoy flying it on anti-runway missions.

[Dexter249 76]

For me, it would probably be the Thud.

I hated the thing with a passion when I bought WoE on Steam, but have recently grown to love the F-105, such a joy to fly fast.

Tornado GR.1/4 would be another one, I wasn't a fan of ground attack, and then I flew it in Ace Combat 5, I knew what I was missing.

It's now one of my favorite aircraft of all time.

[mono27 85]

For me the F-5. At first I was not interested in that plane until I seated in the cockpit of a real one in a museum. Then I started to fly it in DCS. And I started to enjoy learning how to use it.

Then, back in SF2, sometimes I fly it in the Iran-Iraq mod, and sometimes the Skoshi Tiger version in the Vietnam expansion mod.

[+1977Frenchie 1,038]

As for me, the Voodoo...

I can't recall how many time i crashed caused i pulled too hard on the stick or getting caught in a dogfight and went outside the flight envelope, and i do not talk to stalling at take off :)

Then i went on to practice the thing and how to use it in different situations and i manage to get the best out of it. When i want to relax, i always jump in one and have a fun flight :)

Do not expect a good AA fight or level bombing as it's an interceptor, but a hell of a fun to fly!

[bazillius 1,258]

For me, this game is primarily a collection of planes and camouflages. As for the gameplay, I most often fly the MiG-29 for Ukraine at Black Sea Chrisis and Vietnam Theater I fly the Phantom

[Viggen 644]

Gotta be the Hun. Always felt slow and lumbering and you better hope you can bring those guns on target because AIM-9Bs suck. Redemption came towards the end of a CAS mission in NATO Fighters in WOE. Shooting down a MiG-19 in a turning fight in a clean F-100 felt great. I'll do ground attack in the F-100 all day but for the love of god keep me away from fighter sweep and intercepts.

 

Also not so much of an aircraft's redemption story, but when I finally learned how to evade SA-2s and SA-6s without ECM or chaff. Sadly I still haven't figured out how to evade SA-8s. Apparently diving for the deck, dumping 20 chaff, ECM on, and a HARM headed for the launcher isn't enough to evade. Haven't survived a single Desert Storm campaign yet...

Edited March 11, 2021 by Viggen

[macelena 1,070]

8 hours ago, Viggen said:

Also not so much of an aircraft's redemption story, but when I finally learned how to evade SA-2s and SA-6s without ECM or chaff. Sadly I still haven't figured out how to evade SA-8s. Apparently diving for the deck, dumping 20 chaff, ECM on, and a HARM headed for the launcher isn't enough to evade. Haven't survived a single Desert Storm campaign yet...

I have SA-8s set as mobile_AAA instead of SAMs as they appear more often. Let's say my Phantom campaigns in 1979 are brief. USN Phantoms do well over Iceland though.

[+Geary 1,889]

I've felt this way about many planes over the years.  First I don't care much for the planes but when I begin flying them I learn a new respect and admiration for them.

Currently for me it's the MiG-15.  I didn't hate the plane over the years, just didn't pay much attention to it except to know it was at first the foil for the F-86 Sabre in Korea.

I have MiG-15s in SF1, SF2, CFS2, FSX/MSF 2004, and IL2.  I love flying this little bird.  I drool over the DCS MiG-15 and F-86.  Might get them, but wish there was a full Korean Air War install for DCS.

Recently I repainted Pasko's old SF1 MiG-15 and even with the repainted modified A-4B cockpit simulating the MiG-15 cockpit, I still enjoy flying this old plane.

Always some new plane to get to know and enjoy.

[Gatling20 753]

Unlikely though it seems, the Brewster Buffalo. It is  a death trap to fly in the PTO against the Zero or Oscar, but (slightly up-engined) the Finnish Brewster B-239 is a killer of early Soviet aircraft:

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Gatling20

[+Menrva 4,200]

On 3/11/2021 at 2:19 AM, Viggen said:

Also not so much of an aircraft's redemption story, but when I finally learned how to evade SA-2s and SA-6s without ECM or chaff. Sadly I still haven't figured out how to evade SA-8s. Apparently diving for the deck, dumping 20 chaff, ECM on, and a HARM headed for the launcher isn't enough to evade. Haven't survived a single Desert Storm campaign yet...

On 3/11/2021 at 11:21 AM, macelena said:

I have SA-8s set as mobile_AAA instead of SAMs as they appear more often.

That's what we did for the recent ODS mod, hence SA-8s appear often, the Iraqis had quite a number of them. Still, we have two models of it with different characteristics and missiles, the most deadly can be put to Mobile_SAM so that it appears only during CAS missions.

Other related news to ODS, the Desert Storm campaign was overly long due to some wrong assumptions I made about number of sorties and usual length of a pilot's tour of duty. In the next update the campaign will progress much faster, so it should be a bit easier to survive through it.

 

[macelena 1,070]

1 hour ago, Menrva said:

That's what we did for the recent ODS mod, hence SA-8s appear often, the Iraqis had quite a number of them. Still, we have two models of it with different characteristics and missiles, the most deadly can be put to Mobile_SAM so that it appears only during CAS missions.

 

I just edited the stock one, it made more sense that the Soviet would take a few of those to Iceland if they bothered to bring PT76s, ZSUs and all sorts of not so dangerous KPVs and ZU23s for air defence.

Over Germany, on the other hand, they are really daunting. Since i have a thing for flying with underdog-obsolescent aircraft in each campaign, i picked the F-4C, in my first mission to strike a warehouse i barely avoid MiG-23s and just as i pop up and dive to drop the bombs i get nailed by an SA-8, so i moved to the regular phantoms, but still had it pretty hard. 

[alexis99 124]

I always used to fly the A-6 in Nam, and completely ignored the A-7 Corsair and F-8E Crusader. Then, being a bit jaded, I took a look at the Corsair, and thought the cockpit looked cool. I then tried the Crusader, and that had a cool cockpit too. What solidified it for me was reading about the radar controlled Aim-9C and getting it to work. That was back in SF1. Now in SF2 the A-7 and F-8E are firm favourites.