WWII Online Wiki - User contributions [en]

AA guide

2017-12-06T09:08:32Z

Bmbm: /* Spawning in the armybase */

[[Image:AA1.jpg|frame]]
=AirQuake! The AA gunner’s guide to an empty sky=

As a groundpounder in WWIIOL:BE you will no doubt experience times of extreme aerial activity, as in a hail of bombs and bullets that smothers everything and renders any movement impossible. After suffering a series of humiliating and helpless deaths at the spawn point, you too will curse the pilots and wish for multi-barelled AA weapons of doom to teach the pesky enemy fighters a lesson, as have so many before you.

In WWIIOL:BE, air power is immensely strong, arguably stronger than history leads us to believe it should be, for a few simple reasons:
* Pilots can press their attacks to ridiculously low levels and close ranges with little to no fear of death.
* Aircraft are a-plenty, and have a very short time to combat (TTC).
* The game terrain does not offer near enough cover and concealment against aerial observation and attack.

This, in combination with the fact that the available manpower is usually barely sufficient to fulfil the demands of the ground battle, leaves the anti-air defensive requirements far short of adequate. There is simply not enough people around to guard the Forward Base, to scout ahead, to man the tanks, to help the tanks against enemy sappers and anti-tank guns, to capture the depots AND to keep a tight defensive grip on the local sky. However, the same can be said for just about any tactical situation in the game, which leaves the player with but one option: to make do with what there is.

==Expectations==
Expecting a lone AA gun to succeed against multiple hostile aircraft is about as profitable as expecting to survive a walk through a heavy combined-arms attack. When enemy air is out to get you it is unreasonable to expect survival, and the sooner you come to terms with this and moderate your expectations, your frustration of being gunned down repeatedly will diminsh. In short, do not expect to excel in any situation, but learn to do well in some situations.

AA guns are subject to the same spawn considerations as any other piece of equipment in the game. That means that if the enemy has already established a strong presence in guns range to your spawn point, they have effectively won the fight already. Persistent spawning into a camped spawn point will only serve to make you frustrated and desperate – the only solution then is to accept defeat, yield, and spawn your persona somewhere else where conditions are more favourable.

==Standard deployment routine==
* Spawn a light machine gunner (LMG) to check out the situation before rolling an expensive and cumbersome gun.
* If all is clear, ditch the LMG, spawn a gun and PUSH – at least 200 meters away from the spawn point.
* If all is NOT clear, keep your LMG and seek cover at least 200 meters away from the spawn point, and hose down any low-flying aircraft (see LMG in the AA role).
* If you have deployed at least 200 meters away from the spawn point, keep pushing to add another 200 meters during lulls in action.

* Push the gun by thrusting your joystick forward while in position 1 (commander).
* Deploy the gun for firing by pressing z (default) and move to position 2 (gunner)
* Traverse and elevate the gun with the joystick, and fire with your primary fire button (or F).
* If opportunity arises, hook up to a prime mover (truck or halftrack) by moving your gun to the rear of the vehicle and pressing T (tow) while in position 1 (commander). Unhitch by pressing T again. Light AA guns – Cmle. 38 and FlaK 30 hitch by the rear while Bofors/FlaK 28 hitch by the barrel.

==Seek cover or stay in the open?==
[[image:flakdeploy.jpg|frame|This Flak 30 is deployed with the gunner out in the open and with the commander and the carriage tucked into a bush. This practice makes you less visible to enemy aircraft without reducing your view of the sky - until you open fire.]]
Cover and concealment is as important to the AA gunner as any other unit in the game. However, a well covered and well concealed position may only offer a limited firing arc. Depending on the situation, a lot of cover may or may not be desireable.
* If heavy fire is expected from a nearby objective or enemy concentration, put something solid such as a berm or structure in between yourself and the enemy. This is called '''frontal cover''' and is most useful.
* If enemy air is strongly in attendance you will want to position yourself nearby, though not necessarily inside, a piece of foliage. Only move inside foliage if your intent is to hide, however momentarily, from view. Shooting from foliage is difficult as it will easily obscure your view of the sky when you least want it to.
* Firing from inside structures is sometimes possible, though your field of fire will be strictly limited. This works well if your position is part of a defensive position where numerous guns have interlocking fields of fire.
* A combination of open fields and accessible cover is usually best, as you can spot and defeat ground threats from a long ways off, while having the opportunity to draw behind hard cover or foliage if need be. Reverse slopes are also especially useful: you may command the air while being reasonably safe from ground threats.

=Spawning at a Forward Base=
[[image:Fbdeploy2.jpg|frame|Move away from the spawn point - it will save you a ton of grief, and allows you to spot and defeat enemy sappers as well as offer you easy flank shots on enemy aircraft.]]
* The FB revetment is the bullseye – '''move away from it without delay.'''
* If you are first, or alone, on the scene, seek to deploy on the ”far side” of the spawn point so that you have the general FB area between you and the enemy-held objective. Thus you can engage both air and enemy sapper parties without being the default victim of either.
* If there are multiple AA guns at the FB, seek to extend the defensive perimeter to a distance of 500 meters all around.

When the FB is securely defended, position additional guns in cover along the road to the objective: enemy air usually scour the roads, and properly placed AA guns can make a killing here. Do not approach within 1000 m range to the town until other ground troops have established a firm foothold in the town.

When friendly forces have the target largely under control, move in to position yourself at 300-500 m from the town perimeter. This is far enough away from stray enemy infantry and roaming tanks, yet close enough to offer opportunity against enemy aircraft who endeavour to clear the town by bombing and strafing. If you cannot be bothered to push to the town, ask friendly forces for a tow.

Realize that successful AA gunners are patient. Enemy air is not always present at the beginning of a battle, but they are almost always present at the tail end of one! Know also that most battles last for hours, and even if you push at a measly 1 m/s, you will probably overtake the forward edge of battle over the course of your sortie.

=Spawning in the armybase=
* The patch of ground just in front of the armybase garage, and the armybase area at large, is a giant bullseye for enemy air. '''Move away without delay!'''
* If you cannot move outside the armybase compound and still persist in manning your gun, deploy in the corners of the AB where you get a small measure of protection from the walls. Do not expect to live for long though - snipers, strafers, mortars, grenades and bombs are par for the course.
* If the town is not yet infested by enemy infantry and tanks, move to the flanks and to the far side of the town opposite from the enemy ingress direction, to at least 2-300 meters distance away from the town perimeter.
* If you cannot move out of the town, put a building in between yourself and the enemy and seek protection from close assault by positioning close to friendly infantry and tanks.
* If you cannot live for more than a minute in the armybase due to intense enemy air, sneaky infantry and the occasional enemy tank, you may want to consider grabbing a rifle or a satchel instead – or go spawn a fighter to clear out the enemy air from above. Sometimes perseverance is no more than plain stupidity.

=When to fire=
* Fire only when enemy air is in effective range. This is shorter than you think: anything beyond 500 meters is long range.
* Fire only when the enemy is not actively looking in your direction.
* Fire only when you are certain of a kill, unless you are part of a large AA concentration for which intimidation is as important as kills.
* Fire heavily in self-preservation when the enemy is diving straight at you with an intent to kill.

=When NOT to fire=
* Do not fire if you are still in the immediate vicinity of the spawn point, except when enemy air is diving down to attack YOU. Push instead.
* Do not fire when EA is out of range – this will only draw attention to yourself.
* Do not fire when EA is inbound and still have the option to switch targets – to you!
* Do NOT fire at obvious decoys circling outside your range – for while he circles to draw your fire his buddy is coming in to deal with you.
* Firing at dogfighting aircraft is futile unless they are very slow and/or very close.

=Think like a pilot=
When the pilot arrives to your battle area he must first find you if he is to try and destroy you. If you remain in the vicinity of the spawn point, you make it far too easy for him – '''move out!'''

If you are not in the spawn area bullseye the pilot must make repeated low passes, or circle overhead, to spot you. If you are deployed out in the open, you are easy to spot. If you have deployed in or near foliage, he will have a harder time spotting you. If you hold your fire, he may not spot you at all.
While the pilot is attempting to spot you, he must at some point show his belly or flank to you: this is the time to fire, in range, and heavily. He will crash and die without knowing what hit him or where from the fire came. If you have managed to kill him in this way, and have not been spotted by other aircraft in the vicinity, you can safely remain in your current position.

If your position is compromized (i.e he spots your fire as you kill him), move! You may have 2-3 minutes worth of pushing before he returns to avenge his death, and in that time you can move far enough to keep him guessing. If he does not immediately spot you, he must start a new search and at some point fly so as to show his belly or side: make the most of your opportunity and kill him again – or simply lie doggo until he gives up.

The pilot will usually come in from a predictable direction, often so as to make his first pass towards the revetment opening: directly to front or at right angles. Use this knowledge by positioning yourself so as to recieve him with flanking fire, or with fire from directly below his flight path. You may also find it profitable to position yourselves where he is likely to break off an attack and zoom: here you get excellent belly shots, unseen by the pilot.

When the pilot is attacking, either the spawn point or some other hapless ground target, he is focussed in his zoomed-in gunsight and unable to register action outside this narrow cone: use this knowledge to fire at his flanks and belly during his attack run.

- - -

It pays off to be sneaky when you are well sited. Even if you have a fairly good shot lined up you don't necessarily need to take it at the first opportunity. When EA first arrives at the FB they will be anticipating a hot AA welcome. On their first pass they will have an overhead of energy and anyway fly as fast as they can in avoiding the expected AA fire. So you wait a few passes, biding your time, holding your fire. After a while without opposition they will relax in their vigilance and start flying really low and really slow looking for targets. That's when you can nail two or three of them in 20 seconds flat. Following this action, lie doggo (or displace if all is clear) until opportunity knocks again.
[Source: Murf64]

- - -

Pilots expect AA to be sited close to the FB and inside the Armybase compound - based on this, they tend to avoid excessive loitering over said places, and many avoid coming near at all. Only the most suicidal or the least proficient pilots will impale themselves on established AA defences: thankfully for the AA gunners, there are plenty of these around! Pilots know that AA gunners are lazy and do not expect to find any ground fire outside these locations. You will reap the richest harvests well away from these zones of exclusion, particularly along roads leading up to hotly contested towns and on the far side of Forward Bases closest to enemy ingress routes. Another sweet spot is the place where pilots go into a zoom climb after a strafing or divebombing pass: though they are receding targets, the rate will be small, and you can choose freely between engaging their belly after they unload at the target and their low astern aspect when they climb away. This spot is generally found some 300 to 600 meters away from a principal objective - another good reason to push that gun!

=Airquaked at the FB? How to lift the aerial siege=
<blockquote>
''The trick with an FB that has heavy enemy air over it is to not expect you'll survive while they are in their strafing frenzy. That's just not thinking at all.''

—DOC
</blockquote>

So, how do you begin? Start by assessing the situation: pick a low-cost unit like a rifleman or LMG (light machine gunner) and observe what is going on. If enemy air is heavy in attendance and circling overhead you will have less than a snowball’s chance in hell with heavy equipment. In this case, lie doggo with your rifleman and wait until enemy air leaves the area. Meanwhile, talk your compadres at the FB into following your example – spawn infantry only! Enemy air that is not presented with worthwhile targets will only remain for a few minutes before their impatience gets the better of them – wait those few minutes, then spawn your heavy unit.

If you cannot wait, run a few hundred yards with your LMG to a berm or structure that offers at least some cover, and blaze away at any and all low and slow aircraft that happen into your field of fire. If you can assemble 6-8 machinegunners and spread them out, a decent volume of fire can be delivered to deter at least some of the more brazen enemy fighters – enough to allow a light AA gun to spawn and deploy.

In all enemy air feeding frenzies, there comes a time when the enemy must return for fresh planes, fresh ammo or is elsewhere occupied. Use the respite to quickly build up a heavy concentration of AA guns, and position them well away from the spawn point.

If enemy air is present in the distance but not yet actively targetting the spawn point, spawn a gun and make best time well away from the garage, depot or revetment. Push push push!

==Use decoys==
Trucks and scout cars are sufficiently fast and manoeuvrable to drive around as decoys while other players spawn AA guns and spread out. Fighters will in nine cases out of ten prioritize vehicles before guns, allowing the defender a small respite sufficient to deploy guns while the vehicle is being hunted down.

Friendly aircraft are also very effective as decoys to draw enemy attention. Enemy fighters will leap like starved dogs after any aerial target: use the respite to tow out a minimum of three or four guns, but be quick about it for the lull is unlikely to last more than thirty seconds per friendly aerial sacrifice. Dispersion is key here: get as many guns out as you can, as far as you can, and do not be shy of opening up indiscriminately – intimidation is also a weapon.

=General gunnery tips=
[[image:Flak30.gif|frame|A Spitfire comes in low over the Forward Base on a recon run. Range 300 m.]]
[[image:Flak30slo.gif|frame|Same sequence at 1:4 speed. Notice the target-following (tracking) motion.]]
* In all your engagements you MUST LEAD the target. That means aiming and firing ahead of the target, in his anticipated future flight path. The faster the target and the farther the range, the longer the lead you need to draw. Watch player-submitted videos (links below) and see how the veterans do it.
* Use the gunsight’s vector lines to determine the target flight path. E.g. if the target moves perpendicularly (left to right) across your view, line him up with the horizontal line and aim slightly high to allow for the curved trajectory (shell drop).
* If the enemy is flying a straight path and firing, either at a friendly aircraft or a ground target, seize on the opportunity to determine his vector: aim along his line of tracer, draw lead as required, adjust slightly for shell drop and karumpah his keister.
* Time allowing, draw lead, fire two-three shots and observe. Correct your aim and fire for effect.
* Another method is to draw excessive lead and fire heavily at a place in the sky where you expect the target to fly through. You may also combine this with tracking fire (i.e. you follow the target by traversing/elevating and firing at the same time) at a slightly lower rate than the target moves through your sight picture. Thus you maintain a decreasing lead computation while correcting your elevation and throwing out a lot of lead at the same time.
* How much lead to pull is dependent on range, speed and vector to the target. The greater the range, the higher the speed, and the greater the deflection (to a max of 90 degrees), the more lead you need draw. At short range and small deflection (e.g. the target coming roughly towards you), aim approximately one plane length ahead. At short range and high deflection (i.e. a side shot) you may have to draw as much as three to five plane lengths worth of lead. Only if the target is coming straight at you (zero deflection) can you aim directly at the target – but then he is probably already gunning you down or dropping his bombs. If the target is turning or pulling off a straight path in any way you must make allowance for this and correct your aim incrementally throughout the firing sequence.
* The easiest by far are belly shots at 500 meters or less at virtually any speed. Line up the target so that he flies toward the gunsight center, track the target gently and hose away until he comes fully into the sight. If you missed this easy shot, draw fresh lead and try again. You will be presented with this easy shot time and time again if you have the fortitude to push some 300-500 meters away from the spawnpoint – as an added bonus the target is completely blind and completely unaware of what is hitting him.
* Next to the belly shot and the low frontal quarter shot, the flank shot holds the greatest promise. With practice you should be able to score reliable hits out to 1000 m against bombers and other sitting ducks. Fighters at full speed are more difficult to hit – you will need to pull seven to ten plane lengths worth of lead, putting the target well outside the sight ring, to score. The benefit of the flank shot is that the pilot is normally looking straight forward and blissfully unaware of the incoming fire. This allows you to remain in situ after the kill unless his compadres have noted your position.
* Tracking planes flying away from you is much harder than tracking planes coming toward you. Only attempt the pursuit shot against targets that are slow or presenting little vector change as they fly away.
* When targetting descending paratroopers, aim at their feet to hit them center mass.

=Range and Lead=
[[image:Bof1.jpg|frame|Range 750 m]]
[[image:Bof2.jpg|frame|Range 500 m]]
[[image:Bof3.jpg|frame|Range 100 m]]
[[image:Cm1.jpg|frame|Range 300 m]]
[[image:Cm2.jpg|frame|Range 800 m]]
Here are some examples from player-submitted videos showing the firing instance that produced hits. Note how the gunner makes allowance for target speed and range, and lines up the target so that its fuselage is pointing toward the middle of the sight picture. Count the plane lengths, make allowance for your muzzle velocity, track (traverse) gently and bang away. These targets are all flying straight paths through the sky and thus make for easy shots at comfortable range – against turning targets, you must compute the target vector and pay less attention to the position of its fuselage.

Vector? Picture for instance a fighter, showing his flank to you, making a loop: his fuselage will be pointing to the side, then up, then to the other side, and finally towards the earth before coming out on his original heading. Scoring a hit against such a target is far more difficult, as the shot calculation is changing through every instant. He might not complete the loop at all but go straight up, or turn fully away from you. Get the picture? Fire at targets that fly straight!

As can be seen in the pictures, the “halo” around the target is not just for good looks: it tells you the range. At 500 m, the halo is quarter-full from 6 to 9 o’clock. At 1000 m, the halo is half from 6 to 12 o’clock. At 2000 m, the halo is full around.

=Using the Bofors/FlaK 28=
The Swedish-designed [[Bofors_40_mm|Bofors 40 mm AA gun]], ''Fliegerabwehrkanone 28'' in German service, is the heaviest and most potent AA gun currently in the BGE arsenal. Its chief advantage lies in its heavy punch; excellent ring-sight picture; long range and uninterrupted ammunition flow – once you have a target in sight you can bang away without worrying about running out of a short clip. Its main drawbacks are the glacial manual groundspeed; relatively slow rate of fire; relatively slow traverse; relatively slow deployment/undeployment; and its size – the Bofors is a big gun and consequently harder to hide than the 20 and 25 mm guns.

Because the Bofors is so slow to push around people generally stay close to the spawn point. This is a terminal error. Whenever and whatever you spawn into the game world your first objective is to put a healthy distance to the one place where the enemy is bound to look for you: the spawn point. This cannot be emphasized enough: if you stay in or near the spawn, you DIE. You do not want to die – you want to kill! So push that gun, and be happy that you ''can'' push it. Best of all, arrange with a friendly soul to tow you away. The Bofors can be towed only by the [[Trucks#Morris_CDSW|Morris CDSW]], the [[Trucks#Laffly_S20|Laffly S-20]] and the [[Trucks#SdKfz_7|Sdkfz 7]].

The Bofors, while having a hypothetical range of some 4000 m, is best fired at targets inside half that range and better still, inside 1000 m range. Expert marksmen will score hits at maximum range even against fast targets, but if you do not belong to that category, hold your fire until the target is comfortably close: 500 meters or less.

While its heavy shell can down a fighter in a single hit, you will find that it usually takes two or three hits to reliably strike them out of the sky – unless you hit a critical component like the pilot, the engine, the vertical stabilizer or the fuel tank. There are great shots out there who can pluck down any target with just 4-5 shells, and they are rightly feared by pilots for they will give you no warning, just a black screen.

With an abundant supply of ammo, which by the way a supply truck or halftrack can replenish indefinately, the humdrum Bofors gunner bangs away merrily. This is a great way of attracting attention to yourself, and with attention comes bombs and machinegun fire only a short while later. So keep that itchy finger still, and only fire when you are fairly certain to score a hit. For, if you are spotted, you must displace (relocate) without delay.

The one time when you really want to pour on the coal is when you are defending a high-value target in the company of multiple AA guns – the more the merrier. Now your objective is to deter and intimidate, and the Bofors shells does have a strong effect in this department.

The Bofors is also exceptionally capable against ground targets, chiefly the soft variety: infantry, trucks, halftracks and guns. It can hurt, and most certainly annoy through incessant concussion effects, armour as well, and clobber armoured cars beyond recognition. When firing at ground targets beyond 1000 m range, make sure to use your commander’s binoculars to track the fall of shot. This requires some dexterity but should anyway be second nature to the veteran BGE player. The low part if the inner circle is your aiming point at 1000 m range. Fire one shell, observe with commander, correct and fire for effect.

=Using the Canon Mle. 38=
The 25 mm Hotchkiss Modèle 38 light AA gun is small, fast and nimble with a high rate of fire. It boasts a flat shell trajectory due to its high muzzle velocity, giving it exceptional accuracy at normal engagement ranges, and a decent punch for its caliber. On the debit side, the gunsight is difficult to use for the beginner as it does not have the open wheel-type aiming reticle of the Bofors but a periscope with V-shaped guide lines. This is tricky enough, and to make it worse the gunner must choose between using the standard zoom and its constricted view - or the zoomed-in view which is hard to put in relation to the speed and vector of the target. Additionally the short clip of 15 rounds per magazine requires frequent reloading, usually at the most inappropriate times.

The CAmle 38 has some notable benefits: it is available in great numbers; it can be spawned from all friendly depots; it can be brought forward by all trucks and prime movers; it is easily hidden in foliage and structures; it pushes manually at a fair pace; and it works well in its dual role of ground support thanks to its zoomed-in sight and flat shell trajectory. It is an excellent weapon against soft targets.

Because it moves fast when pushed there is no excuse to remain at or near the spawn point, and with only three or four guns you can quickly establish a passable AA canopy that allows heavier weapons to spawn in relative peace.

Due to its relatively small caliber the CAmle 38 gunner will seldom experience one shot kills against aircraft. While it is not quite as impotent as the FlaK 30, the “Camel” gunner must score multiple hits, preferably against weak parts of the aircraft, to see it plunging down.

The Camle 38’s sight picture is both a blessing and a curse: unlike with the Bofors, you will rarely land hits at targets that crosses perpendicularly at a high rate of speed – particularly at extreme and very close range – because the massive lead required does not fit in the sight picture. For this reason the cunning gunner restricts his fire against targets travelling at a slow rate. This means that the target must be heading more or less straight at the gunner in a narrow cone of opportunity – i.e. at less than 30 degrees angle off – or at a slow turn of speed if the heading is any greater than 30 degrees angle off. The sight is exceptionally tricky to use for overhead shots, e.g. a target flies over from straight ahead to straight behind, as the gun must be traversed and elevated at the same time: a disorientating practice that makes lead computation yet harder.

Tracking shots at high elevation are tricky because the lead changes abruptly, especially at short range. From this follows that the easiest shots are made against low, slow and close targets: anything outside 1000 m should be considered a waste of ammo.

Keep a close eye on the ammo counter in your low left interface panel, or count your shots as you fire: if you have less than 5 shells left in the magazine and expect to need more in the short run, clear the magazine by firing so as to load a fresh one ASAP. And do not fire those stray rounds into the sky – pick a bush some 300 meters away and put your shots there so as not to betray your location to potential onlookers.

The “trick” with the Camle 38 is to fire at close range and to draw somewhat LESS lead than you think you need: the high velocity shell gives it more of a “point-and-click” capacity in comparison with the Bofors.

=Using the FlaK 30=
[[image:Flak30_2.gif|frame|Spitfire at 500 meter range and close to full speed.]]
[[image:Flak30_2slo.gif|frame|Same sequence in slow motion. See the slight tracking motion: it keeps fire concentrated while adjusting the lead incrementally - the target flies into a shotgun pattern of shells.]]

The 20 mm Rheinmetall Borsig ''Fliegerabwehrkanone'' 30, or FlaK 30, is the weakest of all BGE AA guns, yet it is not to be trifled with! While it is substantially harder to down EA (enemy aircraft) with the FlaK 30 compared to the Bofors or the CA mle 38, the FlaK 30 can do a creditable job under specific circumstances – and in choosing between an LMG and nothing at all, the FlaK 30 is clearly superior.

Like the CA mle 38 the FlaK 30 is a short-range weapon that requires multiple hits to down its target; it is small, fast and easy to tuck away where pilots least expect it.

The FlaK 30 suffers certain shortcomings that makes it the least effective AA gun in BGE: it fires a light caliber shell with small explosive content; it has a short 20-shell clip that requires frequent reloading; the one-stage zoom sight picture is somewhat restricted by the square rainhood that effectively blots out targets in normal high-deflection situations and makes lead computation more guesswork than science; and when firing at high elevation the unzoomed view does not correspond to the gunsight picture!

For these reasons the FlaK 30 gunner is restricted to short range engagements of low and slow targets that does not require excessive deflection (lead). Hitting anything beyond 600 meters, unless the target moves at minimal rate through the sight, is more a question of luck – or extreme proficiency.

Key to using the FlaK 30 effectively is position and patience – the only other substitute is deployment in mass and density, something that is rarely achieved except by a determined and sizeable force with boots to spare. Selecting your position is by far the most important: with an effective range of 500 meters you must calculate and predict where opportunity will knock, without putting yourself at risk to roaming enemy ground troops. Usually this means that you need to stay within 1000 metes distance to the FB, main attack artery (usually a road) and the target town – beyond this range, EA are likely to be too high and too fast for you to engage effectively.

The FlaK 30 is an effective ground support weapon too, albeit at short to medium range. The HE shell is however quite weak and requires direct hits to do any damage whatsoever: its efficacy lies in suppression and intimidation. On the upside, the FlaK 30 carries AP (armor-piercing) ammunition that is effective against light tanks and scout cars, and AP is also useful against aircraft.

=Using the LMG in the AA role=
The most basic and most readily available AA weapon is the [[Light_Machine_Gunner|Light Machinegun (LMG)]]: the Bren, the FM 24/29 and the MG 34. While BGE does not as yet incorporate AA mountings for these weapons, they can still be somewhat effective against EA – particularly when employed en masse.

The effective AA range of the LMG is short: do not expect to hit anything outside 300 meters range. You will also find that targets need to be low, slow and/or moving at a small rate (i.e. almost directly toward you) to offer any chance of scoring hits. These criteria dictates that you must seek positions near the EA’s intended target and/or flight path; positions that offer near head-on shots instead of perpendicular (flank) shots; positions that offer a decent view of the sky and most importantly, cover from enemy ground troops and vehicles.

When firing at EA, seek to concentrate your fire by drawing lead and pouring it out in this one direction rather than attempt tracking (target-following) fire. It only takes one bullet to the brain to down that EA, and lashing out a concentrated volley improves that likelihood.

The best positions are found in the windowsills of destroyed town houses on the lee side of enemy ground units, and on the reverse slopes of berms and hills. This latter point is important, as you will want to deploy at a vertical angle to command a greater slice of the sky. Avoid conspicuous positions such as belfrys, depot roofs, garage roofs and similar attention magnets. Get out of the enemy bullseye!

When preparing to receive an EA, do not deploy until you are fairly certain of his vector – and deploy with adequate deflection (lead) already if the target is coming in at any angle off. Fire long bursts, undeploy and reload. If you do hit, you will be greeted by a string of puffs in the wake of the target – and with sufficient weight of fire from the ground, even the hardiest pilot will think twice about coming down low and slow.

=Useful links=
Sqdrd’s Bofors movie:

http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m187/squidrd/?action=view&current=SquiddysMovie.flv

Lawndart’s Bofors movies:

<youtube>O3I94aGl3v0</youtube>

<youtube>KQ0OMtWwWoA</youtube>

<youtube>uBeUIbE6X38</youtube>

Gunning the Cmle 38:

<youtube>yw0dYma07yg</youtube>

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Advanced_Guides]]
[[Category:NeedsWork]]

AA guide

2017-12-06T09:04:16Z

Bmbm: updated hitch command

[[Image:AA1.jpg|frame]]
=AirQuake! The AA gunner’s guide to an empty sky=

As a groundpounder in WWIIOL:BE you will no doubt experience times of extreme aerial activity, as in a hail of bombs and bullets that smothers everything and renders any movement impossible. After suffering a series of humiliating and helpless deaths at the spawn point, you too will curse the pilots and wish for multi-barelled AA weapons of doom to teach the pesky enemy fighters a lesson, as have so many before you.

In WWIIOL:BE, air power is immensely strong, arguably stronger than history leads us to believe it should be, for a few simple reasons:
* Pilots can press their attacks to ridiculously low levels and close ranges with little to no fear of death.
* Aircraft are a-plenty, and have a very short time to combat (TTC).
* The game terrain does not offer near enough cover and concealment against aerial observation and attack.

This, in combination with the fact that the available manpower is usually barely sufficient to fulfil the demands of the ground battle, leaves the anti-air defensive requirements far short of adequate. There is simply not enough people around to guard the Forward Base, to scout ahead, to man the tanks, to help the tanks against enemy sappers and anti-tank guns, to capture the depots AND to keep a tight defensive grip on the local sky. However, the same can be said for just about any tactical situation in the game, which leaves the player with but one option: to make do with what there is.

==Expectations==
Expecting a lone AA gun to succeed against multiple hostile aircraft is about as profitable as expecting to survive a walk through a heavy combined-arms attack. When enemy air is out to get you it is unreasonable to expect survival, and the sooner you come to terms with this and moderate your expectations, your frustration of being gunned down repeatedly will diminsh. In short, do not expect to excel in any situation, but learn to do well in some situations.

AA guns are subject to the same spawn considerations as any other piece of equipment in the game. That means that if the enemy has already established a strong presence in guns range to your spawn point, they have effectively won the fight already. Persistent spawning into a camped spawn point will only serve to make you frustrated and desperate – the only solution then is to accept defeat, yield, and spawn your persona somewhere else where conditions are more favourable.

==Standard deployment routine==
* Spawn a light machine gunner (LMG) to check out the situation before rolling an expensive and cumbersome gun.
* If all is clear, ditch the LMG, spawn a gun and PUSH – at least 200 meters away from the spawn point.
* If all is NOT clear, keep your LMG and seek cover at least 200 meters away from the spawn point, and hose down any low-flying aircraft (see LMG in the AA role).
* If you have deployed at least 200 meters away from the spawn point, keep pushing to add another 200 meters during lulls in action.

* Push the gun by thrusting your joystick forward while in position 1 (commander).
* Deploy the gun for firing by pressing z (default) and move to position 2 (gunner)
* Traverse and elevate the gun with the joystick, and fire with your primary fire button (or F).
* If opportunity arises, hook up to a prime mover (truck or halftrack) by moving your gun to the rear of the vehicle and pressing T (tow) while in position 1 (commander). Unhitch by pressing T again. Light AA guns – Cmle. 38 and FlaK 30 hitch by the rear while Bofors/FlaK 28 hitch by the barrel.

==Seek cover or stay in the open?==
[[image:flakdeploy.jpg|frame|This Flak 30 is deployed with the gunner out in the open and with the commander and the carriage tucked into a bush. This practice makes you less visible to enemy aircraft without reducing your view of the sky - until you open fire.]]
Cover and concealment is as important to the AA gunner as any other unit in the game. However, a well covered and well concealed position may only offer a limited firing arc. Depending on the situation, a lot of cover may or may not be desireable.
* If heavy fire is expected from a nearby objective or enemy concentration, put something solid such as a berm or structure in between yourself and the enemy. This is called '''frontal cover''' and is most useful.
* If enemy air is strongly in attendance you will want to position yourself nearby, though not necessarily inside, a piece of foliage. Only move inside foliage if your intent is to hide, however momentarily, from view. Shooting from foliage is difficult as it will easily obscure your view of the sky when you least want it to.
* Firing from inside structures is sometimes possible, though your field of fire will be strictly limited. This works well if your position is part of a defensive position where numerous guns have interlocking fields of fire.
* A combination of open fields and accessible cover is usually best, as you can spot and defeat ground threats from a long ways off, while having the opportunity to draw behind hard cover or foliage if need be. Reverse slopes are also especially useful: you may command the air while being reasonably safe from ground threats.

=Spawning at a Forward Base=
[[image:Fbdeploy2.jpg|frame|Move away from the spawn point - it will save you a ton of grief, and allows you to spot and defeat enemy sappers as well as offer you easy flank shots on enemy aircraft.]]
* The FB revetment is the bullseye – '''move away from it without delay.'''
* If you are first, or alone, on the scene, seek to deploy on the ”far side” of the spawn point so that you have the general FB area between you and the enemy-held objective. Thus you can engage both air and enemy sapper parties without being the default victim of either.
* If there are multiple AA guns at the FB, seek to extend the defensive perimeter to a distance of 500 meters all around.

When the FB is securely defended, position additional guns in cover along the road to the objective: enemy air usually scour the roads, and properly placed AA guns can make a killing here. Do not approach within 1000 m range to the town until other ground troops have established a firm foothold in the town.

When friendly forces have the target largely under control, move in to position yourself at 300-500 m from the town perimeter. This is far enough away from stray enemy infantry and roaming tanks, yet close enough to offer opportunity against enemy aircraft who endeavour to clear the town by bombing and strafing. If you cannot be bothered to push to the town, ask friendly forces for a tow.

Realize that successful AA gunners are patient. Enemy air is not always present at the beginning of a battle, but they are almost always present at the tail end of one! Know also that most battles last for hours, and even if you push at a measly 1 m/s, you will probably overtake the forward edge of battle over the course of your sortie.

=Spawning in the armybase=
* The patch of ground just in front of the armybase garage, and the armybase area at large, is a giant bullseye for enemy air. '''Move away without delay!'''
* If you cannot move outside the armybase compound and still persist in manning your gun, deploy in the corners of the AB where you get a small measure of protection from the walls. The revetment where the white fuel tank used to sit before someone blew it up, is also a worthwhile position. There is a pile of stacked wooden boxes that also offers some protection against blast and shell. Do not expect to live for long though - snipers, strafers, mortars, grenades and bombs is par for the course.
* If the town is not yet infested by enemy infantry and tanks, move to the flanks and to the far side of the town opposite from the enemy ingress direction, to at least 2-300 meters distance away from the town perimeter.
* If you cannot move out of the town, put a building in between yourself and the enemy and seek protection from close assault by positioning close to friendly infantry and tanks.
* If you cannot live for more than a minute in the armybase due to intense enemy air, sneaky infantry and the occasional enemy tank, you may want to consider grabbing a rifle or a satchel instead – or go spawn a fighter to clear out the enemy air from above. Sometimes perseverance is no more than plain stupidity.

=When to fire=
* Fire only when enemy air is in effective range. This is shorter than you think: anything beyond 500 meters is long range.
* Fire only when the enemy is not actively looking in your direction.
* Fire only when you are certain of a kill, unless you are part of a large AA concentration for which intimidation is as important as kills.
* Fire heavily in self-preservation when the enemy is diving straight at you with an intent to kill.

=When NOT to fire=
* Do not fire if you are still in the immediate vicinity of the spawn point, except when enemy air is diving down to attack YOU. Push instead.
* Do not fire when EA is out of range – this will only draw attention to yourself.
* Do not fire when EA is inbound and still have the option to switch targets – to you!
* Do NOT fire at obvious decoys circling outside your range – for while he circles to draw your fire his buddy is coming in to deal with you.
* Firing at dogfighting aircraft is futile unless they are very slow and/or very close.

=Think like a pilot=
When the pilot arrives to your battle area he must first find you if he is to try and destroy you. If you remain in the vicinity of the spawn point, you make it far too easy for him – '''move out!'''

If you are not in the spawn area bullseye the pilot must make repeated low passes, or circle overhead, to spot you. If you are deployed out in the open, you are easy to spot. If you have deployed in or near foliage, he will have a harder time spotting you. If you hold your fire, he may not spot you at all.
While the pilot is attempting to spot you, he must at some point show his belly or flank to you: this is the time to fire, in range, and heavily. He will crash and die without knowing what hit him or where from the fire came. If you have managed to kill him in this way, and have not been spotted by other aircraft in the vicinity, you can safely remain in your current position.

If your position is compromized (i.e he spots your fire as you kill him), move! You may have 2-3 minutes worth of pushing before he returns to avenge his death, and in that time you can move far enough to keep him guessing. If he does not immediately spot you, he must start a new search and at some point fly so as to show his belly or side: make the most of your opportunity and kill him again – or simply lie doggo until he gives up.

The pilot will usually come in from a predictable direction, often so as to make his first pass towards the revetment opening: directly to front or at right angles. Use this knowledge by positioning yourself so as to recieve him with flanking fire, or with fire from directly below his flight path. You may also find it profitable to position yourselves where he is likely to break off an attack and zoom: here you get excellent belly shots, unseen by the pilot.

When the pilot is attacking, either the spawn point or some other hapless ground target, he is focussed in his zoomed-in gunsight and unable to register action outside this narrow cone: use this knowledge to fire at his flanks and belly during his attack run.

- - -

It pays off to be sneaky when you are well sited. Even if you have a fairly good shot lined up you don't necessarily need to take it at the first opportunity. When EA first arrives at the FB they will be anticipating a hot AA welcome. On their first pass they will have an overhead of energy and anyway fly as fast as they can in avoiding the expected AA fire. So you wait a few passes, biding your time, holding your fire. After a while without opposition they will relax in their vigilance and start flying really low and really slow looking for targets. That's when you can nail two or three of them in 20 seconds flat. Following this action, lie doggo (or displace if all is clear) until opportunity knocks again.
[Source: Murf64]

- - -

Pilots expect AA to be sited close to the FB and inside the Armybase compound - based on this, they tend to avoid excessive loitering over said places, and many avoid coming near at all. Only the most suicidal or the least proficient pilots will impale themselves on established AA defences: thankfully for the AA gunners, there are plenty of these around! Pilots know that AA gunners are lazy and do not expect to find any ground fire outside these locations. You will reap the richest harvests well away from these zones of exclusion, particularly along roads leading up to hotly contested towns and on the far side of Forward Bases closest to enemy ingress routes. Another sweet spot is the place where pilots go into a zoom climb after a strafing or divebombing pass: though they are receding targets, the rate will be small, and you can choose freely between engaging their belly after they unload at the target and their low astern aspect when they climb away. This spot is generally found some 300 to 600 meters away from a principal objective - another good reason to push that gun!

=Airquaked at the FB? How to lift the aerial siege=
<blockquote>
''The trick with an FB that has heavy enemy air over it is to not expect you'll survive while they are in their strafing frenzy. That's just not thinking at all.''

—DOC
</blockquote>

So, how do you begin? Start by assessing the situation: pick a low-cost unit like a rifleman or LMG (light machine gunner) and observe what is going on. If enemy air is heavy in attendance and circling overhead you will have less than a snowball’s chance in hell with heavy equipment. In this case, lie doggo with your rifleman and wait until enemy air leaves the area. Meanwhile, talk your compadres at the FB into following your example – spawn infantry only! Enemy air that is not presented with worthwhile targets will only remain for a few minutes before their impatience gets the better of them – wait those few minutes, then spawn your heavy unit.

If you cannot wait, run a few hundred yards with your LMG to a berm or structure that offers at least some cover, and blaze away at any and all low and slow aircraft that happen into your field of fire. If you can assemble 6-8 machinegunners and spread them out, a decent volume of fire can be delivered to deter at least some of the more brazen enemy fighters – enough to allow a light AA gun to spawn and deploy.

In all enemy air feeding frenzies, there comes a time when the enemy must return for fresh planes, fresh ammo or is elsewhere occupied. Use the respite to quickly build up a heavy concentration of AA guns, and position them well away from the spawn point.

If enemy air is present in the distance but not yet actively targetting the spawn point, spawn a gun and make best time well away from the garage, depot or revetment. Push push push!

==Use decoys==
Trucks and scout cars are sufficiently fast and manoeuvrable to drive around as decoys while other players spawn AA guns and spread out. Fighters will in nine cases out of ten prioritize vehicles before guns, allowing the defender a small respite sufficient to deploy guns while the vehicle is being hunted down.

Friendly aircraft are also very effective as decoys to draw enemy attention. Enemy fighters will leap like starved dogs after any aerial target: use the respite to tow out a minimum of three or four guns, but be quick about it for the lull is unlikely to last more than thirty seconds per friendly aerial sacrifice. Dispersion is key here: get as many guns out as you can, as far as you can, and do not be shy of opening up indiscriminately – intimidation is also a weapon.

=General gunnery tips=
[[image:Flak30.gif|frame|A Spitfire comes in low over the Forward Base on a recon run. Range 300 m.]]
[[image:Flak30slo.gif|frame|Same sequence at 1:4 speed. Notice the target-following (tracking) motion.]]
* In all your engagements you MUST LEAD the target. That means aiming and firing ahead of the target, in his anticipated future flight path. The faster the target and the farther the range, the longer the lead you need to draw. Watch player-submitted videos (links below) and see how the veterans do it.
* Use the gunsight’s vector lines to determine the target flight path. E.g. if the target moves perpendicularly (left to right) across your view, line him up with the horizontal line and aim slightly high to allow for the curved trajectory (shell drop).
* If the enemy is flying a straight path and firing, either at a friendly aircraft or a ground target, seize on the opportunity to determine his vector: aim along his line of tracer, draw lead as required, adjust slightly for shell drop and karumpah his keister.
* Time allowing, draw lead, fire two-three shots and observe. Correct your aim and fire for effect.
* Another method is to draw excessive lead and fire heavily at a place in the sky where you expect the target to fly through. You may also combine this with tracking fire (i.e. you follow the target by traversing/elevating and firing at the same time) at a slightly lower rate than the target moves through your sight picture. Thus you maintain a decreasing lead computation while correcting your elevation and throwing out a lot of lead at the same time.
* How much lead to pull is dependent on range, speed and vector to the target. The greater the range, the higher the speed, and the greater the deflection (to a max of 90 degrees), the more lead you need draw. At short range and small deflection (e.g. the target coming roughly towards you), aim approximately one plane length ahead. At short range and high deflection (i.e. a side shot) you may have to draw as much as three to five plane lengths worth of lead. Only if the target is coming straight at you (zero deflection) can you aim directly at the target – but then he is probably already gunning you down or dropping his bombs. If the target is turning or pulling off a straight path in any way you must make allowance for this and correct your aim incrementally throughout the firing sequence.
* The easiest by far are belly shots at 500 meters or less at virtually any speed. Line up the target so that he flies toward the gunsight center, track the target gently and hose away until he comes fully into the sight. If you missed this easy shot, draw fresh lead and try again. You will be presented with this easy shot time and time again if you have the fortitude to push some 300-500 meters away from the spawnpoint – as an added bonus the target is completely blind and completely unaware of what is hitting him.
* Next to the belly shot and the low frontal quarter shot, the flank shot holds the greatest promise. With practice you should be able to score reliable hits out to 1000 m against bombers and other sitting ducks. Fighters at full speed are more difficult to hit – you will need to pull seven to ten plane lengths worth of lead, putting the target well outside the sight ring, to score. The benefit of the flank shot is that the pilot is normally looking straight forward and blissfully unaware of the incoming fire. This allows you to remain in situ after the kill unless his compadres have noted your position.
* Tracking planes flying away from you is much harder than tracking planes coming toward you. Only attempt the pursuit shot against targets that are slow or presenting little vector change as they fly away.
* When targetting descending paratroopers, aim at their feet to hit them center mass.

=Range and Lead=
[[image:Bof1.jpg|frame|Range 750 m]]
[[image:Bof2.jpg|frame|Range 500 m]]
[[image:Bof3.jpg|frame|Range 100 m]]
[[image:Cm1.jpg|frame|Range 300 m]]
[[image:Cm2.jpg|frame|Range 800 m]]
Here are some examples from player-submitted videos showing the firing instance that produced hits. Note how the gunner makes allowance for target speed and range, and lines up the target so that its fuselage is pointing toward the middle of the sight picture. Count the plane lengths, make allowance for your muzzle velocity, track (traverse) gently and bang away. These targets are all flying straight paths through the sky and thus make for easy shots at comfortable range – against turning targets, you must compute the target vector and pay less attention to the position of its fuselage.

Vector? Picture for instance a fighter, showing his flank to you, making a loop: his fuselage will be pointing to the side, then up, then to the other side, and finally towards the earth before coming out on his original heading. Scoring a hit against such a target is far more difficult, as the shot calculation is changing through every instant. He might not complete the loop at all but go straight up, or turn fully away from you. Get the picture? Fire at targets that fly straight!

As can be seen in the pictures, the “halo” around the target is not just for good looks: it tells you the range. At 500 m, the halo is quarter-full from 6 to 9 o’clock. At 1000 m, the halo is half from 6 to 12 o’clock. At 2000 m, the halo is full around.

=Using the Bofors/FlaK 28=
The Swedish-designed [[Bofors_40_mm|Bofors 40 mm AA gun]], ''Fliegerabwehrkanone 28'' in German service, is the heaviest and most potent AA gun currently in the BGE arsenal. Its chief advantage lies in its heavy punch; excellent ring-sight picture; long range and uninterrupted ammunition flow – once you have a target in sight you can bang away without worrying about running out of a short clip. Its main drawbacks are the glacial manual groundspeed; relatively slow rate of fire; relatively slow traverse; relatively slow deployment/undeployment; and its size – the Bofors is a big gun and consequently harder to hide than the 20 and 25 mm guns.

Because the Bofors is so slow to push around people generally stay close to the spawn point. This is a terminal error. Whenever and whatever you spawn into the game world your first objective is to put a healthy distance to the one place where the enemy is bound to look for you: the spawn point. This cannot be emphasized enough: if you stay in or near the spawn, you DIE. You do not want to die – you want to kill! So push that gun, and be happy that you ''can'' push it. Best of all, arrange with a friendly soul to tow you away. The Bofors can be towed only by the [[Trucks#Morris_CDSW|Morris CDSW]], the [[Trucks#Laffly_S20|Laffly S-20]] and the [[Trucks#SdKfz_7|Sdkfz 7]].

The Bofors, while having a hypothetical range of some 4000 m, is best fired at targets inside half that range and better still, inside 1000 m range. Expert marksmen will score hits at maximum range even against fast targets, but if you do not belong to that category, hold your fire until the target is comfortably close: 500 meters or less.

While its heavy shell can down a fighter in a single hit, you will find that it usually takes two or three hits to reliably strike them out of the sky – unless you hit a critical component like the pilot, the engine, the vertical stabilizer or the fuel tank. There are great shots out there who can pluck down any target with just 4-5 shells, and they are rightly feared by pilots for they will give you no warning, just a black screen.

With an abundant supply of ammo, which by the way a supply truck or halftrack can replenish indefinately, the humdrum Bofors gunner bangs away merrily. This is a great way of attracting attention to yourself, and with attention comes bombs and machinegun fire only a short while later. So keep that itchy finger still, and only fire when you are fairly certain to score a hit. For, if you are spotted, you must displace (relocate) without delay.

The one time when you really want to pour on the coal is when you are defending a high-value target in the company of multiple AA guns – the more the merrier. Now your objective is to deter and intimidate, and the Bofors shells does have a strong effect in this department.

The Bofors is also exceptionally capable against ground targets, chiefly the soft variety: infantry, trucks, halftracks and guns. It can hurt, and most certainly annoy through incessant concussion effects, armour as well, and clobber armoured cars beyond recognition. When firing at ground targets beyond 1000 m range, make sure to use your commander’s binoculars to track the fall of shot. This requires some dexterity but should anyway be second nature to the veteran BGE player. The low part if the inner circle is your aiming point at 1000 m range. Fire one shell, observe with commander, correct and fire for effect.

=Using the Canon Mle. 38=
The 25 mm Hotchkiss Modèle 38 light AA gun is small, fast and nimble with a high rate of fire. It boasts a flat shell trajectory due to its high muzzle velocity, giving it exceptional accuracy at normal engagement ranges, and a decent punch for its caliber. On the debit side, the gunsight is difficult to use for the beginner as it does not have the open wheel-type aiming reticle of the Bofors but a periscope with V-shaped guide lines. This is tricky enough, and to make it worse the gunner must choose between using the standard zoom and its constricted view - or the zoomed-in view which is hard to put in relation to the speed and vector of the target. Additionally the short clip of 15 rounds per magazine requires frequent reloading, usually at the most inappropriate times.

The CAmle 38 has some notable benefits: it is available in great numbers; it can be spawned from all friendly depots; it can be brought forward by all trucks and prime movers; it is easily hidden in foliage and structures; it pushes manually at a fair pace; and it works well in its dual role of ground support thanks to its zoomed-in sight and flat shell trajectory. It is an excellent weapon against soft targets.

Because it moves fast when pushed there is no excuse to remain at or near the spawn point, and with only three or four guns you can quickly establish a passable AA canopy that allows heavier weapons to spawn in relative peace.

Due to its relatively small caliber the CAmle 38 gunner will seldom experience one shot kills against aircraft. While it is not quite as impotent as the FlaK 30, the “Camel” gunner must score multiple hits, preferably against weak parts of the aircraft, to see it plunging down.

The Camle 38’s sight picture is both a blessing and a curse: unlike with the Bofors, you will rarely land hits at targets that crosses perpendicularly at a high rate of speed – particularly at extreme and very close range – because the massive lead required does not fit in the sight picture. For this reason the cunning gunner restricts his fire against targets travelling at a slow rate. This means that the target must be heading more or less straight at the gunner in a narrow cone of opportunity – i.e. at less than 30 degrees angle off – or at a slow turn of speed if the heading is any greater than 30 degrees angle off. The sight is exceptionally tricky to use for overhead shots, e.g. a target flies over from straight ahead to straight behind, as the gun must be traversed and elevated at the same time: a disorientating practice that makes lead computation yet harder.

Tracking shots at high elevation are tricky because the lead changes abruptly, especially at short range. From this follows that the easiest shots are made against low, slow and close targets: anything outside 1000 m should be considered a waste of ammo.

Keep a close eye on the ammo counter in your low left interface panel, or count your shots as you fire: if you have less than 5 shells left in the magazine and expect to need more in the short run, clear the magazine by firing so as to load a fresh one ASAP. And do not fire those stray rounds into the sky – pick a bush some 300 meters away and put your shots there so as not to betray your location to potential onlookers.

The “trick” with the Camle 38 is to fire at close range and to draw somewhat LESS lead than you think you need: the high velocity shell gives it more of a “point-and-click” capacity in comparison with the Bofors.

=Using the FlaK 30=
[[image:Flak30_2.gif|frame|Spitfire at 500 meter range and close to full speed.]]
[[image:Flak30_2slo.gif|frame|Same sequence in slow motion. See the slight tracking motion: it keeps fire concentrated while adjusting the lead incrementally - the target flies into a shotgun pattern of shells.]]

The 20 mm Rheinmetall Borsig ''Fliegerabwehrkanone'' 30, or FlaK 30, is the weakest of all BGE AA guns, yet it is not to be trifled with! While it is substantially harder to down EA (enemy aircraft) with the FlaK 30 compared to the Bofors or the CA mle 38, the FlaK 30 can do a creditable job under specific circumstances – and in choosing between an LMG and nothing at all, the FlaK 30 is clearly superior.

Like the CA mle 38 the FlaK 30 is a short-range weapon that requires multiple hits to down its target; it is small, fast and easy to tuck away where pilots least expect it.

The FlaK 30 suffers certain shortcomings that makes it the least effective AA gun in BGE: it fires a light caliber shell with small explosive content; it has a short 20-shell clip that requires frequent reloading; the one-stage zoom sight picture is somewhat restricted by the square rainhood that effectively blots out targets in normal high-deflection situations and makes lead computation more guesswork than science; and when firing at high elevation the unzoomed view does not correspond to the gunsight picture!

For these reasons the FlaK 30 gunner is restricted to short range engagements of low and slow targets that does not require excessive deflection (lead). Hitting anything beyond 600 meters, unless the target moves at minimal rate through the sight, is more a question of luck – or extreme proficiency.

Key to using the FlaK 30 effectively is position and patience – the only other substitute is deployment in mass and density, something that is rarely achieved except by a determined and sizeable force with boots to spare. Selecting your position is by far the most important: with an effective range of 500 meters you must calculate and predict where opportunity will knock, without putting yourself at risk to roaming enemy ground troops. Usually this means that you need to stay within 1000 metes distance to the FB, main attack artery (usually a road) and the target town – beyond this range, EA are likely to be too high and too fast for you to engage effectively.

The FlaK 30 is an effective ground support weapon too, albeit at short to medium range. The HE shell is however quite weak and requires direct hits to do any damage whatsoever: its efficacy lies in suppression and intimidation. On the upside, the FlaK 30 carries AP (armor-piercing) ammunition that is effective against light tanks and scout cars, and AP is also useful against aircraft.

=Using the LMG in the AA role=
The most basic and most readily available AA weapon is the [[Light_Machine_Gunner|Light Machinegun (LMG)]]: the Bren, the FM 24/29 and the MG 34. While BGE does not as yet incorporate AA mountings for these weapons, they can still be somewhat effective against EA – particularly when employed en masse.

The effective AA range of the LMG is short: do not expect to hit anything outside 300 meters range. You will also find that targets need to be low, slow and/or moving at a small rate (i.e. almost directly toward you) to offer any chance of scoring hits. These criteria dictates that you must seek positions near the EA’s intended target and/or flight path; positions that offer near head-on shots instead of perpendicular (flank) shots; positions that offer a decent view of the sky and most importantly, cover from enemy ground troops and vehicles.

When firing at EA, seek to concentrate your fire by drawing lead and pouring it out in this one direction rather than attempt tracking (target-following) fire. It only takes one bullet to the brain to down that EA, and lashing out a concentrated volley improves that likelihood.

The best positions are found in the windowsills of destroyed town houses on the lee side of enemy ground units, and on the reverse slopes of berms and hills. This latter point is important, as you will want to deploy at a vertical angle to command a greater slice of the sky. Avoid conspicuous positions such as belfrys, depot roofs, garage roofs and similar attention magnets. Get out of the enemy bullseye!

When preparing to receive an EA, do not deploy until you are fairly certain of his vector – and deploy with adequate deflection (lead) already if the target is coming in at any angle off. Fire long bursts, undeploy and reload. If you do hit, you will be greeted by a string of puffs in the wake of the target – and with sufficient weight of fire from the ground, even the hardiest pilot will think twice about coming down low and slow.

=Useful links=
Sqdrd’s Bofors movie:

http://s104.photobucket.com/albums/m187/squidrd/?action=view&current=SquiddysMovie.flv

Lawndart’s Bofors movies:

<youtube>O3I94aGl3v0</youtube>

<youtube>KQ0OMtWwWoA</youtube>

<youtube>uBeUIbE6X38</youtube>

Gunning the Cmle 38:

<youtube>yw0dYma07yg</youtube>

[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Advanced_Guides]]
[[Category:NeedsWork]]

Air Gunners and Bombardiers

2017-11-05T15:19:33Z

Bmbm: fixed dead link

Three fighters in the WWIIOL:BE arsenal sport tailgunners (aka Air Gunners) for rear-aspect defence: the two [[Bf110|Messerschmitt Bf.110]] variants (-C4 and –C4/B) and the British [[Blenheim|Bristol Blenheim Mk.IF]]. All of the bombers and [[Ju52|Junkers Ju-52]] have single or multiple air gunners trained to various aspects of the sky – verily, the only aircraft without guns and gunners is the British [[C47|Douglas C-47 "Dakota"]] troop transport. You the pilot may switch freely between the pilot seat and available air gunner positions using the numbered keys (1-9).

Crew positions are:
# Pilot
# Bombardier, Observer, or tail/dorsal gunner depending on the aircraft type
# Nose gunner (He-111), dorsal gunner (DB7/Havoc, Blenheim Mk IV, Ju-52)
# Dorsal gunner (He-111), belly gunner (DB7 only)
# Belly gunner (He-111)
# Port amidships gunner (He-111)
# Starboard amidships gunner (He-111)

In certain aircraft (He-111, Bf.110, DB7/Havoc) you will need to deploy certain air gunners by opening hatches or canopies (default key '''O''') before you can operate the gun. Press F or primary joystick trigger to fire. The air gunner has a finite supply of ammunition loaded in drums, typically 10+ drums, so fire only when enemy aircraft are in effective range or you will find that you have run out of ammunition, or need to change drums, at the critical instant.

Air gunners are somewhat effective as a deterrent against attack though only really lethal at short range (less than 300 meters) and preferably en masse – flying in close formation drastically increases your life expectancy.

When flying and gunning on your lonesome you face a particularly bothersome conundrum: you cannot fly (to evade an onslaught or to improve your position) while occupying the air gunner position – you must choose between gunning or flying. When trimmed for stable flight or when using the Auto Pilot (A) you are basically a sitting duck unless you fly in formation, and when flying to evade an onslaught you are unable to take advantage of your defensive armament. The only realistic alternative is to [[Multicrew|Multi-Crew]] your aircraft with an additional crewmember, who assumes control over all crew stations (including the bombardier) while you remain locked in the pilot’s seat. This does however rob you of Situational Awareness afforded by scanning the sky from crewed positions – and if your gunner is not such a hot bombardier, the whole mission may be pointless. Choose and live with your choice!

== Air Gunners ==
The air gunner has a restricted field of fire, and a severely restricted effective range. Cunning and careful enemy fighters will take advantage of this and only approach from a position outside the air gunner’s field of fire. Enemy fighters will typically attack from dead astern and slightly low, and only rarely attempt an attack high from the side or from an overhead position down. The most daunting problem is that when a fighter is in range for you to deliver effective fire, he too will be in range and gunning you down – and he has the more potent armament!

For this reason, the smart pilot must fly so as to maximize his chances of survival by giving the enemy fighter as little opportunity as possible. Formation flying is one way of dealing with this, but since you will only rarely fly in formation, something else is in order. Here are some basic tips:
* Fly high and fast. The higher and faster you fly, the less co-altitude or better enemy you are likely to encounter. And when someone does target you, they will have to do so from low and behind, or level and behind – or spend an unholy amount of time positioning for a better attack (e.g. high sides).
* When beset from astern, turn to face the enemy. Few fighters have mastered the head-on shot, especially in a tight corner. If you do not have time to turn fully around, make a 90-degree turn so as to force the enemy into a difficult deflection shot. As he overshoots, reverse again to put yourself close to the enemy.
* If you have superior altitude, attempt to stay just above the enemy fighter either by spiraling around his shot window or by matching his turns. This will bring him low, slow and close enough for your air gunners to rain down effective fire on him.
* If you are in a reasonably nimble aircraft (Ju-87, Blenheim Mk IF, Bf.110), make tight turns to force the enemy into a predictable position in your high rear aspect. These aircraft are especially capable against high-powered and heavy machines such as the FW-190 and Curtiss H-87, who cannot match your tight turn radius. With practice, you will even be able to gun them down with your forward-firing weapons – if you can get the enemy to bleed enough energy.
* Sometimes it is better for the pilot to fly fairly steady so as to give the tail gunner a better shot opportunity - these situations are however highly dependent on timely transmissions between pilot and gunner, or the opportunity may not be recognized. The shot window is usually extremely brief and only manifests itself at minimum range - a bomber that flies a straight and level flight path for more than a few seconds in guns range is a godsend for all but the most inept fighter pilots.

== The bombardier position ==
The bombardier (crew position 2) is responsible for raining down death and destruction on the poor hapless souls below. Using the bombardier takes a certain amount of practice, and it is highly recommended that you go offline and learn how to use the bombsight before venturing online.

In the He-111 and Blenheim Mk IV, the bombs are deployed with your secondary trigger or (B) key. The Blenheim Mk IV and Stuka Ju-87 bombers come equipped with more than one type of bomb: cycle between stores and select ordnance with the backspace key. Watch the “Secondary armament” readout in the lower left of your screen. In the DB7 and Havoc bombers you must perform one additional actions: you must open the bomb-bay doors (default key '''D''') to get rid of your "eggs". Remember to close the bomb-bay doors (default key '''D''') after heaving your stuff, or you will suffer a drag penalty that reduces your airspeed and impairs your maneuverability.

In the Ju-87 Stuka, Blenheim Mk IF, Bell P-39, Hurricane IIc, and Bf-110 fighter-bombers, it is the pilot who unleashes onboard stores with the secondary trigger or (B) key. Note that certain aircraft require the pilot to cycle between available ordnance types and main armament with (backspace).

[[Level Bombing| Learn more about level bombing here.]]

Back to [[Air Force]] main page

[[Category:Advanced_Guides]]

Piloting Quick Start Guide

2017-11-05T13:25:35Z

Bmbm: Added video link

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the aircraft and how to fly them OFFLINE before venturing out in the Campaign - it will save supply and a ton of embarrassment.

'''Find the aircraft and find the field''' 
Offline, an expanding menu system lists all the available units in WWIIOL. Click on the minus and plus signs to expand or contract the menu until you see a spread of aircraft in the ”Fighters” and ”Bombers” categories. Click to select an aircraft, and punch the ”Enter World” button. You will now spawn in the Offline Training area. Alternatively, you may also select any airfield from the game map and spawn there if you want to see what WWIIOL really looks like. To do so, first click to select your aircraft type, then use the town search function on the game map and type in e.g. "Brussels" or "Gilze". Zoom in on the map with the scroll wheel until you see the little aircraft icon denoting an Airfield facility: select this facility and hit the “Enter World” button.

Online, select an Air Force Persona to see available brigades and their missions. Join any mission and select your aircraft of choice in the Ready Room – as a beginner you will only see a single type available to you. If you do not reserve a particular aircraft before hitting the “Enter World” button, you will be saddled with the default lowest-value aircraft available. If the spawn list is empty, select another brigade until you find a crate waiting.

'''Spawned in''' 
Upon spawning in to the game world you will find yourself sitting in the pilot’s seat looking directly forward, on the ground (offline) and just inside a mighty fine hangar (online). There are no “air starts” and no automatic takeoff feature in WWIIOL – here, you are expected to earn your laurels yourself!

Look out the windows while moving the joystick from side to side and from front to back: if the ailerons (the movable panels at the wings’ trailing edges) and the elevator (the horizontal control panel in the tail unit) move up and down you know that your joystick is working. If you fly with mouse and keyboard move the mouse sideways while looking out the side (numpad 4 or 6 to look left/right) and verify that the ailerons are working. Now start your engine(s) with the E key – sometimes it takes a few seconds to catch and settle into a steady drone. Now you’re ready to take off – almost! Before ramming the throttle forward to crash into the opposite hangar or the purposely-planted treeline in front of you, follow this simple routine:

'''Always follow this routine''' 
1. Set Max RPM with ' key twice. 
2. Start the engine (E). 
3. Throttle up just a little bit to get you rolling (mouse wheel or throttle slider set to rz axis in Keymapper). 
4. Taxi very slowly to the far side of the field. Steer with brakes (Z, X) and rudder. Lock/unlock tailwheel (/) as necessary to assist steering. 
5. Line up the entire length of the field before you. 
6. Throttle up and start rolling. Push joystick/mouse forward just a tad to lift the tail off the ground - this will minimize the swinging tendency. 
7. Correct to a straight heading with short taps of opposite brake or opposite rudder. E.g. if the crate swings to left, tap right brake (X) or use right rudder to counteract. Give opposite aileron as necessary to counteract a rolling tendency. 
8. Roll the entire length of the field and gently nudge the aircraft up - no wild yanking or you will crash. 
9. Crank up the landing gear (G) and build speed, at least 250 km/h or 150 mph before you try anything fancy. 

[https://youtu.be/kRZSzdC3yTc Here is a decent video to get you going.]

'''Further reading''' 
Takeoff is harder than it sounds, as you will surely experience. Read more about [[Basic Flight Maneuvers]], including takeoff and landing, or select an aircraft with tricycle gear (P38, P39) instead of the normal “taildragger” type aircraft (Bf-110, Hurricane, H75).

Some aircraft have multiple positions such as tail gunners, co-pilots and bombardiers. Use the standard numbered keys (1-9) to jump to these positions. The pilot is of course in the number 1 slot when you wish to return to the controls. The use of air gunners and bombardiers is thoroughly covered in the Air Gunners and Bombardiers section of this manual.

To open fire, press F or your primary joystick trigger (left click on mouse). To fire with secondary armament (usually cannons), press B or your secondary joystick trigger/toggle. If your fighter carries bomb(s), you may be required to select them by hitting backspace before you can deploy them with the B key. Bombers, with some exceptions covered in detail in the Strategic Bombing and Close Air Support sections, require you to open bomb bay doors (D) and drop bombs in the bombardier position (2 key) using the secondary trigger (B).

[[Basic Flight Maneuvers|Continue to Basic Flight Maneuvers]]

[[Air Force|Back to Air Force main page]]

Air Force

2017-11-05T12:53:33Z

Bmbm: Edited out "aircraft names" because the content is redundant and needlessly encumbers the layout. Also killed dead link.

Essential Game Controllers

2017-11-05T12:45:20Z

Bmbm:

To fully appreciate the fabulousity of WWII Online in the air you will need a decent joystick. The game can be played with any USB game controller or even with the mouse – but trust us, you will not be successful. You might be able to get airborne with keyboard/mouse control but you will be easy meat for the seasoned pilots and only pad their stats.

If you are serious about flying, consider investing in a state of the art joystick with separate throttle and rudders. Your gear will come in handy for all sorts of ground vehicles and naval units as well, so you will not be sorry.

The minimum requirement is that your joystick has a throttle lever/wheel and preferably a twisting handle to give rudder control. Your stick needs at least one trigger and three to four other buttons/toggles to accommodate all the necessary controls. Typically you will also appreciate a “coolie hat” for view control.

If you have a separate throttle unit it will likely have more buttons/toggles for additional controls and macros.

Rudders are not essential but highly recommended. Flying without rudder control is like trying to ride a bike on rims – you can turn, though not very well.

'''Essential keymapping'''
* View hat – level views and forward-up view (POV N)
* Trigger – primary fire (F)
* Secondary trigger or button 2– secondary fire (B) for cannons and bombs
* Button 3 – upview, to be combined with level views
* Button 4 – gunsight/bombsight view
* 2-way toggle 1 – elevator trim up and down (K, I)
* 2-way toggle 2 – RPM up and down (‘ and ;)
* 2-way toggle 3 – flaps up and down (W, Q)
* Additional buttons if you have them: WEP (F8), map (M), voice comms transmit button (user defined), landing gear up/down (G), crew stations (1-6), Instrument view

Back to [[Air Force]] main page

Junkers Ju87B

2017-11-05T12:41:00Z

Bmbm: added link to CAS

=Junkers Ju 87B=

{| class="wikitable floatright"
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | [[File:Ac_de_ju-87.jpg|400px]]
|- style="background:#666600; color:#fff;"
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | '''Junkers Ju 87 Stuka'''
|- style="background:#ddb;"
| colspan="2" style="text-align: center;" | Specifications
|- style="background: white;"
| '''Type''' || Dive Bomber
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| '''Armament''' || 2 x 7.9 mm Machine Guns, 1 x 7.9 mm Machine Gun (tailgunner), 450 kg bomb payload
|- style="background: white;"
| '''Crew''' || 2 (Pilot, Tail Gunner)
|- style="background:#f0f0f0;"
| '''Weight''' || 4,267kg
|- style="background: white;"
| '''Top Speed''' || 387km/h
|}

==History==

Few aircraft in history can claim the mystique, and notoriety, that belongs to the Junkers Ju 87 Sturzkampfflugzeug or Stuka. Without a doubt one of the least attractive combat aircraft of any era, the Stuka's menacing appearance served its role as a terror weapon almost as well as its ability to deliver its bomb load with pin-point accuracy. Its bent wing and oddly spatted fixed landing gear were unlike any contemporary combat aircraft design and have cemented its image into legend. Fitted with a siren activated on its dive run, the Stuka became an instantly recognizable weapon as soon as it was deployed.

The Stuka design was championed by Ernst Udet, the Reichluftfahrtsministerium (RLM) director who was in the main responsible for equipping the newborn German Luftwaffe. Inspired by the Curtiss Helldiver dive-bomber, Udet as well as Hitler and Göring were amazed by the accuracy of the dive-bomber concept – and accuracy meant economy, which was always a primary consideration for the German war machine. This same economical thinking of effort versus results caused Hitler to demand that all future bomber designs were to be capable of dive-bombing – a fact that stunted German aircraft design and deployment doctrine more than it helped develop it.

Highly effective when enjoying air superiority, the Stuka proved increasingly vulnerable against modern high-powered enemy fighters. This was conclusively proven during the early stages of the Battle of Britain where whole units were wiped out in veritable 'turkey shoots'. With faster and and more heavily armed fighters opposing the Ju 87, this disparity increased yet further as the war progressed. Additionally, the volume and capacity of anti-aircraft guns increased exponentially over the course of the war, further diminishing the Stuka's ability to wreak havoc.

By the end of 1942 the Ju 87 was all but obsolescent. With the introduction of the Focke Wulf 190 former bomber and close air support units were re-equipped with ground attack versions of this highly versatile fighter.

==Game Play==

While not especially gifted in any particular performance profile, the Ju 87s real talent lies in its dive stability and in its powerful punch. Though capable of aerobatics to a much higher degree than enemy fighters like to think, that is, once free of its ordnance, the Ju 87 is a slow aircraft by any measure, and slow speed in the climb and in level flight means increased vulnerability. For this reason it makes very good sense to employ the Stuka in its historically proven best scenario: with friendly air superiority and with full use of surprise and weight of numbers.

Assuming a best case scenario, the Stuka formation that dives from 3-4 km altitude against a known target such as a busy army base, can deliver an overwhelming weight of explosive and extricate itself without undue trouble as long as it sticks to this 'single run' philosophy. When this practice is compromised, such as in making multiple runs at subsequently lower altitudes, and braving both enemy fighters and dead-eye AA gunners, the Ju 87 begins to suffer.

The Stuka is ideally employed in relatively steep dives ranging from purely vertical to 60-degrees off the horizontal. When diving in from greater altitude than 2 km the dive brakes should be deployed (default key: S) so as to yield more sighting time In a purely vertical dive – see the dive angle instrument - the target should be all but centered in the sight. For dives at less than 90-degree angle the pilot must keep the target slightly low in the gunsight to compensate for the bomb trajectory. Veteran pilots uses the 50 kg bombs against soft targets and armoured cars while saving the main 250 kg bomb for tanks and bunkers.

For an in-depth guide to divebombing, have a look at the [[Close Air Support|CAS section]]

<hr>

{{Template:Air Units}}

[[Category:Airplanes]]

Close Air Support

2017-11-05T12:39:40Z

Bmbm: repaired dead link

=Close Air Support=

'''The ground-pounders best friend - and worst nightmare.'''

The majority of WWIIOL:BE air missions are conducted in the framework of Close Air Support, that is, with the intent to directly influence the ground war by adding bombs and bullets to the equation. Because aircraft have a relatively short time to combat (TTC) and pack a powerful punch in addition to near-perfect intelligence and excellent observation capacity, CAS has an extremely high combat efficiency potential.

CAS is however not a particularly healthy proposition for the pilot, especially if the air superiority situation is undecided or hostile, and particularly if enemy AA is strongly in attendance. To be effective, CAS requires [[Air Superiority#Combat Air Patrol|CAP]] for protection, and better still, [[Air Superiority#Barrier Combat Air Patrol|BARCAP]] too. Only if your side has complete mastery of the air (air supremacy) is the CAS mission entirely untroubled. This happy state of affairs is usually only in evidence if the ground objective is right next to your airfield, or if a concerted effort is expended to isolate the battlefield – which is usually only in effect for the briefest of moments.

As all air missions CAS is only really effective when the sortie rate is high, that is, when there are sufficient pilots participating in the task. In other words, going alone in the face of stiff opposition is a losing proposition.

==CAS methodology==

Pure CAS is a persistent mission not to be confused with CAP fighters who abandon their air superiority mission to dish it out against ground targets or regular ground attack missions that operate on a “get in, get out” basis.

In its true form the CAS force orbits overhead the ground battle in readiness to pounce at targets identified by dedicated spotters on the ground known as Forward Air Controllers (FAC) or by the airborne mission leader. This level of organization is rare in the game however and you will most likely find yourself doing most of your observation and engagement decisions on your own without central direction.

*The '''organized''' CAS force orbiting in “cabrank” style maximizes its efficiency by keeping part of its force in reserve. Thus, when a proportion of the fighters have expended its stores and ammunition, a second echelon remain on station when the first return to base to replenish.

*The '''disorganized''' CAS force arrives intermittently to the target and expend its energy in penny packets, usually in the face of enemy opposition that further lowers its efficacy. Avoid such practice but make certain to team up instead!

In lieu of a FAC the typical WWIIOL:BE CAS fighter must rely on scattered reports from ground troops: read the chatter in the text buffer on the “Target” channel (F2 by default) if your mission objective coincides with the ground objective (this is not always the case). Targets are also usually marked on the overhead map, though the accuracy of these markers is a matter of debate.

Targets are rather easily spotted:

*Find the active [[Forward Base]] (enemy or friendly) and search between the FB and the town. You will find 90% of your targets in a small arc at 500 meters distance to the town and/or the FB.
*Watch the road between FB and town for enemy traffic. A large proportion of targets will be speeding to their objective on the road. Feast on them.
*Watch for tracers and explosions, and trace them back to their origin.
*If the objective is contested, your targets will be close to depot structures and in or close to the army base.
*Watch for AA tracers, either to avoid concentrations or to bomb them to smithereens when they are not watching.
*Look for tanks and guns near prominent features and elevated terrain.
*Watch the flanks and rear of the ground objective out to 1,500 meters distance for enterprising tanks and guns.
*Watch wooded areas and small clumps of trees for trucks and tank concentrations.

=Ground attack=

The Ground Attack mission differs from CAS inasmuch the former has a “hit and run” character in comparison to the more persistent CAS mission. A ground attack mission is leveraged against known or suspected enemy positions; bridges; buildings and other structures such as port facilities which may or may not be involved in the tactical ground war.

*The point of the ground attack mission is that its target (its exact location and nature) is known beforehand and can be scientifically engaged with a high degree of success because little further reconnaissance is necessary prior to delivering the attack.
*The ground attack mission can be executed from any altitude and need only rise to medium or high altitude if enemy interception and/or defensive AA is expected or suspected.
*Like all air missions, the ground attack mission is best executed in strength of at least four fighter-bombers or attack bombers, although this happenstance is the exception rather than the rule in the WWIIOL:BE world.
*Ideally the ground attack force should be escorted by unladen fighters, who besides conveying the attack force safely to and from the target may draw the defensive attention to themselves shortly before the attack element engages.

=Strafing=

Strafing – engaging ground targets with your forward-firing armament – is a regular pastime that requires little expertise, though a fair amount of prudence is beneficial.

*Be certain to strafe undisturbed by enemy air: check the surrounding airspace and deal with possible threats before going to the deck, or you will soon be a dead duck.
*Do not slow down while strafing but always fly with the throttle firewalled. The slower you go the more vulnerable you become to return fire. Never use flaps while strafing.
*If AA is a factor, either go for very low or very steep attack angles – attacking in straight lines at 30-45 degrees off the horizontal is a recipe for disaster when looking down the barrels of active defences.
*When attacking at 45 degrees or greater angle against active AA defenses, do not make a straight run but use an inverted parabolic approach instead. E.g. aim well below the target during the initial dive, pull gently yet decisively in mid-dive to bring the target into your gunsight and only straighten out fully shortly before drawing into effective range. During the final phase you should be in a low angle dive (5-15 degrees) to make your recovery easier. This makes for an extremely tricky shot for the AA gunner and you will be happy to see his fire pass harmlessly well overhead.
*Strafe in pairs or more from different directions to split the defensive attention.
*Break off your attacks in due time to avoid suffering target fixation and an embarrassing contact with unyielding nature and structures.
*Be certain to be [[Trim and Engine Management|trimmed correctly]] so as to deliver concentrated bursts.
*If your rudder control is overly sensitive, avoid the use of rudders to correct your guns solution as this may send you flopping into the ground.
*Do not overstay your welcome. An enemy under sustained attack will deploy AA in increasing numbers, and if that is insufficient as to deter you, enemy fighters are soon likely to appear.

=Dive and glide bombing=

The difference between Dive bombing and Glide bombing lies chiefly in the attack angle: dive bombing is launched at 90 to 60 degrees off the horizontal, glide bombing describes an attack at any angle below 60 degrees.

There is but one purpose-built dive-bomber currently represented in WWIIOL:BE, the Junkers [[Ju87|Ju-87 Stuka]]. The difference between the Stuka and any old fighter used in the dive-bombing role is that the former is endowed with highly effective air brakes (S), allowing it to hold a constant and manageable throttle-on speed in the dive, whereas a fighter-bomber is prone to over speeding despite the use of flaps if held for too long in a near-vertical dive.

*The advantage of the vertical attack as delivered by the true dive-bomber is the ease of aiming: coming down with the target fully centered in the gunsight, the pilot need not compute and add (vertical) deflection to place his bombs accurately. This assumes that the attack is fully vertical – even the slightest angle will require a certain amount of windage (deflection): the lower the angle, the greater the lead required.

*Airspeed is also a factor in computing deflection. A low and relatively slow approach requires more deflection than a high and fast approach. Further to this, the target may be moving and thus requiring additional deflection both vertical and lateral. Extensive offline practice is recommended.

*Key to accurate dive bombing is to be [[Trim and Engine Management|trimmed correctly]] for the speed at which weapons delivery is intended. E.g. if you are trimmed for a steady climb and then launch into a high-speed dive, you will be fighting the aircraft’s tendency to nose up when all you want is a steady well-aimed run at the target.

*The ideal dive-bombing attack starts at about 3 km (9,000 ft) or higher, with the pilot approaching the target either straight on for a [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers#Split-S|Split-S]] entry to the dive, or with the target quite close and visible in the half-forward low view for a simple wingover into the dive. Deploy air brakes (S) shortly after entering the dive and watch your attitude indicator – or look out over your wing to gauge your dive angle. Press the attack down to 1,000 meters (absolute minimum 300-500 meters), release bombs, un-deploy air brakes (S) and gently recover from the attack run. Keep your throttle firewalled and correct elevator trim as appropriate – the air brake tends to tuck your nose in the dive.

*It is generally wise to make no more than a single attack against a defended target, as you will be both low and slow on your subsequent attack. If you attack from lower than 1,000 meters, do not bother with the air brake – you will need every knot of airspeed to stay out of harm’s way. For added immersion, deploy the Stuka siren (right shift) in the dive after you have deployed the air brakes. The siren does however alert ground troops to take cover and to start hosing AA fire your way, so you might want to reserve the siren for occasions when you sortie in strength.

*The benefit of the high vertical attack is that you get plenty of time in the gunsight. It is also considerably harder for enemy fighters to intercept you in the dive, and AA gunners face a particularly tricky shot as well, as the lateral drift as seen from the ground is quite hard to compute. The drawback is that even the slightest yaw or lateral offset will cause your bomb to impact well away from the intended spot. Practice!

*Glide bombing is eminently simple. Pass the target to the side and wing into a dive at a 30-60 degree angle. Cut throttle if the attack starts above 2 km/6,000 ft lest you enter compressibility and lose elevator control for your recovery. Aim slightly high of the target, pickle bombs at none too low altitude (500 m/1500 ft is good but the absolute minimum is very much lower) and begone without staying to watch the fireworks. Practice offline to find a working lowest altitude without augering in or blowing yourself up with your own bomb.

=Low altitude bombing=

Low altitude bombing, defined as aimed weapons delivery below 200 meters (600 feet), can be performed by all bombcarriers under specific conditions mainly predicated by the weight and explosive power of onboard stores.

==Fighter-bomber Practice==

*Common practice for low altitude bombing is to ingress on the deck (NOE, Nap Of Earth), i.e. to fly a ground-hugging path at treetop altitude or lower, at maximum speed. The benefit of a NOE approach is that ground defenses have little time and opportunity to spot, aim and fire effectively before the aircraft draws out of the shot window.

*If the AA gunner is expecting the attack and is trained in the proper direction however, and if the aircraft is flying slowly and well above the treetops, the NOE approach is decidedly unhealthy. The lower and faster you go, the better. Also make sure to come in from behind or from a flank of the expected direction to increase your odds of survival.

*Shortly before the target, at about 1500-2000 m distance, “pop up” to gain visual contact with the target and proceed to close to the weapons delivery point. Best results are obtained by keeping the target slightly offset to the side as you pop up, then to move in by rolling down into a dive. This is better by far than attempting to push the nose forward into a dive.

*Following bombs away, make a hard break turn and return to the deck without looking back to observe the effects of your attack. Most pilots elect to make a lazy climbing turn after dropping their goods however – thereby providing AA gunners with an excellent and highly predictable target.

*In the NOE attack, fighter-bombers need to close to about 300-400 meters range and aim with the gunsight held slightly high for a level or slightly diving bomb delivery. Practice offline with lining up a conspicuous target with the bottom of your gunsight ring.

==Level Bomber Practice==

*Level bombers (Blenheim Mk IV, Havoc/DB7 and He-111) may also employ a low-level attack run without using the bombsight. Due to their comparably low airspeed level bombers must however draw closer to the target and perforce suffer greater damage from their own bomb-blast and aimed ground fire. This in turn requires the level bomber to fly somewhat higher to escape the bomb blast effect: the minimum safe altitude is about 250 feet/100 m AGL. The puny 40 lb bombs of the Blenheim Mk I and IV (secondary armament, press backspace to select) can be thrown from 100 ft altitude, i.e. just above treetop altitude, with little ill effect.

*Bomb delivery for medium bombers can be reasonably accurate without using the bombsight. You will need to be flying level at maximum speed, either on autopilot or trimmed for level flight, and occupying the bombardier position (2) during the final phase of the attack.

*Start in the pilot’s seat and fly a direct course toward the target by lining it up with the pilot’s gunsight (or a reference point in the He-111 cockpit) at approximately 200 ft/100 m. When lined up, switch to the bombardier position, find the aiming point in the plexiglass canopy framework and pickle your bombs as the target draws into this point, then quickly return to the pilot seat and initiate evasive action. The aiming point references shown below pertain to a maximum speed level bomb delivery at 200 ft/100 m.

[[Image:Blenlo.jpg]]

Blenheim IV bombardier view: Drop the bomb(s) when the target crosses over the canopy strut. Minimum safe altitude is approximately 300 ft AGL due to the Blenheim's low airspeed.

[[Image:He111low1.jpg]]

He-111 pilot view: Line up the target with the vertical reference shown. You may also correct your lineup in position 3 by zooming and slewing the gun to full left.

[[Image:He11low2.jpg]]

He-111 bombardier view: The low airspeed of the He-111 requires you to drop "blind" with the target obstructed by the floor panel. Use Kentucky Windage and drop more than a single bomb if uncertain.

[[Image:Havoclow.jpg]]

Havoc bombardier view: Use the top struts as shown for a rough indication of an imaginary release point. The high speed of the Havoc makes accurate delivery a split-second issue - drop several bombs to make sure.

[[Image:Db7low.jpg]]

DB7 bombardier view: Use the top struts as shown for a rough indication of an imaginary release point, just like in the Havoc.

*Medium and light bombers can also be employed for glide bombing, i.e. in shallow dives directly toward the target. Do not exceed a dive angle of approximately 30 degrees as a steeper dive will prohibit bomb release and anyway cause you to crash horribly due to the difficulties of recovery at low altitude. In a glide bombing attack, aim with the pilot’s gunsight and keep the target at the bottom of the reticle as you close to effective range. Remember to [[Trim_and_Engine_Management|trim]] the aircraft for a steady hands-off-stick attitude – if you are not correctly trimmed the aircraft will tend to climb off the straight path and your bombs will land well beyond the target. Glide bombing is best effected from low to medium altitude (2000-6000 ft/800-2000 m), and if you dive in from the higher altitude band you will need to throttle down to avoid over speeding and subsequent loss of control.

*As you approach the bomb delivery point, quickly switch to bombardier position and salvo all or parts of your stores (remember to open bomb-bay doors in the Havoc/DB7 beforehand), then immediately switch back to the pilot seat and recover from the dive. Initiate evasive maneuvers by quarter-rolling and pulling until you are at least 45 degrees offset from the target, continue the dive down to the deck and gently flatten out to make a ground-hugging getaway.

*If your speed is excessive and your altitude too low to afford multiple bomb release, throw only one or two bombs and recover. Regain altitude and preferably surprise by extending well beyond the target before returning to throw your remaining luggage.

*Realize that prolonged loitering around a heavily contested ground objective is detrimental to your health, at any altitude. Make your attacks a “get in, get out” affair – most of the time you only get one shot before ground and air defenses zero in on your presence and move to interfere.

=Ground Support Bombardment=

Individual bombers, either employing level bombing or glide bombing techniques for tactical purposes, are essentially conducting CAS missions against identified or strongly suspected enemy positions. The concept of ground support bombardment – also known as area bombardment - is quite different inasmuch it relies on the use of coordinated mass and largely un-aimed bomb delivery in formation strength.

The idea of ground support bombardment is to deliver an overwhelming volume of fire against a tightly packed target area, usually an armybase, a Forward Base or an entire town perimeter.

The mission profile incorporates the following parameters:

*A flight comprising a minimum of four bombers.
*A flight leader, preferably multicrewed with pilot and bombardier.
*A close flight formation with individual aircraft spaced in line abreast or V formation on the flight leader. A dense formation, flying wingtip to wingtip, will reap the greatest dividends.
*A low to medium altitude level bombing run.
*Simultaneous bomb release on lead bombardier signal (or bomb release).

The ground support bombardment force benefits materially from having dedicated [[Strategic Bombardment#Bomber_Escort|escort]] and/or a strong [[Air Superiority#Combat Air Patrol|CAP]] presence at the target (TARCAP). Still better, friendly CAS assets should concentrate on subduing enemy AA positions shortly before the main bomber force makes a showing.

*The immediate benefit of the massed bomber raid is that only the lead bombardier needs to have prior experience in lining up a target correctly: the other bombers need merely concern themselves with holding a tight formation and of dropping their cargo when the lead ship bombs. The natural drawback is of course that the lead bombardier may fail to reach the target due to enemy intervention – in this case an executive leader must take over and fulfill the mission.

*In the case of your mission fielding more than eight bombers, it is highly recommended to attack in waves at intervals of 30-60 seconds, as victims of the first wave will then be comfortably located close to the spawn points and ready for a second helping of “teh pwn”. Alternatively you may want to salvo half of your load on the first pass and chuck the rest after reversing and setting up anew – this is of course depending on the situation both on the ground and in the air.

Return to [[Air Missions]] main page

Return to [[Air Force]] main page

[[Category:Advanced Guides]]
[[Category:NeedsWork]]

Basic Flight Maneuvers

2017-11-05T12:18:50Z

Bmbm: added trim links

Basic Flight Maneuvers (BFM) is the collective name for all kinds Maneuvers you will employ in any mission be it in a bomber, fighter or transport aircraft. As in all things pertaining to air combat, full knowledge and control of the basics will inspire confidence in your ability to succeed. If you find yourself struggling with the easiest things, you cannot hope to manage the more challenging aspects of air combat.
 

== Taxi and takeoff ==
As you spawn into the game world you will find yourself facing an altogether insufficient stretch of runway. The itch is strong to power up and take off immediately, and while this is possible in most cases it nevertheless makes good sense to start your mission by taxiing to a more propitious position. This is especially true if you sortie a medium bomber or a fighter with particularly high wingloading (e.g. FW-190, H-87), aircraft that need a wee bit more time and real estate to achieve proper takeoff speed. If you persist in taking off straight off the spawn-in position, make sure to:
* Set engine RPM to maximum (hit ‘ key twice)
* Trim tail heavy (K key, 10-15 taps)
* Deploy flaps (Q) to increase lift
* Select War Emergency Power (F8) to give maximum takeoff boost
* Hold brakes (z and x) until the engine is running at full bore

Being careful and smart however, you elect to taxi out of the hangar to the perimeter of the field. Knock the throttle forward just enough to set you rolling, edge out of the hangar and unlock your tail wheel (or nose wheel if your aircraft has tricycle gear) with / key. Now tap the brake, z to turn left or x to turn right, until you face the desired takeoff position. Lock your tail wheel again with / key and motor gently forward to the selected spot. Once there, brake gently with unlocked tail wheel to slew around with the whole field before you. Make sure to lock the tail wheel again. All of this takes no more than 30 seconds and will save you a ton of grief compared to smashing into hangars and trees time and time again.

* Now for the takeoff. Go through the routine bulleted above and start your takeoff roll by releasing brakes. Your aircraft will display a more or less pronounced tendency to swerve either right or left – this is engine torque at work. Counteract this yaw by adding a smidgeon of rudder in the direction opposite to the yaw motion, e.g. if you yaw left, tramp down (or twist your stick) to give right rudder – be careful of overcompensating though.

* If you do not have the benefit of rudder control, use short taps on the appropriate brake (z and x) to correct your course.

* You will also experience a sickening tilt in the horizontal (i.e. of your wingline) due to engine torque. Counteract this rolling motion with a touch of opposite aileron: move the stick gently to left or right depending on which way your propeller rotates.

* As you start to pick up speed the nose will come down (in so-called taildraggers, aircraft with tail wheel) and reveal the runway in its full glory. You may want to push the stick very gently forward to help the nose along in the beginning of your takeoff roll, as this will reduce the yawing and rolling motion described above. Careful so you do not dig a hole though!

* Roll three quarters down the length of the field and feel the aircraft. At first it will be jittery and hard to control, followed by a period of stability and leech-like behavior. Shortly thereafter you will gain takeoff speed and “rotate” with only a small amount of back pressure on the stick.

* If you used WEP, remember to toggle it off (F8). Retract flaps (W) and raise the undercarriage (G). Praise the n00b - you are on your way!

== Landing ==
You will want to land your aircraft for one single reason: to harvest points earned in the mission so that you may gain rank and access to better performing aircraft. And while you are at it, why not make it a nice professional landing instead of an ugly prang!

* Landing is a lot more than pointing your nose at the field and plowing down, hoping for the best. The main things to consider are AIRSPEED and RATE OF DESCENT. You will want to come in at a slow speed and a low rate of descent, because the opposite – a high speed and rapid rate of descent – is what makes for spectacular crashes.

* The key to a splendid landing is to manage your descent with your THROTTLE. Ideally, you should maintain a slight back pressure on the stick and avoid using your elevators for height corrections – that is what your throttle is for.

A good landing begins with a good and measured approach – not straight at the field but more than one full turn radius to the side of it. In the following example you will be landing in the standard counter-clockwise pattern.
# You are approaching home plate at 1000 ft/300 m, throttle fully forward.
# As you spot the airfield in the distance, reduce to quarter throttle and hold your present altitude. Speed will drop off gradually. Aim for a point in the air well to the side of the field.
# You pass the field on the so-called “downwind leg”, watching it over your port (left) wing. Speed has now bled off to about 120 mph/200 kmh and you maintain your altitude.
# With the field now behind you to the left, make a gentle 90-degree turn to put the field fully to your side over the wingtip. Trim your crate tail heavy (K key, repeatedly).
# Deploy flaps. You are still at about quarter throttle. Keep the propeller at or just above the horizon with slight back pressure on the stick, and continue trimming tail heavy.
# With the intended landing direction aligned with your wingline, make a steady turn to port and line up on the final stretch. You are now on the glide path and should be doing about 70mph/110kmh, with a VsI readout of –2 to –4. Deploy landing gear (G).
# Focus on the spot where you want to touch down – this should be just inside the airfield perimeter, not in the middle of the field – and manage your descent with throttle only. Keep the prop on the horizon still, not below it.
# Maintaining your attitude and a steady back pressure, work with the throttle to correct your descent rate. If you descend too rapidly (watch the VsI instrument) your speed is too low and you will belly in unless you spin out first. If your speed is excessive despite chopping to zero throttle, you will overshoot your mark and end up in the trees.
# Shortly before touching down, reduce VsI yet more to –1 or less by raising the nose with back pressure on the stick (this is known as to “flare” your aircraft), and set it down ever so gently for a three-point landing.
# Once down, chop throttle entirely, retract flaps (W) and let the aircraft coast. Tap the brakes gently and come to a complete stop.

* If you feel that you are going to overshoot the field because your speed or your altitude is too high, give full throttle and go around for another try. Resist the temptation to nose down to force a landing.
* For emergency landings, reduce speed and altitude either by S-turns or by sideslipping. Experienced pilots can knife-edge their aircraft to minimum altitude and plonk down on the runway with a minimum of fuss – as will you, eventually.
* If the airfield is under fire from ground troops, or if you have reason to suspect that enemy snipers are about, do not come to a full stop on the field but keep coasting slowly as you exit the aircraft (Esc key).

== Climbing and diving ==
You might think that climbing and diving is uncomplicated and not requiring finesse – that it is merely a matter of pointing your nose up or down. On the face of it, that is all there is to it, yet you need to use your brain in this department as well. You will also need to understand the concept of [[Trim and Engine Management|Trim and Engine Management]] to become successful in the long run.

* The thing to consider is rate of ascent/descent, and to weigh your rate against your mission status and the prevailing circumstances.

=== Climbing (ascending) ===
* A moderate rate of ascent (3000 ft/min or 1000 m/min) covers more ground and allows you to retain maneuvers speed that will come in handy if you are bounced during the climb to altitude.

* An aggressive rate of ascent (10000 ft/min or 3000 m/min) gets you up to altitude faster but forces you to climb at a slow airspeed, thus you cover less ground and makes you a sitting duck against surprise attack.

* Whichever rate of ascent you settle for, make sure to be [[Trim and Engine Management|trimmed]] to a neutral state (i.e. not requiring back pressure on the stick) so as to minimize drag and to climb at a steady constant rate. If your crate is [[Trim and Engine Management|trimmed]] nose heavy you will have to fight the stick all the way up to altitude, conspiring to make your flight porpoise-like and uneven. You will know whether you are [[Trim and Engine Management|trimmed]] right for your current speed by letting go of the stick – when [[Trim and Engine Management|trimmed]] correctly the crate will maintain a steady and positive attitude without back pressure on the stick.

* If you are in a hurry to altitude, use WEP (F8) early on in the mission to gain the greatest benefit of the extra boost without the engine overheat penalty. Remember that WEP is more effective at low altitude than above 10,000 ft/3 km.

* Do the bulk of your climbing well away from enemy fighters to minimize your vulnerability and so that you will be heading into “indian country” already at your selected altitude with a good head of steam.

* Never climb to a fight. Being low and slow below a dogfight or below maneuvering enemy fighters is certain to cause you grief. If you must climb to engage, put some distance between yourself and the enemy before climbing, then enter the fight at or above the enemy level.

=== Diving (descending) ===
* Before you go diving down on the enemy below, consider where you will want to end up: turning and frolicking in a dogfight; recovering to altitude directly above the enemy; recovering to altitude well past the bounce – in a specific direction that puts you either in harm’s way or out of it; or extending well away to draw fully out of visual range of enemy aircraft before returning to the fray.

The examples above directs you to descend with an idea of what you intend to accomplish.
* If you intend to stay and fight a sustained close range combat at the enemy level, from a position of superior advantage, you are best served by spiraling down with chopped throttle (to slow down further, deploy flaps momentarily) until your energy advantage is substantial rather than excessive – if you arrive below with too much energy, your maneuvers envelope will be severely restricted and cause blackouts and further loss of energy and position below the enemy level.
* If you intend to recover just above the enemy following your attack, make your attack run at an angle of 45-60 degrees so that you will not “bottom out” too far below the target. Thus you will avoid blacking out as you recover and use your overhead of energy to regain a superior position.
* If you intend to extend well beyond the disadvantaged enemy below, or if you wish to disengage fully after your attack, make your attack at 30-60 degrees and only recover gently after your run to maximise the distance traveled at high speed.

It is generally a very bad idea to cede superior altitude and destroy your considerable energy advantage unless you can score a clean kill. Use your altitude advantage wisely to give you several engagement opportunities!

In all your diving attacks, make sure to [[Trim and Engine Management|trim]] your aircraft nose heavy (I) so that you will not have to fight the nose down with stick input. Ideally you will want to fly a straight path with minimum stick input – this will make your flight comfortable and controlled, and yield stronger, more concentrated, punch when you fire.

* You will note that speed in the dive increases when you set your RPM to Continuous or Economy (;) as this causes less parasitic drag from the propeller blades.

* For extended dives, make sure to reduce or even cut throttle entirely lest you build up an excess of speed that makes your aircraft nigh impossible to control. Watch your Indicated Speed! If you do enter the compressibility range, your ailerons and elevators will lock up and send you straight down into the dirt. If so, cut throttle, set Maximum RPM, and use elevator trim up (K) to recover a positive attitude. Remember to power up when you recover!

== Turning ==
You will probably not encounter any problems in this department, although there are some things to keep in mind that will aid you in combat.
* For simple navigation (i.e. effecting course changes) it is generally best to make steady “bomber turns” with the wingline banked at no more than 30-45 degrees and a sustained light back pressure on the stick – this causes only minimal drag and keeps your speed up.
* When you need to change heading in a hurry, quarter-roll quickly to bank the aircraft and pull back with a sustained and decisive back pressure to make a drastic turn. Release back pressure and roll back to level as you are about to come onto the desired heading.
* Drastic turns incur a drag penalty that reduces airspeed somewhat and may cause you to black out momentarily depending on your airspeed and the stick force exerted.
* The time necessary to enter the turn is improved somewhat by adding down rudder (e.g. you tramp left rudder briefly for a left turn), although this also comes with a drag penalty and may throw you off kilter if you give too much rudder. Experiment!

Flat turns such as described above are only recommended for navigation and pre-engaged maneuvering – if you have sufficient energy, it is far better to make use of the vertical for engaged manoeuvring. Consider a standard nose-to-nose fight, starting with a straight run at your opponent: he who makes a flat turn must pay a heavy penalty in energy, space and time since when turning in the purely horizontal he must fight gravity instead of drawing benefit from it. By reversing (i.e. turning around) in the vertical or with a certain vertical element added to the horizontal (also known as oblique), the fighter receives a gravity assist both on the way up and on the way down. Going up, airspeed is traded for altitude and position; once at the apex of the vertical maneuvers the cost of pulling angles is minimized; going down, altitude is cashed in for airspeed used to exploit the position gained with the added benefit of a clean and unloaded deflection shot.

Another way of turning is the so-called “Boat Turn”, which can be used as a combat maneuver under very specific circumstances. It is associated with a heavy drag penalty and thus robs you of substantial airspeed. To perform a boat turn, simply give maximum rudder in the desired turn direction while adding opposite aileron to keep the wings level, and a small amount of elevator pressure to keep your current attitude. The wings-level turn is quite disturbing to watch and yet more difficult to compute from a shooter’s perspective – though remember that it carries a heavy energy price tag and requires far more space and time in comparison with a standard banked turn.

== Aileron roll ==
An aileron roll is performed by pushing the stick sideways and holding it there. The cost in energy is negligible. Practice doing exact aileron rolls at various rates of degrees per second: quarter-roll, half-roll, three-quarter roll and full roll. Practice reversing your rolls as well: roll left to inverted, hold, and roll right to “sunny side up”, without loss of altitude and while maintaining your general heading.

== Barrel roll ==
The barrel roll is essentially a gentle aileron roll with the addition of a vertical element. Start the barrel roll by quarter-rolling and pulling back on the elevators. Continue the rolling motion but relax your back pressure somewhat so that you maintain your general heading. Increase backward pressure again as you pass through an inverted (i.e. upside-down) state, and keep rolling with a slight pressure until you regain a positive attitude on the same level as you entered the maneuver. The barrel roll can be sustained with little energy loss, though it is somewhat disorienting. Experiment by varying the amplitude of your barrel roll through applying more or less elevator pressure.

== Snap roll ==
The snap roll is a "quick roll" that is made possible by stalling one wing - a stall implying a loss of lift, which in turns means a loss of airspeed - by aggressive use of rudder, aileron and elevator at the same time, while the other wing is still producing lift and maintaining speed. This is normally executed near stall speed by adding full rudder input, followed by same direction aileron, followed briskly by full elevator up input. This classic definition of a snap roll does however not work very well in WWIIOL, with few exceptions. A passable snap roll is instead effected by briskly adding full elevator to full aileron (while maintaining full aileron).

Be advised that the benefit of the snap roll - a lightning quick roll rate at little cost in energy - is associated with a considerable drawback: the maneuver is extremely drastic and reduces your situational awareness by a fair margin, and you will probably struggle with recouping your senses at a time when such respite is not normally granted. Also be advised that certain aircraft cannot perform the snap roll with any degree of dignity. The Bf 109 and Bf 110 series in particular does not take kindly to snap rolls, and the D.520, the Bell Mle.14 and the P-38 also struggle somewhat with performing the snap roll.

== Skid and Sideslip ==
Skidding is a means to shed energy and reduce airspeed. It is useful for landings when you are coming in with entirely too much airspeed; for “braking” to remain behind a slower opponent; and for “braking” to flush a faster opponent behind you forward of your wingline and before your guns.

If you have practiced the Boat Turn you will already be familiar with the benefit of using your rudder in conjunction with opposite aileron input. The Skid works in much the same way: give full rudder and opposite aileron for a second or two to plow more or less straight forward, wings essentially level or just a tad high to keep you going straight ahead. Alternate left and right rudder (with opposite aileron input) to Fishtail through the sky. You will see your energy bleed off at a high rate, and lose quite a bit of altitude as well unless you keep your nose somewhat high during the maneuver.

The Sideslip is a more pronounced Skid. Roll your wingline 45 degrees to the horizon and give sustained and heavy top rudder (if you are banked to left, right rudder is your top rudder, closest to the sky) to bring the nose well above the horizon. You will shed both airspeed and altitude at a high rate. Note that you are not flying where your gunsight points you in this maneuver but rather “wingroot forward”.

A yet more drastic sideslip is the Knife Edge: quarter-roll to bring your wingline perpendicular to the horizon and give maximum bottom rudder. In this attitude your rudder acts as your elevator, and your elevator as your rudder. This maneuver is useful for shedding altitude and for sustained observation of the ground along a straight path. It carries a steep energy price however, as you might have guessed.

== Loop de loop (looping) ==
The Looping is not a combat maneuver. If you must loop in combat, use it sparingly, for it is extremely predictable and robs you completely of situational awareness. To perform a Looping you need to be flying level and at a good turn of speed, the more the merrier. You may want to increase your airspeed yet further by making a slight dive of a few hundred meters before entering the maneuver. So, after you pick up speed, pitch up with determination and hold a sustained backward pressure to inscribe a vertical circle. Do not push the zoom so far that you wallow at the top while inverted, but make sure to keep your airspeed throughout. Once over the top, head on down to your former position in the sky with a continued sustained backward pressure. Make sure to keep the wingline horizontal throughout the maneuver, and watch where you are going in the 45-degree up view. There you go, a looping.

== Chandelle ==
The Chandelle is simply a wide climbing turn. Make it gently and at a sustained rate from a level maximum speed state, and avoid bleeding off too much airspeed too soon. You will want to come out of the Chandelle at manoeuvre speed, not at stall speed. The Chandelle is a typical pre-engagement maneuver where you sound out the enemy and seek position. It can also be employed more aggressively in combat, see [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers#Rope-A-Dope|Rope-A-Dope]] in the [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers|Advanced Combat Maneuvers]] section.

== Use of flaps and rudder in combat ==
Flaps, the large moving surfaces inboard of your ailerons that deploy to increase the wing’s lift area, are normally used for landing only. They can however be used successfully in combat as well, for the same reason: they increase lift (and increase drag, thereby slowing you down). And when you increase lift in a slow and tight turning fight, you can turn yet tighter and thus gain a favorable shot position.

The WWIIOL:BE flaps operation is simplistic yet variable: if you do not tweak your aircraft setup the flaps will either be fully retracted or fully deployed, even if your aircraft historically had incremental flap settings. By the same token, aircraft that did not have incremental flap settings can be tweaked to have such in the game.

If you do not tweak your settings to offer “combat flaps”, you need to be wary of deploying flaps at speeds over 250 kmh/150m mph as prolonged use at excessive speed will damage the flaps and even render them inoperable. Therefore, should you opt to use flaps to gain a positional advantage, only use them briefly and at lower speeds.

To give your aircraft “combat flaps” cut and paste the following text into your ‘’’air.cfml document’’’ which you will find in your WWIIOL directory (the Windows default location is "C:\Program Files\CRS\Battleground Europe\Data\cfml\air.cfml"). Open and save the air.cfml file after editing, without renaming it, using any basic text editor such as Simpletext or Notepad.

<control function="Flap control">
<keydelta value="25.00" per="keypress">
<key>q</key>
</keydelta>
<keydelta value="-25.00" per="keypress" index="1">
<key>w</key>
</keydelta>
<keyabsolute value="0.00">
<key></key>
</keyabsolute>
<keyabsolute value="0.00" index="10">
<key></key>
</keyabsolute>
</control>

* Each time you push the Q or W key, it will raise/lower the flaps 25%. If the flaps move 40 degrees (typical), then each keypress will give you 10 degrees of flaps if you use the settings above. You can also change what keys to use for flaps operation, and the amount of effect per keypress.

* The use of rudders, either foot pedals or in the form of a twist-action stick, is highly recommended. Without rudder control you are robbing yourself of an entire plane of maneuver: yaw (lateral movement). Flying without rudder control is like trying to do breaststrokes with your hands tied behind your back!

* Use rudder control to correct your takeoff roll; to skid, sideslip and knifedge; to slice inside an opponent’s turn; to slice up while turning; to yaw into a guns opportunity while heading right past an enemy; to correct a strafing approach, just to name a few. If you have rudder control, do not be afraid to use it. And if you are afraid to use it, experiment offline until you get the hang of it.

== Auto Pilot ==
All WWIIOL aircraft come equipped with an Auto Pilot, or rather, a “level lock” feature. To engage the autopilot you must be trimmed to a level and neutral state – check your VsI (Vertical Speed Indicator) and Artificial Horizon instruments. If the VsI is off neutral by more than just a little, the AP will not engage and you must correct elevator trim as required. Unfortunately the AP can not be set to follow waypoints while you walk the dog or fetch a cold one in the refrigerator. What’s more, the AP, if engaged below max level speed at your current throttle setting, will disengage if the speed differential is great enough. Thus, if you plan to be away for quite some time, allow the aircraft to settle at a steady speed before engaging the AP.

* Engage and disengage Autopilot by pressing "left ctrl A".
* You will know that the AP is engaged/disengaged by looking at the text buffer, where a text will announce Autopilot status.

== Use of Waypoints ==
Whenever you fly a standard mission there will be two waypoints, Origin and Target, which, to make matters more confusing, can be centered on the same locale (i.e. your airfield). When you spawn in, the little yellow arrow seen in the overhead map (M) is always pointing at your Target. If you, when returning to base, wish to be guided to your airdrome instead of back to the enemy-infested target, you must right-click on your airfield on the overhead map and set the waypoint there to Active.

If the mission leader has set additional waypoints to lay a specific course other than the straight “Origin to Target” option, you must select each waypoint in turn on the overhead map and make them Active by right-clicking if you wish to follow the plan – which you of course will want to do. The waypoints will be numbered and may have descriptions as well beyond the generic A# for Attack and R# for Rally.

Graduate with [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers]]

Back to [[Air Force]] main page

General Instruction

2017-11-05T12:05:00Z

Bmbm:

=General Instruction=

'''New to air combat?''' Start off by reading [https://pilotpress.wordpress.com/in-pursuit/ "In Pursuit"], an excellent (free) resource for both beginner and intermediate pilots.

Fighting in the air seems deceptively easy: all you have to do is motor up to the bad guy and shoot him down, right? You wish! There’s a whole lot more to fighting than pointing your nose at the enemy – you have to manage your engine, keep the aircraft trimmed properly, look about you, maneuver, plan ahead, keep your speed up, navigate, communicate, stay calm, and fly your aircraft so as to engage with a number of advantages instead of always fighting at a disadvantage.

Three major concepts encapsulate all of the above, and the pilot who acts to maintain a high level in all three categories will meet with success, while the pilot who fails in every category will likely not survive more than a few minutes in any combat. You need:
* [[Situational Awareness| Awareness]]
* [[Energy|Energy (Speed+Altitude)]]
* Surprise (Position+Speed of attack)

There are two important multipliers which interact with the above:
Numbers and Organisation. If you outnumber the enemy you can usually get away with having a low awareness and low energy, and if you fly with an element of organisation (which implies communication) you will also benefit materially and get away from situations where you would otherwise be stone dead.
 
First of all you need to increase your Awareness – which means careful study of all the details that pertain to aircraft and aerial combat. Keep reading! 

==[[COCKPITS|Cockpit Instruments]]==
What instrument is that? What is it good for? Why should I bother looking at it at all?

==[[Trim and Engine Management|Trim and Engine Management]]==
Learn how to fly a lean, clean and mean aircraft!

==[[Energy|Energy]]==
Energy is more than that gruesome piece of chocolate you find in your lint-filled pocket.

==[[Situational Awareness|Situational Awareness]]==
Pilots wear silk scarves for a reason. Look inside!

==[[Understanding_The_Range_Indicator|Understanding the Range Indicator]]==
Quickly determine distances from friendly and enemy aircraft.

==[[GUNS_AIR|Guns and Gunnery]]==
Having trouble reaching out to the dear old enemy? Help is nigh!

==[[Air Gunners and Bombardiers|Air Gunners and Bombardiers]]==
Learn more about the "meatshield" and his work environment.

==[[Finding action and gaining rank|Finding action and gaining rank]]==
At last, the important piece of advice!

[[Basic Flight Maneuvers|Continue to Basic Flight Maneuvers]]

[[Air Force|Back to Air Force main page]]

Finding action and gaining rank

2017-11-05T11:48:10Z

Bmbm: Added aws image

[[File:Aws.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Air Warning System - AWS''' 
The AWS helps you home in on the bad guys and will also tell you if you are in danger or not during cruise to and from the target area. To view the AWS reports, open your map (M) and make sure to have the radar button engaged. Red boxes indicate more than 5 enemy aircraft (EA), yellow boxes indicate less than 5 EA. If a square is not lit either red or yellow, no EA are reported in that particular square. Note that the AWS is not 100% reliable and updates every minute. If you are found cruising in an empty square adjacent to an active square, be on the lookout: you may be “bounced” by an EA coming in hot on your six. An empty AWS square does not guarantee a safe passage! Likewise, a yellow square may not actually contain an EA because it has already moved to an adjacent box - or have been shot down already.

Friendly aircraft on your mission are marked with white and light blue (mission leader) aircraft symbols. Follow them to gain some security in numbers! Friendly aircraft NOT on your mission are not shown on the map – though they will show up when inside 1000 m range from your location.

'''What is it like at the target?''' 
Generally speaking, pilots tend to flock to battles already in full swing – and the location of air battles is largely determined by what the Army is doing. Therefore, the vast majority of pilots tend to fly directly from the airfield closest to the ground battle, usually at minimum altitude and as fast as their crates allow. Once there they will bomb and strafe and generally try to shoo away the enemy in the air. If a side wrests air superiority over the enemy, pilots will immediately turn to strafing and bombing again – until enemy aircraft reappear.

The alternative to fighting in close proximity to an active ground battle is to try and find the enemy on his approach to said battle. The enemy will usually be less alert and often fully intent on reaching the battle area, therefore you can employ the element of surprise and often get away with it – if you avoid low-level turnfighting, regain high altitude after your combat and fly at a good rate of speed.

'''A few home truths to consider''' 
* The closer an (enemy) airfield is to the ground target, the lower the EA will be flying, and the bombcarriers will be more plentiful.
* If you fly outside the main combat corridors you will rarely find action – unless you fly low, slow and predictably.
* The heavier the activity the greater the penalty for being low, slow and turning.
* If you cannot kill the bandit in a single pass, let him go and find easier targets.
* It is several orders magnitude harder to hit a manouevring target than one which flies steadily and predictably.
* If the enemy has air superiority, our bombers and transports cannot hope to survive.
* The farther away from your home airfield, the less likely you are to find support when you need it.

'''Gaining rank''' 
You will need to kill something and return to base in order to reap the full rewards and advance in rank. The higher the rank, the better the aircraft you may sortie with. If you are listed as "RES" in the AAR (After Action Report) you will get 50% rank points. If you are KIA however, you will only get a quarter of the full award. It goes without saying that you will want to survive! For easy rank points, look for red flashing bridge icons - strike that bridge with at least one bomb and return to base for 10 easy points.

[[General Instruction|Return to General Instruction]]

File:Aws.png

2017-11-05T11:39:32Z

Bmbm: File uploaded with MsUpload

File uploaded with MsUpload

Finding action and gaining rank

2017-11-04T18:03:59Z

Bmbm: Created page with "'''Air Warning System - AWS''' The AWS helps you home in on the bad guys and will also tell you if you are in danger or not during cruise to and from the target area. Red..."

'''Air Warning System - AWS''' 
The AWS helps you home in on the bad guys and will also tell you if you are in danger or not during cruise to and from the target area. Red boxes indicate more than 5 enemy aircraft (EA), yellow boxes indicate less than 5 EA. If a square is not lit either red or yellow, no EA are reported in that particular square. Note that the AWS is not 100% reliable and updates every minute. If you are found cruising in an empty square adjacent to an active square, be on the lookout: you may be “bounced” by an EA coming in hot on your six. An empty AWS square does not guarantee a safe passage!

Friendly aircraft on your mission are marked with white and light blue (mission leader) aircraft symbols. Follow them to gain some security in numbers! Friendly aircraft NOT on your mission are not shown on the map – though they will show up when inside 1000 m range from your location.

'''What is it like at the target?''' 
Generally speaking, pilots tend to flock to battles already in full swing – and the location of air battles is largely determined by what the Army is doing. Therefore, the vast majority of pilots tend to fly directly from the airfield closest to the ground battle, usually at minimum altitude and as fast as their crates allow. Once there they will bomb and strafe and generally try to shoo away the enemy in the air. If a side wrests air superiority over the enemy, pilots will immediately turn to strafing and bombing again – until enemy aircraft reappear.

The alternative to fighting in close proximity to an active ground battle is to try and find the enemy on his approach to said battle. The enemy will usually be less alert and often fully intent on reaching the battle area, therefore you can employ the element of surprise and often get away with it – if you avoid low-level turnfighting, regain high altitude after your combat and fly at a good rate of speed.

'''A few home truths to consider''' 
* The closer an (enemy) airfield is to the ground target, the lower the EA will be flying, and the bombcarriers will be more plentiful.
* If you fly outside the main combat corridors you will rarely find action – unless you fly low, slow and predictably.
* The heavier the activity the greater the penalty for being low, slow and turning.
* If you cannot kill the bandit in a single pass, let him go and find easier targets.
* It is several orders magnitude harder to hit a manouevring target than one which flies steadily and predictably.
* If the enemy has air superiority, our bombers and transports cannot hope to survive.
* The farther away from your home airfield, the less likely you are to find support when you need it.

'''Gaining rank''' 
You will need to kill something and return to base in order to reap the full rewards and advance in rank. The higher the rank, the better the aircraft you may sortie with. If you are listed as "RES" in the AAR (After Action Report) you will get 50% rank points. If you are KIA however, you will only get a quarter of the full award. It goes without saying that you will want to survive! For easy rank points, look for red flashing bridge icons - strike that bridge with at least one bomb and return to base for 10 easy points.

[[General Instruction|Return to General Instruction]]

GUNS AIR

2017-11-04T17:52:43Z

Bmbm: Restoring lost content

= Guns and gunnery =
The idea of launching a fighter into the air is to find and destroy the enemy in the air (and sometimes to blow stuff up on the ground). This can only be achieved by closing to the appropriate range, there to open devastating and destructive fire with your forward-firing armament. This seems straightforward enough but is indeed a rather daunting task, as you will certainly experience. For there is more to air combat than merely pointing your guns at the enemy – you will first have to fly your aircraft to a promising position, and avoid countless dangers on the way to that position, and then stay there long enough to deliver effective fire.

== A brief history ==
Fighters are traditionally armed with rifle-caliber machineguns (7,5 – 7,98 mm) and/or heavy machineguns (typically 12,7 mm) and/or cannons (15 – 30 mm), usually arranged in the nose and/or in the wings. There are many variations, including weapons in underwing gondolas and belly packs, according to the standards and doctrines of the combatant nation. For instance, the German Luftwaffe adopted the 20-mm cannon as its main aerial weapon with RC weaponry as secondary armament while the RAF stuck to multiples of machineguns until well into 1941. France, Russia and the US adopted a combination of RC and cannon armament: the US eventually settled for caliber .50 and equipped all of its combat aircraft with this single caliber.

== Guns and convergence ==
Fighters with nose- or cowling-mounted weaponry enjoy a distinct advantage over fighters with wing-mounted guns. Because the centrally placed guns are aligned wih the fighter’s longitudinal axis, the guns fire straight forward to the limit of their range, making aiming and delivery considerably easier. Wing-mounted guns on the other hand must be harmonized to deliver a concentration at a specific range lest the fire be delivered in a largely ineffective “sheet” pattern. Because of this, fighters with wing-mounted guns are only 100% effective when firing with the target at or close to the convergence point. If the target is closer to or beyond the convergence point, a proportion of the fire will scatter and thus be less effective.

Where to set your convergence is highly dependent on your weapon, your typical fighting style and at what range you normally open destructive fire. RC machineguns lose most of their punch outside 150 meters whereas caliber .50 rounds are effective out to 800-1,000 meters – though you are better served by setting a closer convergence unless you are an expert marksman.

If you like to motor up close and personal before opening fire, such as you need to do anyway if you are armed with RC guns, set your convergence to 75-150 meters.

The default convergence is 200 meters, which is good enough for most pilots and aircraft. If you prefer the long and fast attacks where closure is massive, you will benefit from a convergence setting of 200-300 meters.

A higher convergence setting is possible but not recommended since you will then rob yourself of delivery performance at close range. Go for a happy medium, and above all, evaluate your gunnery and set your convergence to the range where you typically score hits.

You will also need to take bullet drop into account. The projectile trajectory is higher than the aiming point inside convergence and drops off below the aiming point outside 500-600 meters range. This is highly dependent on your guns’ muzzle velocity: the higher the muzzle velocity, the less parabolic the trajectory. As a rule of thumb, a greater caliber round has a more pronounced drop, e.g. the German 30-mm round.

== Deflection ==
In general, the easiest shot is delivered from a position just aft of the enemy with the shooter matching the target’s speed at a range of 100-200 meters. Getting into this position, and staying there for the duration required to deliver destructive fire, is however a whole science of its own. The benefits of firing from six o’clock are that the enemy may be completely unaware of his impending destruction; you get more firing time at his six than from any other direction; and if the bandit breaks you are well placed to match his manouevre and regain a shot position. The drawback is that the bandit offers a small target area and that your bullets may ricochet off the enemy due to the low angle of attack.

Most of the time you will be coming into guns range with the target more or less offset, i.e. travelling across or through your field of view. In all situations other than the true six o’clock attack you will have to ‘’’lead’’’ the target to some degree. The idea is that you must fire ahead of the target, i.e. in his future flight path, so that your bullets and the target arrive at this point at the same instant.

Consider the situation where the target is moving left to right across your steady shot solution: if you aim and fire straight at the target your bullets will arrive too late and fall well behind. Therefore you must aim a certain distance to the right of the target in this case, so that bullets and target coincide in space and time. The amount of lead, also known as deflection, is highly dependent on firing range, target rate of speed across your view, and to a lesser degree on your weapon’s muzzle velocity. The idea is to hold a steady firing solution (so that your fire will be concentrated when it arrives) and allow the enemy to ‘’’fly into’’’ your stream of fire.

In extreme cases you will have to fire blindly, i.e. with the target hidden beneath your nose. A typical situation is when you are cutting across the circle of a bandit moving at a good rate of speed, at short range: your wingline will be roughly level to his, therefore your wings and engine will be hiding him from view at the precise instance when you need to open fire – if you hold your fire until you regain sight of the target you will surely miss. The solution to the dilemma is to roll 180 degrees to inverted so that the bandit travels through your vision from top to bottom instead, though this shot is exceptionally tricky and not for every occasion – and following the shot you will be in a less beneficial position if your fire misses.

== Where to aim? ==
Most of the time you will not have the opportunity to choose a particular aiming point but be happy to fire in the general direction of the target’s centre mass. When you do have the opportunity to aim however, go for the following areas in order of importance:
# Engine
# Pilot
# Fuel tank (usually in the centre fuselage just aft or in front of the pilot)
# Wingroot (where the wing is attached to the fuselage)
# Empennage (tail unit)

== Closure ==

== The head-on shot ==

== Guns defence ==

== Gunnery tips ==

COCKPITS

2017-11-04T17:49:25Z

Bmbm: Created page with "Situational Awareness starts with being aware of the speed, altitude, heading and general performance of your aircraft at any given time. Throw a glance at your cockpit instru..."

Situational Awareness starts with being aware of the speed, altitude, heading and general performance of your aircraft at any given time. Throw a glance at your cockpit instruments every now and then to determine your status. At first the array of dials and readouts may seem intimidating and difficult to read, and sometimes hard to find – however, with experience you will soon learn to find the correct gauge in the blink of an eye, and learn that there are primary and secondary instruments.

* Primary instruments: altimeter, airspeed indicator, compass
* Secondary instruments: engine and fluid gauges, attitude indicators, landing gear indicator

Once you are familiarized with the instrumention in one type of aircraft you can be fairly certain to find your way around any other aircraft type, for they are largely similar in appearance.

(Images and detailed description pending)

[[General Instruction|Return to General Instruction]]

Trim and Engine Management

2017-11-04T17:42:17Z

Bmbm: Added Trim management

= Trimming your aircraft – a vital and ongoing task =
As a rookie pilot you will probably find it difficult to keep your aircraft steady in the air and especially difficult to keep a bandit steady in your gunsight when you attempt to gun him down. In fact, you will probably be fighting your aircraft’s tendency to climb or dive more than anything – requiring you to push or pull on the stick just to fly a straight line through the air. There is nothing wrong with your aircraft, you just need to trim it properly.

As you spawn in your aircraft is trimmed by default to its max level speed at sea level. The problem is that you are not always flying at maximum level speed on the deck – you may be climbing, turning or diving at various altitudes, and because of the difference in airspeed your trim will be more or less out of whack.

* In order to fly a clean path through the air, that is, with minimal stick pressure either fore or aft, you must trim your aircraft to a neutral state – which is always relative to the airspeed you are currently at.

Trim (or balance) is affected by manipulating small control surfaces on your elevators (pitch), ailerons (roll) and rudder (yaw). Of the three, elevator trim is the most important. Changing aileron and rudder trim is useful for regaining a measure of control when you have taken battle damage to said control surfaces. Elevator trim is manipulated with K (elevator trim up) and I (elevator trim down) keys. Remember their action as KLIMB and INININ.

* You will notice that takeoff becomes a lot easier by trimming elevators up (K): punch the K key some 10-15 ticks to adjust to the low airspeed.
* When you engage in a turning or climbing contest (from a neutral max speed trim setting) you will notice a huge improvement in turn and climb performance when you aggressively trim elevator trim up (K for KLIMB remember).
* When you exceed your default max sealevel airspeed, or your current level trim setting, by diving, you will notice that a certain amount of elevator trim down (I for INININ) will assist to keep the nose pointed down without excessive forward pressure on the stick.

The benefits of always flying a well trimmed, balanced, aircraft are:
* Less drag = more speed
* Less stick input = you will fly a straight line without effort, and can climb and dive with greater fine control
* Increased manoeuvrability = you get more stick “throw” in turning contest, and can out-turn an ill-trimmed opponent
* Improved gunnery = a stable platform yields more concentrated fire

If unsure of your current trim state, simply let go of the stick. If the aircraft tends to climb, input elevator down trim (I) to attain a neutral level flight. If the aircraft tends to nose down, input elevator trim up (K) until you fly level and true.

= Engine Management =
The WWIIOL aircraft have simplified engine and propellor controls in comparison with real-world aircraft. In real life, propellor and engine manifold settings are separate whereas in WWIIOL they are interlinked for ease of play. Still, there are some tasks that you must perform, and certain settings to manipulate to get the most out of your crate. And when the proverbial manure hits the fan, engine management may spell the difference between a successful return and an ignominious prang.

Your engine settings are:
* Economy RPM
* Continuous RPM
* Maximum RPM
* War Emergency Power

These settings correspond to the speed you may produce, and indicate the amount of strain on your engine. They also indicate the attitude of your propellor blades – i.e. at which angle they bite into the air.

The higher the setting, the more speed, the more wear and tear, and the greater the angle of attack (AOA) of the propellor blades. 
Increase RPM with ' (default) 
Decrease RPM with ; (default) 

* Use Economy RPM to save gas on long cruises and to increase velocity in a dive (a low AOA produces less drag and consequently increases speed in the dive). Also use Economy to cool down an overheated engine. If the engine is severely overheated you will also benefit from reducing throttle.
* Use Continuous RPM as a happy middle ground between high speed and low gas consumption. When operating at corner speed you may also gain angles on a turning bandit in comparison to a max RPM setting, though this is highly dependent on the circumstances.
* Use Maximum RPM for takeoff, aggressive ascents, combat and landing.
* Use War Emergency Power – WEP – (F8) when you need an extra boost of energy.

Be advised that WEP is most effective at sea level for normally aspirated engines (if your engine is turbocharged WEP is effective at higher altitudes too), and that WEP considerably increases wear and tear. In most aircraft you can only use WEP for so long until the engine starts to chuff and chug and finally seize. Keep an eye on your temperature gauges!

[[General Instruction|Return to General Instruction]]

Trim and Engine Management

2017-11-04T17:39:54Z

Bmbm:

The WWIIOL aircraft have simplified engine and propellor controls in comparison with real-world aircraft. In real life, propellor and engine manifold settings are separate whereas in WWIIOL they are interlinked for ease of play. Still, there are some tasks that you must perform, and certain settings to manipulate to get the most out of your crate. And when the proverbial manure hits the fan, engine management may spell the difference between a successful return and an ignominious prang.

Your engine settings are:
* Economy RPM
* Continuous RPM
* Maximum RPM
* War Emergency Power

These settings correspond to the speed you may produce, and indicate the amount of strain on your engine. They also indicate the attitude of your propellor blades – i.e. at which angle they bite into the air.

The higher the setting, the more speed, the more wear and tear, and the greater the angle of attack (AOA) of the propellor blades. 
Increase RPM with ' (default) 
Decrease RPM with ; (default) 

* Use Economy RPM to save gas on long cruises and to increase velocity in a dive (a low AOA produces less drag and consequently increases speed in the dive). Also use Economy to cool down an overheated engine. If the engine is severely overheated you will also benefit from reducing throttle.
* Use Continuous RPM as a happy middle ground between high speed and low gas consumption. When operating at corner speed you may also gain angles on a turning bandit in comparison to a max RPM setting, though this is highly dependent on the circumstances.
* Use Maximum RPM for takeoff, aggressive ascents, combat and landing.
* Use War Emergency Power – WEP – (F8) when you need an extra boost of energy.

Be advised that WEP is most effective at sea level for normally aspirated engines (if your engine is turbocharged WEP is effective at higher altitudes too), and that WEP considerably increases wear and tear. In most aircraft you can only use WEP for so long until the engine starts to chuff and chug and finally seize. Keep an eye on your temperature gauges!

[[General Instruction|Return to General Instruction]]

Trim and Engine Management

2017-11-04T17:39:05Z

Bmbm: Created page with "The WWIIOL aircraft have simplified engine and propellor controls in comparison with real-world aircraft. In real life, propellor and engine manifold settings are separate whe..."

The WWIIOL aircraft have simplified engine and propellor controls in comparison with real-world aircraft. In real life, propellor and engine manifold settings are separate whereas in WWIIOL they are interlinked for ease of play. Still, there are some tasks that you must perform, and certain settings to manipulate to get the most out of your crate. And when the proverbial manure hits the fan, engine management may spell the difference between a successful return and an ignominious prang.

Your engine settings are:
* Economy RPM
* Continuous RPM
* Maximum RPM
* War Emergency Power

These settings correspond to the speed you may produce, and indicate the amount of strain on your engine. They also indicate the attitude of your propellor blades – i.e. at which angle they bite into the air.

The higher the setting, the more speed, the more wear and tear, and the greater the angle of attack (AOA) of the propellor blades.
Increase RPM with ' (default) 
Decrease RPM with ; (default) 

* Use Economy RPM to save gas on long cruises and to increase velocity in a dive (a low AOA produces less drag and consequently increases speed in the dive). Also use Economy to cool down an overheated engine. If the engine is severely overheated you will also benefit from reducing throttle.
* Use Continuous RPM as a happy middle ground between high speed and low gas consumption. When operating at corner speed you may also gain angles on a turning bandit in comparison to a max RPM setting, though this is highly dependent on the circumstances.
* Use Maximum RPM for takeoff, aggressive ascents, combat and landing.
* Use War Emergency Power – WEP – (F8) when you need an extra boost of energy.

Be advised that WEP is most effective at sea level for normally aspirated engines (if your engine is turbocharged WEP is effective at higher altitudes too), and that WEP considerably increases wear and tear. In most aircraft you can only use WEP for so long until the engine starts to chuff and chug and finally seize. Keep an eye on your temperature gauges!

[[General Instruction|Return to General Instruction]]

Energy

2017-11-04T17:32:52Z

Bmbm:

= Energy =
The concept of Energy is fundamental to air combat and requires more than a cursory study. Understanding Energy is not complicated but keeping a close tab on your energy state, as well as the energy state of all aircraft around you including those beyond visual range, is extremely complex – because the energy situation changes constantly with the multitudes of moves and vectors and positions involved in the overall air combat equation.

== Definition ==
In short, Energy is the sum of your position and airspeed. You create energy by cranking up the engine and by stashing its output in a combination of speed and altitude. This is a simplistic approach though, for you must also compare your energy with that of the enemy’s. In simple terms, a fighter which travels 10 ft off the ground at maximum speed has less energy than a similar fighter that travels 1,000 ft off the ground at maximum speed – because the high fighter can convert his altitude to an overhead of speed beyond that what the low fighter can produce.

In other words, you can improve your Energy situation considerably by using Time (spent on climbing) in converting your present energy to potential energy. This potential energy can be spent at a later time, by diving. By stashing up on altitude even the slowest aircraft can dominate the fastest aircraft, at least for a while – until the energy difference is levelled.

== Energy and Vectors ==
There is more to Energy than Speed and Altitude however. You must also consider the vectors involved in a combat. Consider two equally performing fighters heading directly toward each other at maximum speed and at the same level. Before they meet (merge) their energy levels are equal – the fighters are neutral. Shortly after they merge however, fighter A hauls around to follow fighter B in order to park on his six o’clock. In so doing he must spend some of his energy, for drastic manouevres incur a drag penalty that reduces airspeed. Fighter B however has no intention of fighting – he keeps going on his original heading without giving up an ounce of energy. Fighter A is now wallowing out of guns range far behind fighter B and must spend some time in recouping max level airspeed. In the interval fighter B motors on and leaves fighter A in the dust.

== Wide-area energy ==
You will probably hear seasoned pilots telling you to “keep your energy state high”, but what does it really mean? Heck, you are already flying with the hamsters on max – how can you go any faster?

What the veterans are telling you is to fly higher and to avoid largely stationary turning contests, especially in a high-threat area. When the unknowns are massive you need to have an overhead of energy for emergencies. In short, as you will no doubt have experienced already, you will not want to be found low and slow in an area where bandits are coming in high and hot. These same bandits have the opportunity to make rapid and devastating attacks on you that you have little chance of defending against – because the attacks develop in the blink of an eye and can come in from any direction. If you, on the other hand, are flying high and fast, you can safely disregard everything that is lower and slower and thus choose your victims at leisure.

== Energy fighting ==
You may have heard of “energy” and “angles” fighters, commonly referred to as “B&Z’ers” (Boom and Zoom) and “T&B’ers” (Turn and Burn). As the monikers suggest, there is a vast difference between the two approaches to air combat. The B&Z fighter flies high and fast; he only turns when there is no one to interrupt his reversal; he engages in long slashing attacks and he will make himself scarce the moment he loses positional and/or energy advantage. The T&B fighter usually flies and fights on the deck; he likes to haul back on the stick; he prefers to stay close to his opponent in tight turns and loops; he will fight to the death for should he lose positional advantage there is anyway little chance of escape. Still, the B&Z and T&B fighter both employ energy in the fight – it is merely a question of scale.

== Energy up close and personal ==
When you are engaged in a max-rate turning fight, energy is most tangible. Consider two equally performing fighters turning nose to tail in a flat circle on the deck: if their energy state is neutral, neither will earn angles on the other and they will remain locked in a flat turning contest until one of them makes a critical mistake (such as pulling too hard and stalling momentarily, thereby losing energy and position) or decides to leave the static circle.

If, on the other hand, one of the fighters relax stick pressure to build up speed for a few seconds, the opponent will most likely continue his max-rate turn and cut across the circle to gain a guns solution. At that point the former fighter is becoming energy-rich but angles-poor, while the tailing fighter is energy-poor but angles-rich. The outcome of this example fight is by no means certain: the energy-rich but angles-poor fighter may yet use his recouped energy to turn the table on the energy-poor but angles-rich fighter on his tail.

You will also find it easy to keep tabs on the relative energy states by thinking in terms of “level” “uphill” and “downhill”. What you absolutely must remember is that energy is what allows you to (or disallows you from) performing combat manoeuvres. If you are out of energy, you are powerless: you cannot turn, you cannot climb, you cannot evade an attack – you will shortly find yourself in a burning wingless wreck. If you have an overhead of energy you are free to dictate the fight; you are free to attack or disengage.

'''Fight with your brains, not with your brawn!'''

[[General Instruction|Return to General Instruction]]

Situational Awareness

2017-11-04T17:32:11Z

Bmbm:

= Situational Awareness =
Situational Awareness (SA) is a catch-all term for “knowing what goes on around you and adapting to it”. SA is what matters in the fight – it is not the aircraft, not the numbers, nor the situation itself. You have heard the saying “it is the one you do not see that kills you” and that is very much so. If you do not see the threat, if you are not aware of it, then you cannot manoeuvre profitably against it. Lose sight, lose the fight!

== Definition ==
SA a complex, very taxing and constantly ongoing process because you must identify and keep track of everything that goes on around you in order to make the correct tactical decision at any one time, all the time. You must harvest and compute data without pause, and the input changes constantly.

In short, SA is the sum of your attention to all kinds of details pertaining to your sortie:
* Navigation (staying in the air, plotting current and projected position)
* Systems checks (fuel, engine temperature, system failures etc)
* Ongoing visual checks of the surrounding airspace
* Radio communication
* Adherence to mission
* Position and energy state relative to friendly aircraft and territory
* Position and energy state relative to enemy aircraft and territory
* Position and energy state relative to unseen but likely enemy aircraft (aka ”wildcards”)

Performing all of the above tasks all the time is extremely tiresome and repetitive, yet you simply must perform them or shortly find yourself looking at a black screen.

== Task overload ==
As a beginner you will likely devote most of your attention to avoiding catastrophic contacts with the ground, and will have little time or opportunity to perform all the other vital checks. You will therefore quickly reach a state of task overload and be shot down by an unseen bandit.

Eventually you will fly, navigate and keep up a visual vigil as a matter of course, though you will still be unable to handle more than a single bandit at a time – because manouevring against him and keeping him in sight soaks up all of your brain power. Enter one more bandit and you will be mercilessly shot down, because your SA was already on the brink of being overloaded.

The amount of brain power required to keep tabs on enemy aircraft is exponential. One bandit, or a formation of bandits, spotted below and to the left, may cause you to devote 20% of your attention, whereas two cons with vastly different data coming at you from ahead and from high six may force you to devote 100% of your processing effort to sustain yourself. Introduce one more unknown set of data or make one of the previous critical (such as losing a vital control surface) and presto – you will suffer task overload.

So, what separates the rookie from the ace is not really flying ability, but the ability to process and adapt to huge amounts of data.

== How to achieve good SA ==
Your highest priority is to keep an unceasing vigil of the surrounding airscape. This is especially important when you are chasing after a bandit or turning to engage. In a chase situation your attention will be fully focused on the bandit in front of you, leaving your astern blind and completely open to surprise attack.

You must develop a routine for looking about you. When cruising, scan left, right, up, low and behind in a steady and constant manner. Do not just flip through the views but make sure to look with determination – remember that it takes a few seconds for aircraft icons and range halos to develop.

There are other ways, beyond constant scanning, of keeping your SA high and most of them are quite self-explanatory. That said, you will notice that 99% of all online pilots disregard them 99% of the time:
* Maintain superior altitude and speed
* Limit yourself to single passes on the enemy, after which you promptly disengage to regain SA and energy
* Do not surround yourself with enemy (as in a furball)

[[General Instruction|Return to General Instruction]]

Situational Awareness

2017-11-04T17:29:47Z

Bmbm: Created page with "= Situational Awareness = Situational Awareness (SA) is a catch-all term for “knowing what goes on around you and adapting to it”. SA is what matters in the fight – it i..."

Energy

2017-11-04T17:27:59Z

Bmbm: Created page with "= Energy = The concept of Energy is fundamental to air combat and requires more than a cursory study. Understanding Energy is not complicated but keeping a close tab on your e..."

Air Force

2017-11-04T17:19:32Z

Bmbm: Cleaned up text

[[Image:38small.png|right]]
=Introduction=
WWII Online is a combined arms simulation, featuring co-operative gameplay between Ground, Air, and Naval units. Of these three, the Airforce is arguably the most potent arm: without [[Air_Superiority|air superiority]] and [[Close_Air_Support|close air support]] the Army and the Navy cannot hope to make an impact, and without fighters to pave the way for bombers and paratroop aircraft, very little can be accomplished. Strategic bombers, roaming far beyond the reach of riflemen and patrol boats, have the power to [[Strategic_Bombardment|strangle supply]] in the game’s RDP model. [[Air_Superiority|Air superiority]] is a vital concept and during your first few hours in the game world, as you find yourself anxiously looking skyward or ducking under a hail of bombs, you will recognize just how important it is. This guide aims to help you to get airborne, armed and ready to influence the flow of battle.

Air combat IS tough 
Be advised that air combat is an incredibly complex field to venture into. Becoming an effective pilot requires long hours in the cockpit and countless fiery deaths. Do not be turned off by the steep learning curve however – once you get the hang of some [[General_Instruction|basic concepts]] you will be ready to fight it out with the best of them.

WWII Online has a good selection of various types of combat aircraft to choose from, all with their own peculiar traits, benefits and disadvantages. Aside from general similarities and the universal challenge of combat shared by all, each aircraft requires a specific modus operandi to ensure success. Learn by flying them all, offline, through reading and by experimenting, to find the aircraft and the practice that best suits your fighting personality.

First time pilot? Fly offline! 
If this is your first attempt at flying, we strongly recommend that you review the basic aircraft controls below and practice extensively offline before venturing out online. This is because aircraft availability online is severely limited and senseless waste of aircraft is largely frowned upon by your fellow pilots. Once online, do not hesitate to ask for help and advice – you will find many helpful pilots online who are eager to help you along.

If you fancy more in-depth reading, have a look at this decent [[:File:ww2 online inpursuit.pdf|guide for beginner and intermediate pilots]]

Note that game download and offline play is free of charge.

==[[incremented flaps|Incremental flaps]]==
Learn how to configure "combat flaps" for better turn performance in dogfights

==[[Piloting Quick Start Guide|Piloting Quick Start Guide]]==
From n00b to dweeb in 10 minutes flat!

==[[Essential Game Controllers|Essential Game Controllers]]==
You simply have to get a joystick or you get to play infantry!

==[[Ten Easy Rules|Ten Easy Rules]]==
Getting airborne is easy enough. Surviving is another matter!

=[[General Instruction|General Instruction]]=
Find out all you need to know about cockpit instruments, engine management, gunnery, energy, situational awareness and more!

=[[Basic Flight Maneuvers|Basic Flight Maneuvers (BFM)]]=
Take off and landing, turning, diving, barrel-rolling... so much to learn, so little time. Give it a few minutes and you will gain prowess to last you a lifetime (no, not a game lifetime).

=[[Advanced Combat Maneuvers|Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM)]]=
Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM) is the collective name for all kinds maneuvers that you will need to employ to produce a guns opportunity against enemy aircraft – or to escape from a threatening situation. Learn about the Scissors, the Yo-Yo, the Rope-a-Dope and many more useful maneuvers, right here.

=[[Air Missions|Missions - Have guns, will travel.]]=
Now that you can fly an aircraft, what are you going to do with it?

Learn more about how to succeed in fighter missions such as CAP, CAS and BARCAP; learn how to make the groundpounders miserable with fighter-bombers and attack aircraft; learn how to lay waste to enemy factories through strategic bombing... and more.

=Air Force Units=

{{Air Force Units}}

Check out [http://www.hoofsperformance.wwiionline.com/ Hoof Performance page, insights into the games aircraft].

=Aircraft Names=

==Fighter==
<center>
'''British'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Hurricane Mk I || Hawker Hurricane Mk I || Hurri
|-
| Hurricane Mk IIb || Hawker Hurricane Mk IIb || Hurri
|-
| Spitfire Mk Ia || Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia || Spit
|-
| Spitfire Mk Vb || Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb || Spit
|-
| Spitfire Mk IXc || Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXc || Spit
|}

'''French'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Hawk 75 || Curtiss Hawk H75A-3 || P-36A
|-
| Hawk 81 || Curtiss Hawk H81A-2 || P-40C
|-
| Hawk 87 || Curtiss Hawk H87B-3 || P-40F "Warhawk"
|-
| D.520 || Dewoitine D.520 ||
|-
| P-322 Lightning || Lockheed 322-15 || P-38 Lightning
|}

'''German'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Bf 109E-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 || Emil
|-
| Bf 109F-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 || Franz
|-
| Bf 109G-6/U4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/U-4 || Gustav
|-
| Fw 190A-4 || Focke Wulf Fw 190A-4 || Würger
|-
| Bf 110C-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4 || Zerstörer
|}
</center>

==Fighter Bomber & Bomber==

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Blenheim Mk I || Bristol Blenheim Mk I || Blenburgher
|-
| Blenheim Mk IV || Bristol Blenheim Mk IV || Blenburgher
|-
| Havoc Mk I || Douglas A-20 || Havoc Mk I
|-
| Hurricane Mk IIc || Hurricane Mk IIc || Hurribomber
|-
| Ju 87 Stuka || Junkers Ju 87B-2 || Stuka
|-
| He 111 || Heinkel He 111H-1 || Spade
|-
| Bf 110C-4/B || Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4/B || Zerstörer
|-
| DB-7 || Douglas DB-7 ||
|-
| Bell mle 14a || Bell mle 14a (P-39) || Airacobra
|}
</center>

==Transport==

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Ju-52 Transport || Junker Ju 52 M3 || Tante Ju
|-
| C-47 Dakota || Douglas C-47 || Dakota
|}
</center>

Basic Flight Maneuvers

2017-11-04T16:46:00Z

Bmbm: Cleaned up dead links

Basic Flight Maneuvers (BFM) is the collective name for all kinds Maneuvers you will employ in any mission be it in a bomber, fighter or transport aircraft. As in all things pertaining to air combat, full knowledge and control of the basics will inspire confidence in your ability to succeed. If you find yourself struggling with the easiest things, you cannot hope to manage the more challenging aspects of air combat.
 

== Taxi and takeoff ==
As you spawn into the game world you will find yourself facing an altogether insufficient stretch of runway. The itch is strong to power up and take off immediately, and while this is possible in most cases it nevertheless makes good sense to start your mission by taxiing to a more propitious position. This is especially true if you sortie a medium bomber or a fighter with particularly high wingloading (e.g. FW-190, H-87), aircraft that need a wee bit more time and real estate to achieve proper takeoff speed. If you persist in taking off straight off the spawn-in position, make sure to:
* Set engine RPM to maximum (hit ‘ key twice)
* Trim tail heavy (K key, 10-15 taps)
* Deploy flaps (Q) to increase lift
* Select War Emergency Power (F8) to give maximum takeoff boost
* Hold brakes (z and x) until the engine is running at full bore

Being careful and smart however, you elect to taxi out of the hangar to the perimeter of the field. Knock the throttle forward just enough to set you rolling, edge out of the hangar and unlock your tail wheel (or nose wheel if your aircraft has tricycle gear) with / key. Now tap the brake, z to turn left or x to turn right, until you face the desired takeoff position. Lock your tail wheel again with / key and motor gently forward to the selected spot. Once there, brake gently with unlocked tail wheel to slew around with the whole field before you. Make sure to lock the tail wheel again. All of this takes no more than 30 seconds and will save you a ton of grief compared to smashing into hangars and trees time and time again.

* Now for the takeoff. Go through the routine bulleted above and start your takeoff roll by releasing brakes. Your aircraft will display a more or less pronounced tendency to swerve either right or left – this is engine torque at work. Counteract this yaw by adding a smidgeon of rudder in the direction opposite to the yaw motion, e.g. if you yaw left, tramp down (or twist your stick) to give right rudder – be careful of overcompensating though.

* If you do not have the benefit of rudder control, use short taps on the appropriate brake (z and x) to correct your course.

* You will also experience a sickening tilt in the horizontal (i.e. of your wingline) due to engine torque. Counteract this rolling motion with a touch of opposite aileron: move the stick gently to left or right depending on which way your propeller rotates.

* As you start to pick up speed the nose will come down (in so-called taildraggers, aircraft with tail wheel) and reveal the runway in its full glory. You may want to push the stick very gently forward to help the nose along in the beginning of your takeoff roll, as this will reduce the yawing and rolling motion described above. Careful so you do not dig a hole though!

* Roll three quarters down the length of the field and feel the aircraft. At first it will be jittery and hard to control, followed by a period of stability and leech-like behavior. Shortly thereafter you will gain takeoff speed and “rotate” with only a small amount of back pressure on the stick.

* If you used WEP, remember to toggle it off (F8). Retract flaps (W) and raise the undercarriage (G). Praise the n00b - you are on your way!

== Landing ==
You will want to land your aircraft for one single reason: to harvest points earned in the mission so that you may gain rank and access to better performing aircraft. And while you are at it, why not make it a nice professional landing instead of an ugly prang!

* Landing is a lot more than pointing your nose at the field and plowing down, hoping for the best. The main things to consider are AIRSPEED and RATE OF DESCENT. You will want to come in at a slow speed and a low rate of descent, because the opposite – a high speed and rapid rate of descent – is what makes for spectacular crashes.

* The key to a splendid landing is to manage your descent with your THROTTLE. Ideally, you should maintain a slight back pressure on the stick and avoid using your elevators for height corrections – that is what your throttle is for.

A good landing begins with a good and measured approach – not straight at the field but more than one full turn radius to the side of it. In the following example you will be landing in the standard counter-clockwise pattern.
# You are approaching home plate at 1000 ft/300 m, throttle fully forward.
# As you spot the airfield in the distance, reduce to quarter throttle and hold your present altitude. Speed will drop off gradually. Aim for a point in the air well to the side of the field.
# You pass the field on the so-called “downwind leg”, watching it over your port (left) wing. Speed has now bled off to about 120 mph/200 kmh and you maintain your altitude.
# With the field now behind you to the left, make a gentle 90-degree turn to put the field fully to your side over the wingtip. Trim your crate tail heavy (K key, repeatedly).
# Deploy flaps. You are still at about quarter throttle. Keep the propeller at or just above the horizon with slight back pressure on the stick, and continue trimming tail heavy.
# With the intended landing direction aligned with your wingline, make a steady turn to port and line up on the final stretch. You are now on the glide path and should be doing about 70mph/110kmh, with a VsI readout of –2 to –4. Deploy landing gear (G).
# Focus on the spot where you want to touch down – this should be just inside the airfield perimeter, not in the middle of the field – and manage your descent with throttle only. Keep the prop on the horizon still, not below it.
# Maintaining your attitude and a steady back pressure, work with the throttle to correct your descent rate. If you descend too rapidly (watch the VsI instrument) your speed is too low and you will belly in unless you spin out first. If your speed is excessive despite chopping to zero throttle, you will overshoot your mark and end up in the trees.
# Shortly before touching down, reduce VsI yet more to –1 or less by raising the nose with back pressure on the stick (this is known as to “flare” your aircraft), and set it down ever so gently for a three-point landing.
# Once down, chop throttle entirely, retract flaps (W) and let the aircraft coast. Tap the brakes gently and come to a complete stop.

* If you feel that you are going to overshoot the field because your speed or your altitude is too high, give full throttle and go around for another try. Resist the temptation to nose down to force a landing.
* For emergency landings, reduce speed and altitude either by S-turns or by sideslipping. Experienced pilots can knife-edge their aircraft to minimum altitude and plonk down on the runway with a minimum of fuss – as will you, eventually.
* If the airfield is under fire from ground troops, or if you have reason to suspect that enemy snipers are about, do not come to a full stop on the field but keep coasting slowly as you exit the aircraft (Esc key).

== Climbing and diving ==
You might think that climbing and diving is uncomplicated and not requiring finesse – that it is merely a matter of pointing your nose up or down. On the face of it, that is all there is to it, yet you need to use your brain in this department as well.

* The thing to consider is rate of ascent/descent, and to weigh your rate against your mission status and the prevailing circumstances.

=== Climbing (ascending) ===
* A moderate rate of ascent (3000 ft/min or 1000 m/min) covers more ground and allows you to retain maneuvers speed that will come in handy if you are bounced during the climb to altitude.

* An aggressive rate of ascent (10000 ft/min or 3000 m/min) gets you up to altitude faster but forces you to climb at a slow airspeed, thus you cover less ground and makes you a sitting duck against surprise attack.

* Whichever rate of ascent you settle for, make sure to be trimmed to a neutral state (i.e. not requiring back pressure on the stick) so as to minimize drag and to climb at a steady constant rate. If your crate is trimmed nose heavy you will have to fight the stick all the way up to altitude, conspiring to make your flight porpoise-like and uneven. You will know whether you are trimmed right for your current speed by letting go of the stick – when trimmed correctly the crate will maintain a steady and positive attitude without back pressure on the stick.

* If you are in a hurry to altitude, use WEP (F8) early on in the mission to gain the greatest benefit of the extra boost without the engine overheat penalty. Remember that WEP is more effective at low altitude than above 10,000 ft/3 km.

* Do the bulk of your climbing well away from enemy fighters to minimize your vulnerability and so that you will be heading into “indian country” already at your selected altitude with a good head of steam.

* Never climb to a fight. Being low and slow below a dogfight or below maneuvering enemy fighters is certain to cause you grief. If you must climb to engage, put some distance between yourself and the enemy before climbing, then enter the fight at or above the enemy level.

=== Diving (descending) ===
* Before you go diving down on the enemy below, consider where you will want to end up: turning and frolicking in a dogfight; recovering to altitude directly above the enemy; recovering to altitude well past the bounce – in a specific direction that puts you either in harm’s way or out of it; or extending well away to draw fully out of visual range of enemy aircraft before returning to the fray.

The examples above directs you to descend with an idea of what you intend to accomplish.
* If you intend to stay and fight a sustained close range combat at the enemy level, from a position of superior advantage, you are best served by spiraling down with chopped throttle (to slow down further, deploy flaps momentarily) until your energy advantage is substantial rather than excessive – if you arrive below with too much energy, your maneuvers envelope will be severely restricted and cause blackouts and further loss of energy and position below the enemy level.
* If you intend to recover just above the enemy following your attack, make your attack run at an angle of 45-60 degrees so that you will not “bottom out” too far below the target. Thus you will avoid blacking out as you recover and use your overhead of energy to regain a superior position.
* If you intend to extend well beyond the disadvantaged enemy below, or if you wish to disengage fully after your attack, make your attack at 30-60 degrees and only recover gently after your run to maximise the distance traveled at high speed.

It is generally a very bad idea to cede superior altitude and destroy your considerable energy advantage unless you can score a clean kill. Use your altitude advantage wisely to give you several engagement opportunities!

In all your diving attacks, make sure to trim your aircraft nose heavy (I) so that you will not have to fight the nose down with stick input. Ideally you will want to fly a straight path with minimum stick input – this will make your flight comfortable and controlled, and yield stronger, more concentrated, punch when you fire.

* You will note that speed in the dive increases when you set your RPM to Continuous or Economy (;) as this causes less parasitic drag from the propeller blades.

* For extended dives, make sure to reduce or even cut throttle entirely lest you build up an excess of speed that makes your aircraft nigh impossible to control. Watch your Indicated Speed! If you do enter the compressibility range, your ailerons and elevators will lock up and send you straight down into the dirt. If so, cut throttle, set Maximum RPM, and use elevator trim up (K) to recover a positive attitude. Remember to power up when you recover!

== Turning ==
You will probably not encounter any problems in this department, although there are some things to keep in mind that will aid you in combat.
* For simple navigation (i.e. effecting course changes) it is generally best to make steady “bomber turns” with the wingline banked at no more than 30-45 degrees and a sustained light back pressure on the stick – this causes only minimal drag and keeps your speed up.
* When you need to change heading in a hurry, quarter-roll quickly to bank the aircraft and pull back with a sustained and decisive back pressure to make a drastic turn. Release back pressure and roll back to level as you are about to come onto the desired heading.
* Drastic turns incur a drag penalty that reduces airspeed somewhat and may cause you to black out momentarily depending on your airspeed and the stick force exerted.
* The time necessary to enter the turn is improved somewhat by adding down rudder (e.g. you tramp left rudder briefly for a left turn), although this also comes with a drag penalty and may throw you off kilter if you give too much rudder. Experiment!

Flat turns such as described above are only recommended for navigation and pre-engaged maneuvering – if you have sufficient energy, it is far better to make use of the vertical for engaged manoeuvring. Consider a standard nose-to-nose fight, starting with a straight run at your opponent: he who makes a flat turn must pay a heavy penalty in energy, space and time since when turning in the purely horizontal he must fight gravity instead of drawing benefit from it. By reversing (i.e. turning around) in the vertical or with a certain vertical element added to the horizontal (also known as oblique), the fighter receives a gravity assist both on the way up and on the way down. Going up, airspeed is traded for altitude and position; once at the apex of the vertical maneuvers the cost of pulling angles is minimized; going down, altitude is cashed in for airspeed used to exploit the position gained with the added benefit of a clean and unloaded deflection shot.

Another way of turning is the so-called “Boat Turn”, which can be used as a combat maneuver under very specific circumstances. It is associated with a heavy drag penalty and thus robs you of substantial airspeed. To perform a boat turn, simply give maximum rudder in the desired turn direction while adding opposite aileron to keep the wings level, and a small amount of elevator pressure to keep your current attitude. The wings-level turn is quite disturbing to watch and yet more difficult to compute from a shooter’s perspective – though remember that it carries a heavy energy price tag and requires far more space and time in comparison with a standard banked turn.

== Aileron roll ==
An aileron roll is performed by pushing the stick sideways and holding it there. The cost in energy is negligible. Practice doing exact aileron rolls at various rates of degrees per second: quarter-roll, half-roll, three-quarter roll and full roll. Practice reversing your rolls as well: roll left to inverted, hold, and roll right to “sunny side up”, without loss of altitude and while maintaining your general heading.

== Barrel roll ==
The barrel roll is essentially a gentle aileron roll with the addition of a vertical element. Start the barrel roll by quarter-rolling and pulling back on the elevators. Continue the rolling motion but relax your back pressure somewhat so that you maintain your general heading. Increase backward pressure again as you pass through an inverted (i.e. upside-down) state, and keep rolling with a slight pressure until you regain a positive attitude on the same level as you entered the maneuver. The barrel roll can be sustained with little energy loss, though it is somewhat disorienting. Experiment by varying the amplitude of your barrel roll through applying more or less elevator pressure.

== Snap roll ==
The snap roll is a "quick roll" that is made possible by stalling one wing - a stall implying a loss of lift, which in turns means a loss of airspeed - by aggressive use of rudder, aileron and elevator at the same time, while the other wing is still producing lift and maintaining speed. This is normally executed near stall speed by adding full rudder input, followed by same direction aileron, followed briskly by full elevator up input. This classic definition of a snap roll does however not work very well in WWIIOL, with few exceptions. A passable snap roll is instead effected by briskly adding full elevator to full aileron (while maintaining full aileron).

Be advised that the benefit of the snap roll - a lightning quick roll rate at little cost in energy - is associated with a considerable drawback: the maneuver is extremely drastic and reduces your situational awareness by a fair margin, and you will probably struggle with recouping your senses at a time when such respite is not normally granted. Also be advised that certain aircraft cannot perform the snap roll with any degree of dignity. The Bf 109 and Bf 110 series in particular does not take kindly to snap rolls, and the D.520, the Bell Mle.14 and the P-38 also struggle somewhat with performing the snap roll.

== Skid and Sideslip ==
Skidding is a means to shed energy and reduce airspeed. It is useful for landings when you are coming in with entirely too much airspeed; for “braking” to remain behind a slower opponent; and for “braking” to flush a faster opponent behind you forward of your wingline and before your guns.

If you have practiced the Boat Turn you will already be familiar with the benefit of using your rudder in conjunction with opposite aileron input. The Skid works in much the same way: give full rudder and opposite aileron for a second or two to plow more or less straight forward, wings essentially level or just a tad high to keep you going straight ahead. Alternate left and right rudder (with opposite aileron input) to Fishtail through the sky. You will see your energy bleed off at a high rate, and lose quite a bit of altitude as well unless you keep your nose somewhat high during the maneuver.

The Sideslip is a more pronounced Skid. Roll your wingline 45 degrees to the horizon and give sustained and heavy top rudder (if you are banked to left, right rudder is your top rudder, closest to the sky) to bring the nose well above the horizon. You will shed both airspeed and altitude at a high rate. Note that you are not flying where your gunsight points you in this maneuver but rather “wingroot forward”.

A yet more drastic sideslip is the Knife Edge: quarter-roll to bring your wingline perpendicular to the horizon and give maximum bottom rudder. In this attitude your rudder acts as your elevator, and your elevator as your rudder. This maneuver is useful for shedding altitude and for sustained observation of the ground along a straight path. It carries a steep energy price however, as you might have guessed.

== Loop de loop (looping) ==
The Looping is not a combat maneuver. If you must loop in combat, use it sparingly, for it is extremely predictable and robs you completely of situational awareness. To perform a Looping you need to be flying level and at a good turn of speed, the more the merrier. You may want to increase your airspeed yet further by making a slight dive of a few hundred meters before entering the maneuver. So, after you pick up speed, pitch up with determination and hold a sustained backward pressure to inscribe a vertical circle. Do not push the zoom so far that you wallow at the top while inverted, but make sure to keep your airspeed throughout. Once over the top, head on down to your former position in the sky with a continued sustained backward pressure. Make sure to keep the wingline horizontal throughout the maneuver, and watch where you are going in the 45-degree up view. There you go, a looping.

== Chandelle ==
The Chandelle is simply a wide climbing turn. Make it gently and at a sustained rate from a level maximum speed state, and avoid bleeding off too much airspeed too soon. You will want to come out of the Chandelle at manoeuvre speed, not at stall speed. The Chandelle is a typical pre-engagement maneuver where you sound out the enemy and seek position. It can also be employed more aggressively in combat, see [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers#Rope-A-Dope|Rope-A-Dope]] in the [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers|Advanced Combat Maneuvers]] section.

== Use of flaps and rudder in combat ==
Flaps, the large moving surfaces inboard of your ailerons that deploy to increase the wing’s lift area, are normally used for landing only. They can however be used successfully in combat as well, for the same reason: they increase lift (and increase drag, thereby slowing you down). And when you increase lift in a slow and tight turning fight, you can turn yet tighter and thus gain a favorable shot position.

The WWIIOL:BE flaps operation is simplistic yet variable: if you do not tweak your aircraft setup the flaps will either be fully retracted or fully deployed, even if your aircraft historically had incremental flap settings. By the same token, aircraft that did not have incremental flap settings can be tweaked to have such in the game.

If you do not tweak your settings to offer “combat flaps”, you need to be wary of deploying flaps at speeds over 250 kmh/150m mph as prolonged use at excessive speed will damage the flaps and even render them inoperable. Therefore, should you opt to use flaps to gain a positional advantage, only use them briefly and at lower speeds.

To give your aircraft “combat flaps” cut and paste the following text into your ‘’’air.cfml document’’’ which you will find in your WWIIOL directory (the Windows default location is "C:\Program Files\CRS\Battleground Europe\Data\cfml\air.cfml"). Open and save the air.cfml file after editing, without renaming it, using any basic text editor such as Simpletext or Notepad.

<control function="Flap control">
<keydelta value="25.00" per="keypress">
<key>q</key>
</keydelta>
<keydelta value="-25.00" per="keypress" index="1">
<key>w</key>
</keydelta>
<keyabsolute value="0.00">
<key></key>
</keyabsolute>
<keyabsolute value="0.00" index="10">
<key></key>
</keyabsolute>
</control>

* Each time you push the Q or W key, it will raise/lower the flaps 25%. If the flaps move 40 degrees (typical), then each keypress will give you 10 degrees of flaps if you use the settings above. You can also change what keys to use for flaps operation, and the amount of effect per keypress.

* The use of rudders, either foot pedals or in the form of a twist-action stick, is highly recommended. Without rudder control you are robbing yourself of an entire plane of maneuver: yaw (lateral movement). Flying without rudder control is like trying to do breaststrokes with your hands tied behind your back!

* Use rudder control to correct your takeoff roll; to skid, sideslip and knifedge; to slice inside an opponent’s turn; to slice up while turning; to yaw into a guns opportunity while heading right past an enemy; to correct a strafing approach, just to name a few. If you have rudder control, do not be afraid to use it. And if you are afraid to use it, experiment offline until you get the hang of it.

== Auto Pilot ==
All WWIIOL aircraft come equipped with an Auto Pilot, or rather, a “level lock” feature. To engage the autopilot you must be trimmed to a level and neutral state – check your VsI (Vertical Speed Indicator) and Artificial Horizon instruments. If the VsI is off neutral by more than just a little, the AP will not engage and you must correct elevator trim as required. Unfortunately the AP can not be set to follow waypoints while you walk the dog or fetch a cold one in the refrigerator. What’s more, the AP, if engaged below max level speed at your current throttle setting, will disengage if the speed differential is great enough. Thus, if you plan to be away for quite some time, allow the aircraft to settle at a steady speed before engaging the AP.

* Engage and disengage Autopilot by pressing "left ctrl A".
* You will know that the AP is engaged/disengaged by looking at the text buffer, where a text will announce Autopilot status.

== Use of Waypoints ==
Whenever you fly a standard mission there will be two waypoints, Origin and Target, which, to make matters more confusing, can be centered on the same locale (i.e. your airfield). When you spawn in, the little yellow arrow seen in the overhead map (M) is always pointing at your Target. If you, when returning to base, wish to be guided to your airdrome instead of back to the enemy-infested target, you must right-click on your airfield on the overhead map and set the waypoint there to Active.

If the mission leader has set additional waypoints to lay a specific course other than the straight “Origin to Target” option, you must select each waypoint in turn on the overhead map and make them Active by right-clicking if you wish to follow the plan – which you of course will want to do. The waypoints will be numbered and may have descriptions as well beyond the generic A# for Attack and R# for Rally.

Graduate with [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers]]

Back to [[Air Force]] main page

Air Force

2017-11-04T16:34:24Z

Bmbm: Edited out Trainers and cleaned up further

[[Image:38small.png|right]]
=Introduction=
WWII Online: Battleground Europe is a combined arms simulation, featuring co-operative gameplay between Ground, Air, and Naval units. Of these three, the Airforce is arguably the most potent arm: without [[Air_Superiority|air superiority]] and [[Close_Air_Support|close air support]] the Army and the Navy cannot hope to make an impact, and without fighters to pave the way for bombers and paratroop aircraft, very little can be accomplished. Strategic bombers, roaming far beyond the reach of riflemen and patrol boats, have the power to [[Strategic_Bombardment|strangle supply and slow down research]] of new weaponry in the game’s RDP model. [[Air_Superiority|Air superiority]] is a vital concept and during your first few hours in the game world, as you find yourself anxiously looking skyward or ducking under a hail of bombs, you will recognize just how important it is. This guide aims to help you to get airborne, armed and ready to influence the flow of battle.

Air combat IS tough 
Be advised that air combat is an incredibly complex field to venture into. Becoming an effective pilot requires long hours in the cockpit and countless fiery deaths. Do not be turned off by the steep learning curve however – once you get the hang of some [[General_Instruction|basic concepts]] you will be ready to fight it out with the best of them.

WWII Online has a good selection of various types of combat aircraft to choose from, all with their own peculiar traits, benefits and disadvantages. Aside from general similarities and the universal challenge of combat shared by all, each aircraft requires a specific modus operandi to ensure success. Learn by flying them all, offline, through reading and by experimenting, to find the aircraft and the practice that best suits your fighting personality.

First time pilot? Fly offline! 
If this is your first attempt at flying, we strongly recommend that you review the basic aircraft controls below and practice extensively offline before venturing out online. This is because aircraft availability online is severely limited, and while your embarrassing crash will not dig a hole in the spawnlist, senseless waste of aircraft is largely frowned upon by your fellow pilots. Once online, do not hesitate to ask for help and advice – you will find many helpful pilots online who are eager to help you along.

If you fancy more in-depth reading, have a look at this decent [[:File:ww2 online inpursuit.pdf|guide for beginner and intermediate pilots]]

Note that game download and offline play is free of charge.

==[[incremented flaps|Incremental flaps]]==
Learn how to configure "combat flaps" for better turn performance in dogfights

==[[Piloting Quick Start Guide|Piloting Quick Start Guide]]==
From n00b to dweeb in 10 minutes flat!

==[[Essential Game Controllers|Essential Game Controllers]]==
You simply have to get a joystick or you get to play infantry!

==[[Ten Easy Rules|Ten Easy Rules]]==
Getting airborne is easy enough. Surviving is another matter!

=[[General Instruction|General Instruction]]=
Find out all you need to know about cockpit instruments, engine management, gunnery, energy, situational awareness and more!

=[[Basic Flight Maneuvers|Basic Flight Maneuvers (BFM)]]=
Take off and landing, turning, diving, barrel-rolling... so much to learn, so little time. Give it a few minutes and you will gain prowess to last you a lifetime (no, not a game lifetime).

=[[Advanced Combat Maneuvers|Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM)]]=
Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM) is the collective name for all kinds maneuvers that you will need to employ to produce a guns opportunity against enemy aircraft – or to escape from a threatening situation. Learn about the Scissors, the Yo-Yo, the Rope-a-Dope and many more useful maneuvers, right here.

=[[Air Missions|Missions - Have guns, will travel.]]=
Now that you can fly an aircraft, what are you going to do with it?

Learn more about how to succeed in fighter missions such as CAP, CAS and BARCAP; learn how to make the groundpounders miserable with fighter-bombers and attack aircraft; learn how to lay waste to enemy factories through strategic bombing... and more.

=Air Force Units=

{{Air Force Units}}

Check out [http://www.hoofsperformance.wwiionline.com/ Hoof Performance page, insights into the games aircraft].

=Aircraft Names=

==Fighter==
<center>
'''British'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Hurricane Mk I || Hawker Hurricane Mk I || Hurri
|-
| Hurricane Mk IIb || Hawker Hurricane Mk IIb || Hurri
|-
| Spitfire Mk Ia || Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia || Spit
|-
| Spitfire Mk Vb || Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb || Spit
|-
| Spitfire Mk IXc || Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXc || Spit
|}

'''French'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Hawk 75 || Curtiss Hawk H75A-3 || P-36A
|-
| Hawk 81 || Curtiss Hawk H81A-2 || P-40C
|-
| Hawk 87 || Curtiss Hawk H87B-3 || P-40F "Warhawk"
|-
| D.520 || Dewoitine D.520 ||
|-
| P-322 Lightning || Lockheed 322-15 || P-38 Lightning
|}

'''German'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Bf 109E-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 || Emil
|-
| Bf 109F-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 || Franz
|-
| Bf 109G-6/U4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/U-4 || Gustav
|-
| Fw 190A-4 || Focke Wulf Fw 190A-4 || Würger
|-
| Bf 110C-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4 || Zerstörer
|}
</center>

==Fighter Bomber & Bomber==

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Blenheim Mk I || Bristol Blenheim Mk I || Blenburgher
|-
| Blenheim Mk IV || Bristol Blenheim Mk IV || Blenburgher
|-
| Havoc Mk I || Douglas A-20 || Havoc Mk I
|-
| Hurricane Mk IIc || Hurricane Mk IIc || Hurribomber
|-
| Ju 87 Stuka || Junkers Ju 87B-2 || Stuka
|-
| He 111 || Heinkel He 111H-1 || Spade
|-
| Bf 110C-4/B || Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4/B || Zerstörer
|-
| DB-7 || Douglas DB-7 ||
|-
| Bell mle 14a || Bell mle 14a (P-39) || Airacobra
|}
</center>

==Transport==

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Ju-52 Transport || Junker Ju 52 M3 || Tante Ju
|-
| C-47 Dakota || Douglas C-47 || Dakota
|}
</center>

Air Force

2017-11-04T16:25:23Z

Bmbm: Edited out Aircraft Weapons link as there is no content there (yet)

[[Image:38small.png|right]]
=Introduction=
WWII Online: Battleground Europe is a combined arms simulation, featuring co-operative gameplay between Ground, Air, and Naval units. Of these three, the Airforce is arguably the most potent arm: without [[Air_Superiority|air superiority]] and [[Close_Air_Support|close air support]] the Army and the Navy cannot hope to make an impact, and without fighters to pave the way for bombers and paratroop aircraft, very little can be accomplished. Strategic bombers, roaming far beyond the reach of riflemen and patrol boats, have the power to [[Strategic_Bombardment|strangle supply and slow down research]] of new weaponry in the game’s RDP model. [[Air_Superiority|Air superiority]] is a vital concept and during your first few hours in the game world, as you find yourself anxiously looking skyward or ducking under a hail of bombs, you will recognize just how important it is. This guide aims to help you to get airborne, armed and ready to influence the flow of battle.

Air combat IS tough 
Be advised that air combat is an incredibly complex field to venture into. Becoming an effective pilot requires long hours in the cockpit and countless fiery deaths. Do not be turned off by the steep learning curve however – once you get the hang of some [[General_Instruction|basic concepts]] you will be ready to fight it out with the best of them.

WWII Online has a good selection of various types of combat aircraft to choose from, all with their own peculiar traits, benefits and disadvantages. Aside from general similarities and the universal challenge of combat shared by all, each aircraft requires a specific modus operandi to ensure success. Learn by flying them all, offline, through reading and by experimenting, to find the aircraft and the practice that best suits your fighting personality.

First time pilot? Fly offline! 
If this is your first attempt at flying, we strongly recommend that you review the basic aircraft controls below and practice extensively offline before venturing out online. This is because aircraft availability online is severely limited, and while your embarrassing crash will not dig a hole in the spawnlist, senseless waste of aircraft is largely frowned upon by your fellow pilots. Once online, do not hesitate to ask for help and advice that you perchance have yet to read about in this guide – we are a friendly lot and love to be of assistance. For yet more instruction and assistance, do please visit the [[Training | Training Arena]] and make use of our seasoned Trainers!

Here is a good guide for air tactics. [[:File:ww2 online inpursuit.pdf]]

Note that game download and offline play is free of charge.
==[[incremented flaps|Incremental flaps]]==
Learn how to configure "combat flaps" for better turn performance in dogfights

==[[Piloting Quick Start Guide|Piloting Quick Start Guide]]==
From n00b to dweeb in 10 minutes flat!

==[[Essential Game Controllers|Essential Game Controllers]]==
You simply have to get a joystick or you get to play infantry!

==[[Ten Easy Rules|Ten Easy Rules]]==
Getting airborne is easy enough. Surviving is another matter!

=[[General Instruction|General Instruction]]=
Find out all you need to know about cockpit instruments, engine management, gunnery, energy, situational awareness and more!

=[[Basic Flight Maneuvers|Basic Flight Maneuvers (BFM)]]=
Take off and landing, turning, diving, barrel-rolling... so much to learn, so little time. Give it a few minutes and you will gain prowess to last you a lifetime (no, not a game lifetime).

=[[Advanced Combat Maneuvers|Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM)]]=
Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM) is the collective name for all kinds maneuvers that you will need to employ to produce a guns opportunity against enemy aircraft – or to escape from a threatening situation. Learn about the Scissors, the Yo-Yo, the Rope-a-Dope and many more useful maneuvers, right here.

=[[Air Missions|Missions - Have guns, will travel.]]=
Now that you can fly an aircraft, what are you going to do with it?

Learn more about how to succeed in fighter missions such as CAP, CAS and BARCAP; learn how to make the groundpounders miserable with fighter-bombers and attack aircraft; learn how to lay waste to enemy factories through strategic bombing... and more.

=Air Force Units=

{{Air Force Units}}

Check out [http://www.hoofsperformance.wwiionline.com/ Hoof Performance page, insights into the games aircraft].

=Aircraft Names=

==Fighter==
<center>
'''British'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Hurricane Mk I || Hawker Hurricane Mk I || Hurri
|-
| Hurricane Mk IIb || Hawker Hurricane Mk IIb || Hurri
|-
| Spitfire Mk Ia || Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia || Spit
|-
| Spitfire Mk Vb || Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb || Spit
|-
| Spitfire Mk IXc || Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXc || Spit
|}

'''French'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Hawk 75 || Curtiss Hawk H75A-3 || P-36A
|-
| Hawk 81 || Curtiss Hawk H81A-2 || P-40C
|-
| Hawk 87 || Curtiss Hawk H87B-3 || P-40F "Warhawk"
|-
| D.520 || Dewoitine D.520 ||
|-
| P-322 Lightning || Lockheed 322-15 || P-38 Lightning
|}

'''German'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Bf 109E-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 || Emil
|-
| Bf 109F-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 || Franz
|-
| Bf 109G-6/U4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/U-4 || Gustav
|-
| Fw 190A-4 || Focke Wulf Fw 190A-4 || Würger
|-
| Bf 110C-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4 || Zerstörer
|}
</center>

==Fighter Bomber & Bomber==

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Blenheim Mk I || Bristol Blenheim Mk I || Blenburgher
|-
| Blenheim Mk IV || Bristol Blenheim Mk IV || Blenburgher
|-
| Havoc Mk I || Douglas A-20 || Havoc Mk I
|-
| Hurricane Mk IIc || Hurricane Mk IIc || Hurribomber
|-
| Ju 87 Stuka || Junkers Ju 87B-2 || Stuka
|-
| He 111 || Heinkel He 111H-1 || Spade
|-
| Bf 110C-4/B || Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4/B || Zerstörer
|-
| DB-7 || Douglas DB-7 ||
|-
| Bell mle 14a || Bell mle 14a (P-39) || Airacobra
|}
</center>

==Transport==

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Ju-52 Transport || Junker Ju 52 M3 || Tante Ju
|-
| C-47 Dakota || Douglas C-47 || Dakota
|}
</center>

Advanced Combat Maneuvers

2017-11-04T16:22:06Z

Bmbm: Cleaned out dead image links

Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM) is the collective name for all kinds maneuvers that you will need to employ to produce a guns opportunity against enemy aircraft – or to escape from a threatening situation. The maneuvers alone are not the definite answer to any and all situation you may find yourself in but may come in handy under very specific circumstances.

The air combat equation is a lot more than turning, diving and rolling – in general, the maneuvers described herein should actually be regarded as last-ditch moves to be employed only when all your other advantages (energy, position, surprise) have eroded or failed to produce results. That said, certain moves will become your ”bread and butter” maneuvers that you will employ time and time again. Practice them all, and find your own fighting style.

=Immelman=

The German WWI ace Max Immelman patented the vertical renversement since universally recognized simply as the “Immelman”. It is an easy enough manoeuvre: pull up as in a looping but, instead of completing the circle to your original heading, half-roll to upright at the apex and continue on the level in the opposite direction. Think of it as a half-loop with a half-roll on top.

=Split-S=

The Split-S (or Split Arse as it was originally known) is a 180-degree reversal just like the Immelman, but going down instead of up. From a level starting position, half-roll and pull back to enter a dive, relax stick pressure to build up speed and then pull some more to exit the manoeuvre in the opposite direction. Experiment by varying the amplitude of the manoeuvre at various airspeeds, and by executing aileron rolls in the dive to further stymie a pursuer before flattening out on your escape heading. Be advised that airspeed builds up quickly in the dive and that you must have a certain amount of altitude to play with lest you smack head first into the dirt.

=Cuban-8=

The Cuban-8 is a typical airshow manoeuvre that comes useful for strafing and for making repeated attacks on very slow and plodding targets. As the name reveals, the manoeuvre describes an 8-formed shape lying down. Start the manoeuvre by entering a gentle dive (30-45 degrees) towards the target, fire, recover on the level and extend for some 10-15 seconds before making a straight vertical reversal. As you come over the top and start down back towards the target, make a half-roll to upright and continue down for another strafing run. Rinse and repeat. Be advised that the Cuban-8 is an exceptionally predictable manoeuvre that AA gunners and prowling enemy aircraft will not hesitate to take advantage of. It is however a very time- and energy-conserving manoeuvre and offers good SA throughout.

=Hammerhead=

The Hammerhead is also a typical airshow manoeuvre that you will seldom find useful in air-to-air combat, though it may come in handy for ground attack, as it requires a massive energy advantage over the defender and an environment undisturbed by wildcards.

Start the manoeuvre with a power-on dive at a gentle angle (no greater than 30 degrees) towards a real or imaginary target. Immediately following your guns pass, pitch radically up and continue going more or less straight up to the limit of your available energy. Be careful so that you do not black out during your pitch-up though. As your airspeed bleeds off to the impending stall, give full rudder in your engine torque direction to yaw around back toward the target. You will have to correct and stabilize the move with a bit of opposite aileron and a touch of elevators during the critical phase as well, as it is fairly easy to get into an inverted state pointing in the wrong direction. A few seconds into the dive your airspeed builds up again and allows you to further correct your impending shot opportunity.

Because the Hammerhead is rather time-consuming and predictable, and requires you to squeeze out every last ounce of energy, you make a splendid target for anyone who has the smash to draw into guns range during its execution.

=High Yo-Yo=

The High Yo-Yo is employed in a situation where you have a considerable energy advantage over your opponent and wish to remain in the rear hemisphere of your target for a subsequent guns opportunity. Consider a situation where you come in slightly high and fast against a slower target moving perpendicular to your approach (i.e. a 90-degree deflection situation). In this case you may opt between taking a full-deflection shot with plenty of lead in his future flight path, followed by a vertical reversal of some sort depending on what the enemy chooses to do – or fly well towards his long rear hemisphere without taking a shot, there to pitch up and quarter-roll to keep him in view. As you roll to keep visual on the target, pull down, dive in and roll upright for a clean six o’clock high attack. You have now performed a High Yo-Yo. This same manoeuvre can be executed at any deflection and in any situation where you have at least a slight energy advantage.

In the picture below, the high-speed attacker fakes an attack, or aborts an attack that appears to hold little promise, shortly after time 1, allowing the defender to complete his break turn undisturbed (time 2). Meanwhile the attacker spends his overhead of energy in a vertical displacement to remain in the defender's rear hemisphere, and converts to a fresh attack run at time 3. In this manner the attacker can keep his superior energy intact and subject the defender to a series of energy-burning defensive maneuvers.

=Low Yo-Yo=

The Low Yo-Yo is, like the High Yo-Yo, a manoeuvre that displaces your plane of manoeuvre relative to the enemy. Consider a situation where you are locked in a static horizontal turning contest at max rate and where you have at least a few hundred feet of altitude to play with – the more the merrier. If you see that you are not gaining angles simply by honking the stick fully backward, or even losing angles to the better turning enemy, then you must take positive action to get out of the rut.

With your wingline perpendicular to the horizon (i.e. fully banked to 90-degrees), increase your roll yet further into the circle and pull. Use a few degrees of combat flaps in this instance if your stick is already fully in your gut, and/or add a touch of bottom rudder too. As you roll and pull into an oblique dive you are displacing your circle relative to the enemy, and after you bottom out and recover in a nose high attitude, the gravity assist allows you to cut across for a brief snapshot or what is essentially a high yo-yo. Remember to retract flaps as you go “downhill” or you will negate much of the gravity assist and flounder well behind and below your opponent.

The defending fighter will most likely counter your low yo-yo with one of his own, thereby taking the fight first into the oblique and subsequently fully into the vertical. In either way you have caused the fight to become dynamic instead of static, which spells opportunity if you know how to exploit it.

=Flat Scissors=

The Flat or Horizontal Scissors is a means to slow your forward progress and force an enemy currently at your six o’clock in front of your wingline. The Scissors is not a purely defensive move but rather a conversion from defence to offense – or, at the very least, a conversion from defence to a safe disengagement.

The reason the Scissors works so well is that you force the enemy to react to your moves, which entails a measure of delay caused by inevitable reaction times and, in the best case, a performance difference in roll rate. While a superior roll rate does improve your chance of success it is nevertheless not critical – a slower rolling aircraft may yet defeat a better rolling aircraft.

Consider the situation where you are running flat out to escape from a bandit at your six. The enemy is faster, so your current strategy of running will meet with rapidly diminishing returns. You must do something, but you do not care to linger in a largely static turning contest for further back are yet more angry men with guns. This is where you employ the Scissors, and you should only use the Flat Scissors if you are already out of altitude.

*Start the manoeuvre shortly before the bandit closes to guns range – if he is already there, so be it – by making a radical yet energy-conserving break turn. Observe the enemy throughout: in the Scissors, you need to be flying backwards with your eyes on the enemy at all times. The bandit will likely match your bank and seek a deflection shot in your future path – very good, that is step one completed!

*Shortly before the bandit opens up with all guns, reverse your bank 180 degrees and pull to haul out of his guns window. The bandit may already be overshooting at this stage so that when you reverse a second time, you will already be climbing onto his back. If he holds his fire and matches your new plane of manoeuvre (aligning his wingline with yours) he will be a tad late in coming onto the new heading. This small delay is all you need.

*When you see the enemy labour to bring his nose around, quickly roll 180 degrees again before he has had time to finish his own roll. You will now be heading diametrically opposite to him for a few fractions of a second, building an angular advantage and forcing him higher up in your upview. Step two completed!

*Keep working with rolling and pulling to counter his heading in this manner and you will soon notice that you are reaching a neutral state, canopy to canopy. Resist the urge to pull into him too soon when in the neutral state but wait until you have him in your 45-degree up view: now is the time to reel him in and gun him down. Careful and well-timed use of [[Basic_Flight_Maneuvers#Use_of_flaps_and_rudders_in_combat|combat flaps]] will help you slow down and win angular advantage sooner.

If you have just a little altitude to work with you will find that an inverted reversal is faster and more effective than a “sunny side up” reversal (i.e. when you reverse with the nose slightly above the horizon), though somewhat more desorienting. Be certain to trim tail heavy (K) aggressively in the scissors as well since your airspeed will be going down into the stall region.

If you achieve a neutral state and pass the bandit very nearly head-on, resist the urge to go for a guns pass but unload stick pressure instead and run. In the interval the enemy must spend another 10-12 seconds in a full 180-degree reversal, sufficient time for you to draw out of guns range and maybe even make good your escape if the enemy is not entirely on the ball.

=Rolling Scissors=

The Rolling Scissors is related to the Flat variety yet a world apart. As the Flat Scissors, the Rolling kind relies on slowing your forward progress in order to flush the enemy in front of your wingline, though the means to do so is the barrel roll, not a series of reciprocating flat reversals.

*Start the Rolling Scissors no sooner than the bandit at your tail is about to close to guns distance – if you begin it too early the bandit is likely to seek a more comfortable position in your high rear hemisphere and wait for you to dump all your energy, then swoop in and finish you off.

*Enter the manoeuvre just like you do the [[Basic_Flight_Maneuvers#Barrel_roll|barrel roll]]: by quarter-rolling and pulling. Make the barrel nice and slow initially, and only increase the amplitude of your manoeuvre when the bandit is sucked inside guns range and attempting to follow your moves. At that point he will be gunning for a shot solution with plenty of deflection, further increasing the speed differential and causing him to overshoot along your general heading. Roll and pull to slide around his forward vector, and see him move from your high-astern to your high-front view. Soon enough you will see him in your 45-degree up view: now is the time to reel him in and gun his brains out.

The Rolling Scissors is not dependent on a superlative roll rate but on carefully gauging the enemy intent and manoeuvre envelope. In fact, the slower and more pitiful your aircraft, the easier it is to make the Rolling Scissors work.

=Lag roll attack=

The Lag Roll attack (or Vector Roll) is a variant of the Rolling Scissor, though executed as a single devastating manoeuvre instead of a more time- and space consuming Barrel Roll. Key to make the Lag Roll work is to position the bandit at a good angle off your tail (AOT), to the tune of 45-90 degrees – i.e. the bandit will be approaching from your rear flank or directly to the side instead of from your six o’clock. This makes the bandit exceptionally vulnerable (despite his percieved advantage) to a radical overshoot which you may exploit as an immediate follow-up to the defensive situation.

*If the bandit starts out at your six, make a sustained turn to put him at your flank and level off to gain energy for the upcoming manoeuvre. If he is already boring in from your flank or side, simply lead him up the garden path by playing sitting duck. Meanwhile the bandit will be salivating, drawing deflection and settling down in his zoomed-in gunsight – totally unprepared for what you have in store for him.

*Shortly before he draws into guns range, quarter-roll into him and pitch up out of his guns envelope. If he has half a brain he will unload and extend away just below you as you perform the manoeuvre. Continue the roll so that you are fully inverted as he passes below. Then finish the manoeuvre by hauling down and rolling upright in his rear hemisphere – this is where you get a brief snapshot opportunity. If you are a decent shot you can also manoeuvre for an unloaded inverted shot shortly after the bandit crosses your track: the range will be shorter and the deflection better, meaning that you get a particularly good opportunity to nail his engine and pilot if you are quick about it.

*Be sure to trim tail heavy (K) aggressively in the initial pitch-up and to not draw so many gravity loads as to black out completely. On the top of your manoeuvre, trim nose heavy (I) to stabilize for the upcoming shot.

Should the enemy survive his attack (!) and the subsequent riposte with an intact energy advantage, turn away from him and put him at your other flank in preparation for a second try – do not fall for the sucker trap of entering a lengthy and unproductive tail chase.

=Rope-A-Dope=

Remember the [[Basic_Flight_Maneuvers#Chandelle|Chandelle]]? Here is how you put it to use in combat. Consider the situation where you make an abortive high-speed pass at a low bandit and extend away with your massive energy advantage intact. You will want to engage him again, but first you need to render him helpless against your onslaught despite him manoeuvring to meet it – and a long level extension with a vertical reversal will only give him an equal opportunity head-on shot. Go for a Rope-a-Dope instead!

*As you extend away from your initial unproductive pass with the bandit recovering after his guns defence in your long six o’clock, begin a gentle climbing turn (the Chandelle) and steepen it to a zoom climb of about 45 degrees as you place the pursuing bandit low off your wingline. Turn gently while climbing to place the bandit just forward of your wingline – keep him there and maximise your climb almost to the point of stalling. The bandit has now swallowed the bait, hook, line and sinker, and is cutting across your climbing circle in an attempt to bring his guns to bear. This is his undoing.

*Shortly before the bandit stalls out he will most likely attempt a vain shot. It is important that you keep moving at this stage and not suffer a stall yourself. You will see his fire arc ineffectually behind and below as you swing lazily around his shot envelope. Now give bottom rudder, roll and haul into him, just as he reaches the apex of his zoom – at this instant he is utterly helpless. If you do not have sufficient separation at this point, do not dive down for a shot you cannot land but keep your altitude and improve yet further on your position while the bandit stalls and recovers well below and behind.

=Defensive spiral=

The Defensive spiral is employed in the vertical plane of manoeuvre, either going up or going down. The objective, as in most defensive manoeuvres, is to force an overshoot that you can exploit in a deft riposte – thus the spiral is not purely defensive in character but actually extremely aggressive.

The up-spiral can be employed at any level though you will likely use it mostly on the deck when you cannot outrun an opponent. First you must gain visual contact on the bandit so that you can time the move correctly – you will want to initiate the spiral just as the bandit draws into guns range, not sooner and most definitely not later (although if you hear fire slamming into your crate, any radical evasive manoeuvre is better than none at all).

*With the bandit coming in hot on your five or seven o’clock – high, low or level makes no difference – quarter-roll and haul around decisively while aggressively trimming tail heavy (K). This action generates maximum rate through the enemy guns solution, forcing him to draw an increasing amount of lead and thus burn energy at an alarming rate – and if the enemy closure is substantial, he will black out before you do.

*Keep climbing in an oblique spiral as the enemy tries to draw a bead. He will very soon have to abandon his attempt and relax stick pressure, flushing him out and up in your high forward quarter. Continue the spiral until you have climbed onto his back – if he did not abandon his run you will have him there and then with a nice and high 45-degree angle off tail shot opportunity. If he unloaded and extended you will only get the briefest of snapshots. Take it and then immediately disengage, level or in a slight dive at a diverging heading to the bandit.

The defensive down-spiral can only be attempted with a substantial altitude allowance. Consider the situation where you are being outrun by a bandit at altitude (10,000 ft/3 km is a good lowest starting altitude): you cannot keep running on the level and you do not feel like engaging in a turning fight on account of yet more angry men in the distance.

*Your first objective is to level the energy situation and sucker the enemy into following you rather than allow him to stand off at altitude and waiting for a better opportunity. Enter a gentle dive and jink somewhat to get a good visual on the bandit. As he closes the distance, start a gentle downward turn and increase the rate of turn when the enemy draws into guns range. Shortly before he draws into guns range you must however chop throttle and deploy a few notches of flaps while steepening your dive to increase the rate at which you move through his shot window. Adding a smidgeon of down rudder helps to mess up his shot as well.

*If you time it right the enemy will not catch wind of your sudden speed reduction and immediately be flushed out into your low cold six, and as you complete the circle, in front of your wingline. Take advantage, open up the throttle again and open up a world of pain. Remember to retract flaps.

=The Hartmann Escape=

If you perchance find yourself with a bandit on your tail and cannot think of anything else to do to save your hide, try the [Erich] Hartmann Escape: stick fully forward into a corner and full opposite rudder. You will red out by the sudden bunt, and so will the perplexed attacker should he have the wherewithal to reciprocate your manoeuvre. This manoeuvre is extremely tricky to get right and you must experiment heavily to survive the experience. You will most likely enter a flat spin as a result, or at the very least suffer a severe flop that requires a measure of stick-and-rudder coordination to get out of, followed by substantial loss of altitude, energy and situational awareness. Still, it is better than getting creamed outright.

Return to [[Air Force]] main page

Ten Easy Rules

2017-11-04T16:17:23Z

Bmbm: Cleaned up content, updated links

#'''Before you take off, check the map''' (M) and determine where the action is and where to find friendly aircraft. In the left hand column you’ll find a "target" symbol. Click on it to activate the Air Warning System (AWS) grid, which gives a rough outline of enemy activity. Red means 5+ enemy aircraft, yellow means less than 5 enemy aircraft. Note that intel is delayed with anything from 30-90 seconds. Friendly aircraft on your mission are shown as white plane icons.
#'''Climb!''' Pilots found below 2 km (6000 ft) are easy prey for seasoned veterans who lurk above, and for the very deadly anti-aircraft gunners who abound on the ground. You will want to be flying at 4-6 km (12000-18000 ft) when entering a hot zone. Only if that altitude is clear should you go diving down to try your luck.
#'''Friendly aircraft have blue halos and name tags.''' Don’t shoot at them (it will not hurt them but annoy them immensely) – save your ammo for the aircraft with red halos and aircraft type tags.
#'''Look around you at all times.''' The enemy has a tendency to park behind you before shooting you down, so look behind your tail every 5 seconds.
#'''Fire only at short range.''' You will want to fill the gunsight with enemy before letting rip. If the EA is but a small dot, forget it.
#'''Do not fly directly at the enemy''' which comes straight at you. Head-on attacks are extremely detrimental to your health. Check out the [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers|ACM section]] for tips on how to fly and fight.
#'''Keep your speed up.''' Low, slow and turning is a free ticket to the nether regions.
#'''Fly gently.''' If you pull too hard on the stick, you will black out and possibly crash.
#If you manage to shoot down an EA, flame a truck or bomb a bridge, return immediately to base to '''collect your mission success points'''. So doing, you will rapidly gain rank and access to better performing aircraft.
#'''Stay civil.''' No amount of moaning, cursing or belly-aching will help you improve. Learn from your mistakes and keep your chin up.

Continue to [[General Instruction]] or [[Basic Flight Maneuvers]]

[[Category:Guides]]

Essential Game Controllers

2017-11-04T16:10:08Z

Bmbm: Cleaned up dead links

To fully appreciate the fabulousity of WWII Online in the air you will need a decent joystick. The game can be played with any USB game controller or even with the mouse – but trust us, you will not be successful. You might be able to get airborne with keyboard/mouse control but you will be easy meat for the seasoned pilots and only pad their stats.

If you are serious about flying, consider investing in a state of the art joystick with separate throttle and rudders. Your gear will come in handy for all sorts of ground vehicles and naval units as well, so you will not be sorry.

The minimum requirement is that your joystick has a throttle lever/wheel and preferably a twisting handle to give rudder control. Your stick needs at least one trigger and three to four other buttons/toggles to accommodate all the necessary controls. Typically you will also appreciate a “coolie hat” for view control.

If you have a separate throttle unit it will likely have more buttons/toggles for additional controls and macros.

Rudders are not essential but highly recommended. Flying without rudder control is like trying to ride a bike on rims – you can turn, though not very well.

'''Essential keymapping'''
* View hat – level views and forward-up view (POV N)
* Trigger – primary fire (F)
* Secondary trigger or button 2– secondary fire (B) for cannons and bombs
* Button 3 – upview, to be combined with level views
* Button 4 – gunsight/bombsight view
* 2-way toggle 1 – elevator trim up and down (K, I)
* 2-way toggle 2 – RPM up and down (‘ and ;)
* 2-way toggle 3 – flaps up and down (W, Q)
* Additional buttons if you have them: WEP (F8), map (M), voice comms transmit button (user defined), landing gear up/down (G), bombsight/airgunner deployment (D), crew stations (1-6), Instrument view

Back to [[Air Force]] main page

Basic Flight Maneuvers

2017-11-04T15:53:39Z

Bmbm: edited out dead links

Basic Flight Maneuvers (BFM) is the collective name for all kinds Maneuvers you will employ in any mission be it in a bomber, fighter or transport aircraft. As in all things pertaining to air combat, full knowledge and control of the basics will inspire confidence in your ability to succeed. If you find yourself struggling with the easiest things, you cannot hope to manage the more challenging aspects of air combat.
 

== Taxi and takeoff ==
As you spawn into the game world you will find yourself facing an altogether insufficient stretch of runway. The itch is strong to power up and take off immediately, and while this is possible in most cases it nevertheless makes good sense to start your mission by taxiing to a more propitious position. This is especially true if you sortie a medium bomber or a fighter with particularly high wingloading (e.g. FW-190, H-87), aircraft that need a wee bit more time and real estate to achieve proper takeoff speed. If you persist in taking off straight off the spawn-in position, make sure to:
* Set engine RPM to maximum (hit ‘ key twice)
* Trim tail heavy (K key, 10-15 taps)
* Deploy flaps (Q) to increase lift
* Select War Emergency Power (F8) to give maximum takeoff boost
* Hold brakes (z and x) until the engine is running at full bore

Being careful and smart however, you elect to taxi out of the hangar to the perimeter of the field. Knock the throttle forward just enough to set you rolling, edge out of the hangar and unlock your tail wheel (or nose wheel if your aircraft has tricycle gear) with / key. Now tap the brake, z to turn left or x to turn right, until you face the desired takeoff position. Lock your tail wheel again with / key and motor gently forward to the selected spot. Once there, brake gently with unlocked tail wheel to slew around with the whole field before you. Make sure to lock the tail wheel again. All of this takes no more than 30 seconds and will save you a ton of grief compared to smashing into hangars and trees time and time again.

* Now for the takeoff. Go through the routine bulleted above and start your takeoff roll by releasing brakes. Your aircraft will display a more or less pronounced tendency to swerve either right or left – this is engine torque at work. Counteract this yaw by adding a smidgeon of rudder in the direction opposite to the yaw motion, e.g. if you yaw left, tramp down (or twist your stick) to give right rudder – be careful of overcompensating though.

* If you do not have the benefit of rudder control, use short taps on the appropriate brake (z and x) to correct your course.

* You will also experience a sickening tilt in the horizontal (i.e. of your wingline) due to engine torque. Counteract this rolling motion with a touch of opposite aileron: move the stick gently to left or right depending on which way your propeller rotates.

* As you start to pick up speed the nose will come down (in so-called taildraggers, aircraft with tail wheel) and reveal the runway in its full glory. You may want to push the stick very gently forward to help the nose along in the beginning of your takeoff roll, as this will reduce the yawing and rolling motion described above. Careful so you do not dig a hole though!

* Roll three quarters down the length of the field and feel the aircraft. At first it will be jittery and hard to control, followed by a period of stability and leech-like behavior. Shortly thereafter you will gain takeoff speed and “rotate” with only a small amount of back pressure on the stick.

* If you used WEP, remember to toggle it off (F8). Retract flaps (W) and raise the undercarriage (G). Praise the n00b - you are on your way!

== Landing ==
You will want to land your aircraft for one single reason: to harvest points earned in the mission so that you may gain rank and access to better performing aircraft. And while you are at it, why not make it a nice professional landing instead of an ugly prang!

* Landing is a lot more than pointing your nose at the field and plowing down, hoping for the best. The main things to consider are AIRSPEED and RATE OF DESCENT. You will want to come in at a slow speed and a low rate of descent, because the opposite – a high speed and rapid rate of descent – is what makes for spectacular crashes.

* The key to a splendid landing is to manage your descent with your THROTTLE. Ideally, you should maintain a slight back pressure on the stick and avoid using your elevators for height corrections – that is what your throttle is for.

A good landing begins with a good and measured approach – not straight at the field but more than one full turn radius to the side of it. In the following example you will be landing in the standard counter-clockwise pattern.
# You are approaching home plate at 1000 ft/300 m, throttle fully forward.
# As you spot the airfield in the distance, reduce to quarter throttle and hold your present altitude. Speed will drop off gradually. Aim for a point in the air well to the side of the field.
# You pass the field on the so-called “downwind leg”, watching it over your port (left) wing. Speed has now bled off to about 120 mph/200 kmh and you maintain your altitude.
# With the field now behind you to the left, make a gentle 90-degree turn to put the field fully to your side over the wingtip. Trim your crate tail heavy (K key, repeatedly).
# Deploy flaps. You are still at about quarter throttle. Keep the propeller at or just above the horizon with slight back pressure on the stick, and continue trimming tail heavy.
# With the intended landing direction aligned with your wingline, make a steady turn to port and line up on the final stretch. You are now on the glide path and should be doing about 70mph/110kmh, with a VsI readout of –2 to –4. Deploy landing gear (G).
# Focus on the spot where you want to touch down – this should be just inside the airfield perimeter, not in the middle of the field – and manage your descent with throttle only. Keep the prop on the horizon still, not below it.
# Maintaining your attitude and a steady back pressure, work with the throttle to correct your descent rate. If you descend too rapidly (watch the VsI instrument) your speed is too low and you will belly in unless you spin out first. If your speed is excessive despite chopping to zero throttle, you will overshoot your mark and end up in the trees.
# Shortly before touching down, reduce VsI yet more to –1 or less by raising the nose with back pressure on the stick (this is known as to “flare” your aircraft), and set it down ever so gently for a three-point landing.
# Once down, chop throttle entirely, retract flaps (W) and let the aircraft coast. Tap the brakes gently and come to a complete stop.

* If you feel that you are going to overshoot the field because your speed or your altitude is too high, give full throttle and go around for another try. Resist the temptation to nose down to force a landing.
* For emergency landings, reduce speed and altitude either by S-turns or by sideslipping. Experienced pilots can knife-edge their aircraft to minimum altitude and plonk down on the runway with a minimum of fuss – as will you, eventually.
* If the airfield is under fire from ground troops, or if you have reason to suspect that enemy snipers are about, do not come to a full stop on the field but keep coasting slowly as you exit the aircraft (Esc key).

== Climbing and diving ==
You might think that climbing and diving is uncomplicated and not requiring finesse – that it is merely a matter of pointing your nose up or down. On the face of it, that is all there is to it, yet you need to use your brain in this department as well.

* The thing to consider is rate of ascent/descent, and to weigh your rate against your mission status and the prevailing circumstances.

=== Climbing (ascending) ===
* A moderate rate of ascent (3000 ft/min or 1000 m/min) covers more ground and allows you to retain maneuvers speed that will come in handy if you are bounced during the climb to altitude.

* An aggressive rate of ascent (10000 ft/min or 3000 m/min) gets you up to altitude faster but forces you to climb at a slow airspeed, thus you cover less ground and makes you a sitting duck against surprise attack.

* Whichever rate of ascent you settle for, make sure to be trimmed to a neutral state (i.e. not requiring back pressure on the stick) so as to minimize drag and to climb at a steady constant rate. If your crate is trimmed nose heavy you will have to fight the stick all the way up to altitude, conspiring to make your flight porpoise-like and uneven. You will know whether you are trimmed right for your current speed by letting go of the stick – when trimmed correctly the crate will maintain a steady and positive attitude without back pressure on the stick.

* If you are in a hurry to altitude, use WEP (F8) early on in the mission to gain the greatest benefit of the extra boost without the engine overheat penalty. Remember that WEP is more effective at low altitude than above 10,000 ft/3 km.

* Do the bulk of your climbing well away from enemy fighters to minimize your vulnerability and so that you will be heading into “indian country” already at your selected altitude with a good head of steam.

* Never climb to a fight. Being low and slow below a dogfight or below maneuvering enemy fighters is certain to cause you grief. If you must climb to engage, put some distance between yourself and the enemy before climbing, then enter the fight at or above the enemy level.

=== Diving (descending) ===
* Before you go diving down on the enemy below, consider where you will want to end up: turning and frolicking in a dogfight; recovering to altitude directly above the enemy; recovering to altitude well past the bounce – in a specific direction that puts you either in harm’s way or out of it; or extending well away to draw fully out of visual range of enemy aircraft before returning to the fray.

The examples above directs you to descend with an idea of what you intend to accomplish.
* If you intend to stay and fight a sustained close range combat at the enemy level, from a position of superior advantage, you are best served by spiraling down with chopped throttle (to slow down further, deploy flaps momentarily) until your energy advantage is substantial rather than excessive – if you arrive below with too much energy, your maneuvers envelope will be severely restricted and cause blackouts and further loss of energy and position below the enemy level.
* If you intend to recover just above the enemy following your attack, make your attack run at an angle of 45-60 degrees so that you will not “bottom out” too far below the target. Thus you will avoid blacking out as you recover and use your overhead of energy to regain a superior position.
* If you intend to extend well beyond the disadvantaged enemy below, or if you wish to disengage fully after your attack, make your attack at 30-60 degrees and only recover gently after your run to maximise the distance traveled at high speed.

It is generally a very bad idea to cede superior altitude and destroy your considerable energy advantage unless you can score a clean kill. Use your altitude advantage wisely to give you several engagement opportunities!

In all your diving attacks, make sure to trim your aircraft nose heavy (I) so that you will not have to fight the nose down with stick input. Ideally you will want to fly a straight path with minimum stick input – this will make your flight comfortable and controlled, and yield stronger, more concentrated, punch when you fire.

* You will note that speed in the dive increases when you set your RPM to Continuous or Economy (;) as this causes less parasitic drag from the propeller blades.

* For extended dives, make sure to reduce or even cut throttle entirely lest you build up an excess of speed that makes your aircraft nigh impossible to control. Watch your Indicated Speed! If you do enter the compressibility range, your ailerons and elevators will lock up and send you straight down into the dirt. If so, cut throttle, set Maximum RPM, and use elevator trim up (K) to recover a positive attitude. Remember to power up when you recover!

== Turning ==
You will probably not encounter any problems in this department, although there are some things to keep in mind that will aid you in combat.
* For simple navigation (i.e. effecting course changes) it is generally best to make steady “bomber turns” with the wingline banked at no more than 30-45 degrees and a sustained light back pressure on the stick – this causes only minimal drag and keeps your speed up.
* When you need to change heading in a hurry, quarter-roll quickly to bank the aircraft and pull back with a sustained and decisive back pressure to make a drastic turn. Release back pressure and roll back to level as you are about to come onto the desired heading.
* Drastic turns incur a drag penalty that reduces airspeed somewhat and may cause you to black out momentarily depending on your airspeed and the stick force exerted.
* The time necessary to enter the turn is improved somewhat by adding down rudder (e.g. you tramp left rudder briefly for a left turn), although this also comes with a drag penalty and may throw you off kilter if you give too much rudder. Experiment!

Flat turns such as described above are only recommended for navigation and pre-engaged maneuvering – if you have sufficient [[Energy|energy]], it is far better to make use of the vertical for engaged manoeuvring. Consider a standard nose-to-nose fight, starting with a straight run at your opponent: he who makes a flat turn must pay a heavy penalty in energy, space and time since when turning in the purely horizontal he must fight gravity instead of drawing benefit from it. By reversing (i.e. turning around) in the vertical or with a certain vertical element added to the horizontal (also known as oblique), the fighter receives a gravity assist both on the way up and on the way down. Going up, airspeed is traded for altitude and position; once at the apex of the vertical maneuvers the cost of pulling angles is minimized; going down, altitude is cashed in for airspeed used to exploit the position gained with the added benefit of a [[GUNS_AIR#Gunnery tips|clean and unloaded deflection shot.]]

Another way of turning is the so-called “Boat Turn”, which can be used as a combat maneuver under very specific circumstances. It is associated with a heavy drag penalty and thus robs you of substantial airspeed. To perform a boat turn, simply give maximum rudder in the desired turn direction while adding opposite aileron to keep the wings level, and a small amount of elevator pressure to keep your current attitude. The wings-level turn is quite disturbing to watch and yet more difficult to compute from a shooter’s perspective – though remember that it carries a heavy energy price tag and requires far more space and time in comparison with a standard banked turn.

== Aileron roll ==
An aileron roll is performed by pushing the stick sideways and holding it there. The cost in energy is negligible. Practice doing exact aileron rolls at various rates of degrees per second: quarter-roll, half-roll, three-quarter roll and full roll. Practice reversing your rolls as well: roll left to inverted, hold, and roll right to “sunny side up”, without loss of altitude and while maintaining your general heading.

== Barrel roll ==
The barrel roll is essentially a gentle aileron roll with the addition of a vertical element. Start the barrel roll by quarter-rolling and pulling back on the elevators. Continue the rolling motion but relax your back pressure somewhat so that you maintain your general heading. Increase backward pressure again as you pass through an inverted (i.e. upside-down) state, and keep rolling with a slight pressure until you regain a positive attitude on the same level as you entered the maneuver. The barrel roll can be sustained with little energy loss, though it is somewhat disorienting. Experiment by varying the amplitude of your barrel roll through applying more or less elevator pressure.

== Snap roll ==
The snap roll is a "quick roll" that is made possible by stalling one wing - a stall implying a loss of lift, which in turns means a loss of airspeed - by aggressive use of rudder, aileron and elevator at the same time, while the other wing is still producing lift and maintaining speed. This is normally executed near stall speed by adding full rudder input, followed by same direction aileron, followed briskly by full elevator up input. This classic definition of a snap roll does however not work very well in WWIIOL:BE, with few exceptions. A passable snap roll is instead effected by briskly adding full elevator to full aileron (while maintaining full aileron).

Be advised that the benefit of the snap roll - a lightning quick roll rate at little cost in energy - is associated with a considerable drawback: the maneuver is extremely drastic and reduces your [[General_Instruction#Situational_Awareness|Situational Awareness]] by a fair margin, and you will probably struggle with recouping your senses at a time when such respite is not normally granted. Also be advised that certain aircraft cannot perform the snap roll with any degree of dignity. The Bf 109 and Bf 110 series in particular does not take kindly to snap rolls, and the D.520, the Bell Mle.14 and the P-38 also struggle somewhat with performing the snap roll.

== Skid and Sideslip ==
Skidding is a means to shed energy and reduce airspeed. It is useful for landings when you are coming in with entirely too much airspeed; for “braking” to remain behind a slower opponent; and for “braking” to flush a faster opponent behind you forward of your wingline and before your guns.

If you have practiced the Boat Turn you will already be familiar with the benefit of using your rudder in conjunction with opposite aileron input. The Skid works in much the same way: give full rudder and opposite aileron for a second or two to plow more or less straight forward, wings essentially level or just a tad high to keep you going straight ahead. Alternate left and right rudder (with opposite aileron input) to Fishtail through the sky. You will see your energy bleed off at a high rate, and lose quite a bit of altitude as well unless you keep your nose somewhat high during the maneuver.

The Sideslip is a more pronounced Skid. Roll your wingline 45 degrees to the horizon and give sustained and heavy top rudder (if you are banked to left, right rudder is your top rudder, closest to the sky) to bring the nose well above the horizon. You will shed both airspeed and altitude at a high rate. Note that you are not flying where your gunsight points you in this maneuver but rather “wingroot forward”.

A yet more drastic sideslip is the Knife Edge: quarter-roll to bring your wingline perpendicular to the horizon and give maximum bottom rudder. In this attitude your rudder acts as your elevator, and your elevator as your rudder. This maneuver is useful for shedding altitude and for sustained observation of the ground along a straight path. It carries a steep energy price however, as you might have guessed.

== Loop de loop (looping) ==
The Looping is not a combat maneuver. If you must loop in combat, use it sparingly, for it is extremely predictable and robs you completely of [[Situational Awareness|situational awareness]]. To perform a Looping you need to be flying level and at a good turn of speed, the more the merrier. You may want to increase your airspeed yet further by making a slight dive of a few hundred meters before entering the maneuver. So, after you pick up speed, pitch up with determination and hold a sustained backward pressure to inscribe a vertical circle. Do not push the zoom so far that you wallow at the top while inverted, but make sure to keep your airspeed throughout. Once over the top, head on down to your former position in the sky with a continued sustained backward pressure. Make sure to keep the wingline horizontal throughout the maneuver, and watch where you are going in the 45-degree up view. There you go, a looping.

== Chandelle ==
The Chandelle is simply a wide climbing turn. Make it gently and at a sustained rate from a level maximum speed state, and avoid bleeding off too much airspeed too soon. You will want to come out of the Chandelle at manoeuvre speed, not at stall speed. The Chandelle is a typical pre-engagement maneuver where you sound out the enemy and seek position. It can also be employed more aggressively in combat, see [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers#Rope-A-Dope|Rope-A-Dope]] in the [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers|Advanced Combat Maneuvers]] section.

== Use of flaps and rudder in combat ==
Flaps, the large moving surfaces inboard of your ailerons that deploy to increase the wing’s lift area, are normally used for landing only. They can however be used successfully in combat as well, for the same reason: they increase lift (and increase drag, thereby slowing you down). And when you increase lift in a slow and tight turning fight, you can turn yet tighter and thus gain a favorable shot position.

The WWIIOL:BE flaps operation is simplistic yet variable: if you do not tweak your aircraft setup the flaps will either be fully retracted or fully deployed, even if your aircraft historically had incremental flap settings. By the same token, aircraft that did not have incremental flap settings can be tweaked to have such in the game.

If you do not tweak your settings to offer “combat flaps”, you need to be wary of deploying flaps at speeds over 250 kmh/150m mph as prolonged use at excessive speed will damage the flaps and even render them inoperable. Therefore, should you opt to use flaps to gain a positional advantage, only use them briefly and at lower speeds.

To give your aircraft “combat flaps” cut and paste the following text into your ‘’’air.cfml document’’’ which you will find in your WWIIOL:BE directory (the Windows default location is "C:\Program Files\CRS\Battleground Europe\Data\cfml\air.cfml"). Open and save the air.cfml file after editing, without renaming it, using any basic text editor such as Simpletext or Notepad.

<control function="Flap control">
<keydelta value="25.00" per="keypress">
<key>q</key>
</keydelta>
<keydelta value="-25.00" per="keypress" index="1">
<key>w</key>
</keydelta>
<keyabsolute value="0.00">
<key></key>
</keyabsolute>
<keyabsolute value="0.00" index="10">
<key></key>
</keyabsolute>
</control>

* Each time you push the Q or W key, it will raise/lower the flaps 25%. If the flaps move 40 degrees (typical), then each keypress will give you 10 degrees of flaps if you use the settings above. You can also change what keys to use for flaps operation, and the amount of effect per keypress.

* The use of rudders, either foot pedals or in the form of a twist-action stick, is highly recommended. Without rudder control you are robbing yourself of an entire plane of maneuver: yaw (lateral movement). Flying without rudder control is like trying to do breaststrokes with your hands tied behind your back!

* Use rudder control to correct your takeoff roll; to skid, sideslip and knifedge; to slice inside an opponent’s turn; to slice up while turning; to yaw into a guns opportunity while heading right past an enemy; to correct a strafing approach, just to name a few. If you have rudder control, do not be afraid to use it. And if you are afraid to use it, experiment offline until you get the hang of it.

== Auto Pilot ==
All WWIIOL:BE aircraft come equipped with an Auto Pilot, or rather, a “level lock” feature. To engage the autopilot you must be trimmed to a level and neutral state – check your VsI (Vertical Speed Indicator) and Artificial Horizon instruments. If the VsI is off neutral by more than just a little, the AP will not engage and you must correct elevator trim as required, see [[Trim and Engine Management| Trim and Engine Management]]. Unfortunately the AP can not be set to follow waypoints while you walk the dog or fetch a cold one in the refrigerator. What’s more, the AP, if engaged below max level speed at your current throttle setting, will disengage if the speed differential is great enough. Thus, if you plan to be away for quite some time, allow the aircraft to settle at a steady speed before engaging the AP.

* Engage and disengage Autopilot by pressing "A".
* You will know that the AP is engaged/disengaged by looking at the text buffer, where a text will announce Autopilot status.

== Use of Waypoints ==
Whenever you fly a standard mission there will be two waypoints, Origin and Target, which, to make matters more confusing, can be centered on the same locale (i.e. your airfield). When you spawn in, the little yellow arrow seen in the overhead map (M) is always pointing at your Target. If you, when returning to base, wish to be guided to your airdrome instead of back to the enemy-infested target, you must right-click on your airfield on the overhead map and set the waypoint there to Active.

If the mission leader has set additional waypoints to lay a specific course other than the straight “Origin to Target” option, you must select each waypoint in turn on the overhead map and make them Active by right-clicking if you wish to follow the plan – which you of course will want to do. The waypoints will be numbered and may have descriptions as well beyond the generic A# for Attack and R# for Rally.

Graduate with [[Advanced Combat Maneuvers]]

Back to [[Air Force]] main page

[[Category:NeedsWork]]

Piloting Quick Start Guide

2017-11-04T15:48:56Z

Bmbm: Formatting

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the aircraft and how to fly them OFFLINE before venturing out in the Campaign - it will save supply and a ton of embarrassment.

'''Find the aircraft and find the field''' 
Offline, an expanding menu system lists all the available units in WWIIOL. Click on the minus and plus signs to expand or contract the menu until you see a spread of aircraft in the ”Fighters” and ”Bombers” categories. Click to select an aircraft, and punch the ”Enter World” button. You will now spawn in the Offline Training area. Alternatively, you may also select any airfield from the game map and spawn there if you want to see what WWIIOL really looks like. To do so, first click to select your aircraft type, then use the town search function on the game map and type in e.g. "Brussels" or "Gilze". Zoom in on the map with the scroll wheel until you see the little aircraft icon denoting an Airfield facility: select this facility and hit the “Enter World” button.

Online, select an Air Force Persona to see available brigades and their missions. Join any mission and select your aircraft of choice in the Ready Room – as a beginner you will only see a single type available to you. If you do not reserve a particular aircraft before hitting the “Enter World” button, you will be saddled with the default lowest-value aircraft available. If the spawn list is empty, select another brigade until you find a crate waiting.

'''Spawned in''' 
Upon spawning in to the game world you will find yourself sitting in the pilot’s seat looking directly forward, on the ground (offline) and just inside a mighty fine hangar (online). There are no “air starts” and no automatic takeoff feature in WWIIOL – here, you are expected to earn your laurels yourself!

Look out the windows while moving the joystick from side to side and from front to back: if the ailerons (the movable panels at the wings’ trailing edges) and the elevator (the horizontal control panel in the tail unit) move up and down you know that your joystick is working. If you fly with mouse and keyboard move the mouse sideways while looking out the side (numpad 4 or 6 to look left/right) and verify that the ailerons are working. Now start your engine(s) with the E key – sometimes it takes a few seconds to catch and settle into a steady drone. Now you’re ready to take off – almost! Before ramming the throttle forward to crash into the opposite hangar or the purposely-planted treeline in front of you, follow this simple routine:

'''Always follow this routine''' 
1. Set Max RPM with ' key twice. 
2. Start the engine (E). 
3. Throttle up just a little bit to get you rolling (mouse wheel or throttle slider set to rz axis in Keymapper). 
4. Taxi very slowly to the far side of the field. Steer with brakes (Z, X) and rudder. Lock/unlock tailwheel (/) as necessary to assist steering. 
5. Line up the entire length of the field before you. 
6. Throttle up and start rolling. Push joystick/mouse forward just a tad to lift the tail off the ground - this will minimize the swinging tendency. 
7. Correct to a straight heading with short taps of opposite brake or opposite rudder. E.g. if the crate swings to left, tap right brake (X) or use right rudder to counteract. Give opposite aileron as necessary to counteract a rolling tendency. 
8. Roll the entire length of the field and gently nudge the aircraft up - no wild yanking or you will crash. 
9. Crank up the landing gear (G) and build speed, at least 250 km/h or 150 mph before you try anything fancy. 

'''Further reading''' 
Takeoff is harder than it sounds, as you will surely experience. Read more about [[Basic Flight Maneuvers]], including takeoff and landing, or select an aircraft with tricycle gear (P38, P39) instead of the normal “taildragger” type aircraft (Bf-110, Hurricane, H75).

Some aircraft have multiple positions such as tail gunners, co-pilots and bombardiers. Use the standard numbered keys (1-9) to jump to these positions. The pilot is of course in the number 1 slot when you wish to return to the controls. The use of air gunners and bombardiers is thoroughly covered in the Air Gunners and Bombardiers section of this manual.

To open fire, press F or your primary joystick trigger (left click on mouse). To fire with secondary armament (usually cannons), press B or your secondary joystick trigger/toggle. If your fighter carries bomb(s), you may be required to select them by hitting backspace before you can deploy them with the B key. Bombers, with some exceptions covered in detail in the Strategic Bombing and Close Air Support sections, require you to open bomb bay doors (D) and drop bombs in the bombardier position (2 key) using the secondary trigger (B).

[[Basic Flight Maneuvers|Continue to Basic Flight Maneuvers]]

[[Air Force|Back to Air Force main page]]

Piloting Quick Start Guide

2017-11-04T15:36:52Z

Bmbm: Pilot Quick Start

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the aircraft and how to fly them OFFLINE before venturing out in the Campaign - it will save supply and a ton of embarrassment.

'''Find the aircraft and find the field'''
Offline, an expanding menu system lists all the available units in WWIIOL. Click on the minus and plus signs to expand or contract the menu until you see a spread of aircraft in the ”Fighters” and ”Bombers” categories. Click to select an aircraft, and punch the ”Enter World” button. You will now spawn in the Offline Training area. Alternatively, you may also select any airfield from the game map and spawn there if you want to see what WWIIOL really looks like. To do so, first click to select your aircraft type, then use the town search function on the game map and type in e.g. "Brussels" or "Gilze". Zoom in on the map with the scroll wheel until you see the little aircraft icon denoting an Airfield facility: select this facility and hit the “Enter World” button.

Online, select an Air Force Persona to see available brigades and their missions. Join any mission and select your aircraft of choice in the Ready Room – as a beginner you will only see a single type available to you. If you do not reserve a particular aircraft before hitting the “Enter World” button, you will be saddled with the default lowest-value aircraft available. If the spawn list is empty, select another brigade until you find a crate waiting.

'''Spawned in'''
Upon spawning in to the game world you will find yourself sitting in the pilot’s seat looking directly forward, on the ground (offline) and just inside a mighty fine hangar (online). There are no “air starts” and no automatic takeoff feature in WWIIOL – here, you are expected to earn your laurels yourself!

Look out the windows while moving the joystick from side to side and from front to back: if the ailerons (the movable panels at the wings’ trailing edges) and the elevator (the horizontal control panel in the tail unit) move up and down you know that your joystick is working. If you fly with mouse and keyboard move the mouse sideways while looking out the side (numpad 4 or 6 to look left/right) and verify that the ailerons are working. Now start your engine(s) with the E key – sometimes it takes a few seconds to catch and settle into a steady drone. Now you’re ready to take off – almost!

Before ramming the throttle forward to crash into the opposite hangar or the purposely-planted treeline in front of you, you must increase engine RPM to maximum effect. Toggle RPM up with ‘ key and down with ; key. Your action will be confirmed in the text box: “Continuous RPM” and “Maximum RPM”. Since the default runway length is barely adequate for takeoff you will also benefit from braking both wheels (z and x for left and right wheelbrake respectively) until the engine is running at full bore. Now release the brakes (let go of the z and x keys) and start rolling. Counteract engine torque with slight taps of brake and/or rudder input, let speed build up until you are getting close to the edge of the field, and gently ease the ship up in the air with a bit of back pressure on the joystick. Retract the landing gear with “g” key, and you’re one happy pilot. Wahoo!

'''Always follow this routine'''
Set Max RPM with ' key twice.
Start the engine (E).
Throttle up just a little bit to get you rolling (mouse wheel or throttle slider set to rz axis in Keymapper).
Taxi very slowly to the far side of the field. Steer with brakes (Z, X) and rudder. Lock/unlock tailwheel (/) as necessary to assist steering.
Line up the entire length of the field before you.
Throttle up and start rolling. Push joystick/mouse forward just a tad to lift the tail off the ground - this will minimize the swinging tendency.
Correct to a straight heading with short taps of opposite brake or opposite rudder. E.g. if the crate swings to left, tap right brake (X) or use right rudder to counteract.
Give opposite aileron as necessary to counteract a rolling tendency.
Roll the entire length of the field and gently nudge the aircraft up - no wild yanking or you will crash.
Crank up the landing gear (G) and build speed, at least 250 km/h or 150 mph before you try anything fancy.

Takeoff is harder than it sounds, as you will surely experience. Read more about Basic Flight Manouevres here, including takeoff and landing, or select an aircraft with tricycle gear (P38, P39) instead of the normal “taildragger” type aircraft (Bf-110, Hurricane, H75).

Some aircraft have multiple positions such as tail gunners, co-pilots and bombardiers. Use the standard numbered keys (1-9) to jump to these positions. The pilot is of course in the number 1 slot when you wish to return to the controls. The use of air gunners and bombardiers is thoroughly covered in the Air Gunners and Bombardiers section of this manual.

To open fire, press F or your primary joystick trigger (left click on mouse). To fire with secondary armament (usually cannons), press B or your secondary joystick trigger/toggle. If your fighter carries bomb(s), you may be required to select them by hitting backspace before you can deploy them with the B key. Bombers, with some exceptions covered in detail in the Strategic Bombing and Close Air Support sections, require you to open bomb bay doors (D) and drop bombs in the bombardier position (2 key) using the secondary trigger (B).

Air Force

2017-11-04T15:12:54Z

Bmbm: Restoring lost content

[[Image:38small.png|right]]
=Introduction=
WWII Online: Battleground Europe is a combined arms simulation, featuring co-operative gameplay between Ground, Air, and Naval units. Of these three, the Airforce is arguably the most potent arm: without [[Air_Superiority|air superiority]] and [[Close_Air_Support|close air support]] the Army and the Navy cannot hope to make an impact, and without fighters to pave the way for bombers and paratroop aircraft, very little can be accomplished. Strategic bombers, roaming far beyond the reach of riflemen and patrol boats, have the power to [[Strategic_Bombardment|strangle supply and slow down research]] of new weaponry in the game’s RDP model. [[Air_Superiority|Air superiority]] is a vital concept and during your first few hours in the game world, as you find yourself anxiously looking skyward or ducking under a hail of bombs, you will recognize just how important it is. This guide aims to help you to get airborne, armed and ready to influence the flow of battle.

Air combat IS tough 
Be advised that air combat is an incredibly complex field to venture into. Becoming an effective pilot requires long hours in the cockpit and countless fiery deaths. Do not be turned off by the steep learning curve however – once you get the hang of some [[General_Instruction|basic concepts]] you will be ready to fight it out with the best of them.

WWII Online has a good selection of various types of combat aircraft to choose from, all with their own peculiar traits, benefits and disadvantages. Aside from general similarities and the universal challenge of combat shared by all, each aircraft requires a specific modus operandi to ensure success. Learn by flying them all, offline, through reading and by experimenting, to find the aircraft and the practice that best suits your fighting personality.

First time pilot? Fly offline! 
If this is your first attempt at flying, we strongly recommend that you review the basic aircraft controls below and practice extensively offline before venturing out online. This is because aircraft availability online is severely limited, and while your embarrassing crash will not dig a hole in the spawnlist, senseless waste of aircraft is largely frowned upon by your fellow pilots. Once online, do not hesitate to ask for help and advice that you perchance have yet to read about in this guide – we are a friendly lot and love to be of assistance. For yet more instruction and assistance, do please visit the [[Training | Training Arena]] and make use of our seasoned Trainers!

Here is a good guide for air tactics. [[:File:ww2 online inpursuit.pdf]]

Note that game download and offline play is free of charge.
==[[incremented flaps|Incremental flaps]]==
Learn how to configure "combat flaps" for better turn performance in dogfights

==[[Piloting Quick Start Guide|Piloting Quick Start Guide]]==
From n00b to dweeb in 10 minutes flat!

==[[Essential Game Controllers|Essential Game Controllers]]==
You simply have to get a joystick or you get to play infantry!

==[[Ten Easy Rules|Ten Easy Rules]]==
Getting airborne is easy enough. Surviving is another matter!

=[[General Instruction|General Instruction]]=
Find out all you need to know about cockpit instruments, engine management, gunnery, energy, situational awareness and more!

=[[Aircraft_weapons|Aircraft Weapons]]=
Guns and bombs is the business end of your aircraft and the very cause for taking to the sky. Look inside to learn more about your own and your adversary's equipment.

=[[Basic Flight Maneuvers|Basic Flight Maneuvers (BFM)]]=
Take off and landing, turning, diving, barrel-rolling... so much to learn, so little time. Give it a few minutes and you will gain prowess to last you a lifetime (no, not a game lifetime).

=[[Advanced Combat Maneuvers|Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM)]]=
Advanced Combat Maneuvers (ACM) is the collective name for all kinds maneuvers that you will need to employ to produce a guns opportunity against enemy aircraft – or to escape from a threatening situation. Learn about the Scissors, the Yo-Yo, the Rope-a-Dope and many more useful maneuvers, right here.

=[[Air Missions|Missions - Have guns, will travel.]]=
Now that you can fly an aircraft, what are you going to do with it?

Learn more about how to succeed in fighter missions such as CAP, CAS and BARCAP; learn how to make the groundpounders miserable with fighter-bombers and attack aircraft; learn how to lay waste to enemy factories through strategic bombing... and more.

=Air Force Units=

{{Air Force Units}}

Check out [http://www.hoofsperformance.wwiionline.com/ Hoof Performance page, insights into the games aircraft].

=Aircraft Names=

==Fighter==
<center>
'''British'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Hurricane Mk I || Hawker Hurricane Mk I || Hurri
|-
| Hurricane Mk IIb || Hawker Hurricane Mk IIb || Hurri
|-
| Spitfire Mk Ia || Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia || Spit
|-
| Spitfire Mk Vb || Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb || Spit
|-
| Spitfire Mk IXc || Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXc || Spit
|}

'''French'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Hawk 75 || Curtiss Hawk H75A-3 || P-36A
|-
| Hawk 81 || Curtiss Hawk H81A-2 || P-40C
|-
| Hawk 87 || Curtiss Hawk H87B-3 || P-40F "Warhawk"
|-
| D.520 || Dewoitine D.520 ||
|-
| P-322 Lightning || Lockheed 322-15 || P-38 Lightning
|}

'''German'''
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Bf 109E-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 || Emil
|-
| Bf 109F-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 || Franz
|-
| Bf 109G-6/U4 || Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/U-4 || Gustav
|-
| Fw 190A-4 || Focke Wulf Fw 190A-4 || Würger
|-
| Bf 110C-4 || Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4 || Zerstörer
|}
</center>

==Fighter Bomber & Bomber==

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Blenheim Mk I || Bristol Blenheim Mk I || Blenburgher
|-
| Blenheim Mk IV || Bristol Blenheim Mk IV || Blenburgher
|-
| Havoc Mk I || Douglas A-20 || Havoc Mk I
|-
| Hurricane Mk IIc || Hurricane Mk IIc || Hurribomber
|-
| Ju 87 Stuka || Junkers Ju 87B-2 || Stuka
|-
| He 111 || Heinkel He 111H-1 || Spade
|-
| Bf 110C-4/B || Messerschmitt Bf 110C-4/B || Zerstörer
|-
| DB-7 || Douglas DB-7 ||
|-
| Bell mle 14a || Bell mle 14a (P-39) || Airacobra
|}
</center>

==Transport==

<center>
{| class="wikitable"
! Short Name !! Formal & Specific Name !! Alternative Name
|-
| Ju-52 Transport || Junker Ju 52 M3 || Tante Ju
|-
| C-47 Dakota || Douglas C-47 || Dakota
|}
</center>