For novice players, dogfight in this game even with the difficulty setting "Easy" (with the vulnerability enabled) is a big problem. In this article I will talk about approaches to different opponents and combat tactics on all types of aircraft with stationary weapons that shoot forward.
It is necessary
Computer with the installed game "IL-2 Sturmovik" on the "Forgotten Battles" engine (preferably "Platinum Collection" version 4.12.2, since the article was written based on it)
Instructions
Step 1
Features of the game version 4.12.2
The game has significantly improved graphics: damage, fire, smoke look more realistic and depend on the speed of movement and wind. In terms of aircraft detail level, the game is catching up with such flight simulators as Warthunder and World of Warplanes, the detail of the landscape and other objects has become much better. Added new aircraft available for player control, such as the Japanese B5N2 torpedo bomber, and for computer control. Added new maps, new ground objects, vehicles, ships. New methods of orientation and movement along the course have appeared (for example, by lighthouses at night). External damage to aircraft has become a little more varied and more realistic. Changed the tactics and behavior of bots in battle and much more.
Step 2
To begin with, let's consider a battle with bombers, transport planes and other multi-engine non-maneuverable enemies. Before getting involved in a battle for such a purpose, one should study its weak points: the location of the tanks, the type of engine (in-line or rotary (star-shaped)), weak points in the structure, and the like. This will help the museum in the game, or even an external resource - for example, an article about this aircraft.
For exploring the weaknesses of some German aircraft, Soviet video instructions for fighter pilots are perfect. You should also pay attention to the defensive armament of the enemy, find "blind spots" that are not shot at them. However, aircraft such as the Henkel-111 cover almost the entire area around them. Here you will have to choose which weapon to substitute in order to get a minimum of damage. For example, it is better to go under the belly of the Henkel and find yourself under fire from seven-millimeter machine guns than to attack from above under fire of a thirteen-millimeter MG-131 at the upper firing point, and all the more it is better not to go with it in a frontal attack - the 20-mm MGFF cannon will instantly turn your plane into a fireball. Better yet, fly the alleged enemy aircraft yourself, if possible, and check its defensive armament.
To attack the formation of bombers, if you are in a flight, try to keep the formation and do like everyone else. Attack one target until you finish. If you rush from one enemy to another, then the number of weapons firing at you will not change, and if the enemy is shot down, it will be several barrels less. Watch out for the out of order bombers and try to destroy them as quickly as possible, without letting go of the rest - they distract allies, allowing comrades to quietly leave from under fire. Please note that in-line engines are more durable than rotary ones. A fire in the engine or in the enemy's tank almost always leads to the crew leaving the aircraft.
Step 3
Combat with a heavy fighter
These aircraft have high maneuverability and cunning tactics. If you chase them, repeating all the maneuvers, you will hardly be able to keep them in sight - blind pursuit leads to severe losses in speed. You will constantly lag behind and be under attack of the enemy, not being able to attack him. To avoid this, try to stay above him. In general, superiority in height is an important plus, allowing you to attack in a dive with a gain of speed and quickly return to the previous height. Some aerobatics such as loop and immelman will be useful here. Do not forget that your aircraft, if it is a single-engine fighter, must have a speed of at least 340 km / h at the beginning of these maneuvers. The armament of heavy fighters should also be noted - in front, as a rule, they have cannons and large-caliber machine guns, so it is better not to take risks with frontal attacks. To speed up the maneuver, you can use the firing position of the flaps, but this will result in a significant loss of speed.
Step 4
Now let's consider air combat on an equal footing - fighter versus fighter. As in the cases described above, they are good at head-on, although more often they prefer to dodge and fly past. However, if you set the level of professionalism of the enemy bot to "Veteran", then most certainly he will not dodge, and then you will have to abruptly change course - even if you manage to hit the enemy, he will probably disable your aircraft or kill the pilot. In the archived videos of the game, you probably noticed that fighter battles take place most often on verticals. However, most of them were recorded in a multiplayer game with real players.
Almost the same battle can be imposed on bots, especially if your aircraft has a good climb rate and maneuverability, as well as a powerful engine. If you actively lay dead loops, then the enemy will do the same and try to gain an advantage in height after you dive. He will dive in turn, and you will gain altitude again, say, by means of the "Immelman", and are ready to attack again. This carousel looks very spectacular from the side and will continue until one of the opponents receives serious damage, which will reduce maneuverability, or until someone makes a mistake.
Step 5
Now let's look at the same using the example of using heavy fighters and attack aircraft. There are many different models and modifications of this type of aircraft, but the fact remains that most of them are inferior to "light" fighters in maneuverability, although they can win in climb rate and sheer speed. So, "De-Havilland Mosquito" is much faster than fighters, it is even capable of breaking away from the "Gustavs". The Ki-45, in addition to speed, has good maneuverability and climb rate, which makes it a thunderbolt for bombers, but it has another interesting detail - the Ho-103 cannons behind the cockpit, directed forward and upward at an angle of about 45 degrees, which allow you to shoot down targets while under their belly. This is useful for destroying aircraft that do not have backward and downward defensive weapons. The main purpose of heavy fighters is to escort bombers, which means that they, in theory, should fight with their light counterparts on equal terms. In fact, it turns out that way, since both types have their advantages and disadvantages - the main thing is that you can use them. Pure vertical combat tactics are not suitable here. So, to climb, you need to use the powerful motors of your plane and climb in a spiral, leaving the enemy behind you, then wait for the right moment and dive. Heavy fighter interceptors are usually not very maneuverable, but very fast vehicles with powerful small arms and cannon armament. Against bombers on such planes, you can use the good old American hit-and-run tactics - go from above and fly through the formation at maximum speed, shooting all opponents that fall into the reticle. In a couple of such approaches, an entire flight of bombers can be lowered to the ground (there are four aircraft in the flight).
Step 6
Interceptors and high-altitude fighters
These types have very high speeds and relatively low maneuverability. The trump card of the former is a very powerful small arms and cannon armament. The trump card of the latter is characteristics that increase with height. If you recall history, in the USSR it was believed that air battles would take place at high altitudes, so the high-altitude MiG-3 were almost the main modern aircraft in our country at that time. They were bad at low altitudes, but at an altitude of about five kilometers it was easier for them to maneuver; in addition, they developed a fantastic speed for those times - about 630 km / h. Therefore, over time, the weapons on these aircraft were strengthened and began to be used as interceptors. Combat on these aircraft should be carried out at high altitudes, preferably without sudden changes in altitude. So, in a dive, the Me.163 missile interceptor very quickly picks up its maximum speed and falls apart in the air (unless, of course, you set invulnerability in the settings or prudently removed the gas and made several jerks up and to the sides to reduce the speed before diving) …
It should be noted that most of the interceptors are built according to a non-standard scheme. So, "Gotta-229" ("Horten-229") is similar to the "flying wing" scheme, which was popular in America during the Cold War. Ta-183 has wings upward, like a gliding waterfowl, and sloping back. All these features allow them to develop great speed. When fighting on such an aircraft, do not forget that the jet engine is very vulnerable. Aircraft with rocket engines, such as BI-1, in this sense, look more protected and tenacious. The main target is long-range and strategic enemy bombers. The main tactic is the same "hit and run", but now you can use vertical maneuvers like a dead loop, which allow you to quickly and consistently destroy enemy bombers in formation.
Step 7
The battle in bombers with pilot-controlled weapons is fundamentally different from all of the above: the most important thing now is to bomb the ground targets and return to the base. Calm in the sky should be provided by escort aircraft and gunners, but it also happens that during the flight, a gaping interceptor or enemy fighter hangs in front of the pilot's sight. Then you can give a turn from the available weapon, but at the same time do not abruptly change the direction and height, and even more so do not follow him. Bombers with pilot-controlled weapons include the SM.79 (heavy machine gun above the cockpit), Wellington (one machine gun, usually in the left wing), Pe-2 (two 7.62 mm machine guns or two 12 mm machine guns, or two cannons ShVAK 20 mm, or a combination of machine guns), A-20 and B25 (similar in armament - four to six machine guns 7, 62 in the bow) and others.
