P-39 Solo Sortie - The SA nightmare - IL-2: Great Battles

Was flying some nice sorties in the 39 the other day on the knights of the air server.
Its hard to keep Situation awareness(SA) in this aircraft.
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[@TheAsbeth]

I love that guy in chat "getting in position to dive on them", a minute later he shoots a friendly

[@jonredcorn862]

Whats cool is that in VR this planes actually pretty good in the visibility category, two eyes make a big difference.

[@Chughes_]

Watching you do well with the underused planes is what keeps me coming back. Also P-39 in the back of my avatar!

[@wallyknew]

Nice flying! I've only flown a couple of sorties with the P39, vision worried me too, made me nervous. You sure had it running sweetly though.

[@TheCodgod1996]

(Epicurus341) always a pleasure watching your vids sheriff! Its because of Karaya, Ape of the year and you that I know what il2 is! can't thank you guys enough haha

[@mollyscullyscully80]

This plane cockpit in VR is actually awesome to watch your six and all around

[@ronjodway3521]

Great flying and gunnery, as always, Shack. I always learn something while watching your vids. I noticed, your defensive tactic of choice was a barrel roll... is that a strong tactic in the P39? It seems pretty agile and defeated most gun attacks.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

The barrel roll is my go to maneuver in all planes since its hard to follow and you are still going the the same direction afterwards, so you can move towards something. Furthermore you keep your speed mostly.

[@Drspoe]

I've never really gotten accustomed to the p39. It's not the easiest plane to fight in, but you sure make it look easy.

[@fenny1578]

Used to fly the Airacobra back in Aces High. She's an entirely usable vehicle, and if you think the SA situation is bad in her just wait until we get the razorback jug. At least you can check your own six in the 39'.

[@sheeplord4976]

I personally find the cockpit of the P-39 to be the best in the game. Amazing rearward and forward visibility combined with a great mirror. The easy to read instrument panel doesn't hurt either. Maybe it is just because I have 2 eyes in VR where one can see past what the other can't.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

it should be better in VR, but it cant be better than the Yak-1b or 9.

[@sheeplord4976]

@@SheriffsSimShack I dunno. Something about the front glass on the yaks makes me hate them. The rear visibility is much better on the yaks though, that much is undeniable.

[@tomservo5347]

I always was a fan of the P-39 for it's designer thinking way outside of the box over more conventional designs. The centrally positioned engine gave it an excellent center of gravity as well as helping protect the engine and radiator. British and American pilots tended to dislike it, while for some reason Soviet pilots seemed to love it.

[@Lolektube]

Hey Sheriff! I watch your videos wery often and must say that you inspire my to fly in BOX. Can i ask You about your monitor witch you use and how do you do that you have ~100fps at 1060 - without g-sync etc?? Greets from Poland!

[@SheriffsSimShack]

I have a acer XB240H which is a gysnc screen. And I havent done anything special to get the FPS. I dont get 100FPS at anytime.

[@DrOfNothing]

Nice video and good flying. Not sure I can agree about SA in the P-39. It's a bit odd, and the rear quarter is annoying, but you have direct rear (minus the supercharger intake), the front is ok (better than the 190) and the sides are actually pretty good except for down (which is crucial, I know, especially since you _have_ to stay high in this thing, given its abysmal climb rate). I always thought of it as the "prey view" (i.e. better to the wide angle sides than to the front). And yeah, the muzzle velocity on the 37mm is like a ping-pong serve-you have to aim high and arc it down. It was meant for ground attack, a "weapons platform" more than a fighter or fighter-bomber (though it's murder on bombers). But it didn't see much action in that role in the end. The real problem with it is performance--bad climb rate, bad sustained turn, not fast, and a nasty tendency to nose bounce and stall into a flat spin on account of its unusual trim characteristics. It gets even worse at high altitudes (which is why the RAF cancelled much of its order after the initial arrivals). I always try to remind myself it's an early-war plane, but it's still just not a good match for even a 109 E4, imho. What's cool about it is that it was the first small, manoeuvrable aircraft built around a centerline, high-calibre, AP cannon. In that sense, it's the great-grandaddy of the A-10 Warthog. But nostalgia won't pull you out of a flat spin. For those early-war US planes, gimme a P-40 over it any day. Love those .50s, dakka dakka dakka!

[@cianw10]

p39 cockpit makes me feel like im sitting in a helicopter... the visibility sucks but i kinda like it

[@kailae3269]

You're seeing why I frequently take the 30 cals. You're unlikely to hit a maneuvering target with the 37mm, and the 50's have an oddly low ammo count. I find you can't just look backwards, you have to lean to one side or another to clear your 5/7, and the mirror is actually valuable to pick up being dived on. The engine also blows easy if you throttle up or down too fast because of the crankshaft design. You should do a "how to" video, it's a quirky aircraft for sure.

[@jjt1093]

I quite like flying this, But I think for online play so far the BF110 is my fav on FVP server

[@wheelwrightpl9429]

I notice you often perform a corkscrew manoeuvre to evade an enemy fighter. Is there a tutorial how to do that ? (I mean exact joystick and rudder inputs). I think it would be immensely useful (and satisfying) to master this manoeuvre for noobs like me.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

its not hard to fly a barrel roll. its about the timing. A barrel roll is just pull the stick back and roll one direction. Rudder only so much to keep you stable. You can barrel roll around all day, but its the timing and the judgement of the enemies attack which makes the evasion successful.

[@MrMJpilot]

Shack is correct. Good defensive flying is timing. You need to watch your enemy and maneuver in relation to the bandit. All the fancy flying in the world won’t help you if don’t watch what the guy on your ass is trying to do to you.

[@old_guard2431]

I see what you mean. Rear quarter is awful. I would try lowering the seat until the mirror lines up, but would not have high hopes. I keep my cannon and MGs on different buttons, the cannon is so low velocity they will never hit the same place. Highest velocity 50 calls and lowest velocity cannon, just not a good match. Save the cannon for Tante Ju or Heinkel. Something that stays put a bit longer. Or a fighter pilot asleep at the wheel.

[@DafuqROB]

I'm too heavy with the throttle, I just ruin the drive shaft.

[@bogdanradulescu870]

The plane looks smooth in piloting... is it that good as energy plane? It climbs back easyly?

[@SheriffsSimShack]

its heavy, with speed you can zoom up nicely, but the sustained climb rate is not good.

[@tincannavy3188]

Well when those 37s do connect 9 times out of 10 he's going down and in spectacular fashion

[@countzero7]

before it did with old DM one hit and enemy is gone , not any more with new DM, it takes min of 2 hits and usealy 3 to disable fighter with 37mm

[@SheriffsSimShack]

Was never really reliable. See my last 39 video

[@countzero7]

@@SheriffsSimShack this is what 37mm looked like before and should be now kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmWpZ4yMp9hlfaM 1 hit and enemy airplane fals apart

[@iluha220782]

good flying and good sense of humor) Best regards from Russia pilots!

[@dawudmc]

What miision is that?

[@mskiUSMC]

I sat there with the Bf109 at about 4 minutes and while you were closing getting ready to fire, I waited and called out loud, FIRE and a split second you fired and missed the main section of the plane. I had a good estimation of when to fire, you would have hit the center of the fuselage. I had a good estimation of when to fire. Good flying.

[@Feraphic]

New comment on today's video!

[@darbz2k]

At around 07:40 when you attack the 110 just reconfirmed how bs the gunners are. During your second attack from about 400 yards the gunner is hitting you despite laying into him with cannon. Ridiculous..

[@SheriffsSimShack]

I dont think we need reconfirmation.

[@dLimboStick]

How is it snowing when there are practically no clouds in the sky?

[@SheriffsSimShack]

Its a closed cloud ceiling

[@001davem]

A bubble canopy would have made this plane amazing.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

I have the slight feeling that this might have been difficult. I guess because of the engine the part of the plane has to be very sturdy, and there are structural reasons for why the cockpit is build that way.

[@001davem]

That's what I figured as well, too bad engineering has to get in the way...haha

[@Szopen715]

@@SheriffsSimShack Well, P-63 had variant with bubble canopy. Or a prototype, I'm not 100% sure

[@SheriffsSimShack]

@@Szopen715 Yeah with that canopy the P-39 would be one of my favourite planes on the allied side. www.aviation-history.com/bell/p63d-25a.jpg But I fear that there is a reason why it stayed a prototype.

[@Lemard77]

​@@SheriffsSimShack One of the earliest prototypes had very thin framing, it would be interesting to find out why they changed it. www.aviation-history.com/bell/xp39-1a.jpg

[@DerDop]

this plane was so powerful in il 2 1946.

[@airshark2764]

in terms of firepower yes lol

[@shocktrooper2622]

Yay P-39 time Now only if it was a P-38

[@LtRiot]

Kendall Scott SoonTM

[@n8d0g]

Should be one coming with Battle of BoldenPlatte

[@LtRiot]

@@n8d0g May! Gonna be so many 38s and K4s gonna block out the sun

[@RobinHartJones]

Im the first section you did at least demonstrate that having a rear engine is very useful when attacking someone with a rear gunner. Any other fighter would have lost their engine with the number of hits you took from the 110. Unfortunately the downside is that more frequently you are being hit from behind and your engine gets lost when other fighters can keep going. What it boils down to is that when you fly a P39 you will lose your engine more often but get to bail out alive more often. With that 109 you complained had bailed early, I think when you hit him I saw & heard his engine start running rough so that may be why he bailed.

[@swiftdraw]

The exterior sound of a P-39 is so odd to me. Sounds like the vehicle noise from the old '60 and '70's James Bond movies with that whirring.

[@nightrise45]

thats the supercharger

[@comesahorseman]

Looks odd, too; somehow reminds me of an old Studebaker. ;)

[@HappyFlapps]

My God - Even the BF109 has much better arc of vision than the Aircobra. It's odd that from the outside, the P39 canopy looks like you might have a pretty good view all around, but after watching this vid, you really become aware how truly obstructive the cockpit framework in that fighter can be. Don't matter how modern the fighter design might be - if the pilots can't find what they're hunting, nor see who might be lining up on them, it's an unforgivable design flaw. I'd bet most P39 pilots never saw what killed them.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

I think its better in reality and be due to binocular vision

[@juanencarnacion8573]

Yoooo

[@BurghartJWicke]

The P-39 was primarily used as a ground attack aircraft. The construction is good for that (cockpit, 37mm-gun etc.), but not really for a dogfight. ;)

[@SheriffsSimShack]

The soviets used almost solely for air to air.

[@monkeykingenma]

That statement could not be anymore wrong.

[@old_guard2431]

Nice job. The conventional wisdom is that you can dive faster than the Russian planes (but not quite as fast as the Germans) and retain control, not shed control surfaces etc. I have the .50s and the cannon on separate triggers. Conceivably firing both at the same time would be useful on ground targets if you can shoot exactly at the convergence setting. Shooting both might work on something slow like a Heinkel 111 or JU-52. If you are close, the 37mm is going to shoot way high because it is aimed high to compensate for the pumpkin-chunkin shell arc. And arrive late, compared with the .50s. The Russians apparently liked the P-39 for nice instruments, good radio, comfortable cockpit and the cannon. Probably used it mostly for ground attack - Stalingrad pretty much drained von Richtofen's supply of Heinkel 111s and JU-52s.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

I researched the plane in the last days a bit and it apears that it wasnt used in ground attacking that much. Mostly air vs air. And you can dive faster than german planes! the 39 has a higher nve than a 109! I have the guns on seperate triggerss as well but I have more or less given up to use them seperately. If I do I fire the cannon twice a sortie and I miss. So I use the 50 cals mainly and every 37mm hit is a bonus.

[@countzero7]

You can dive 910kmh 560mph in it it outdives any axis fighter, prob is you have to wory in dive about your RPM, it cant go abow 3200, and it wonts to go that high in steap dives, but you just watch on that and you outdive anything. Also after DM got changed 37mm is no longer one hit and done, now you need to score 2-3 hits on enemy fighters so its realy just waist of weight on airplane, .50s is what shoots down enemy airplanes. If there is option like early versions had to have 20 insted 37, most people would take that how 37mms are underpowered now in game.

[@kailae3269]

Was almost never used by ground attack by the Russians. Pure fighter.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

@@kailae3269 like I said. With "mostly air vs air" i mean that the 39 might have strafed ground troops here and there. targets of opportunity.

[@vicnighthorse]

@@countzero7 The American 37mm HE shell had but 45g of tetryl (R.E. = 1.25) and the German 30m mine-shell had 85 grams of PETN (R.E. = 1.66) so one might expect it to have 40% (56.25/141.1) the explosive power of the German min-shell. Of course, there were other factors like the greater mass of the thicker American shrapnel and what ever difference was caused by the difference in fuses. Anyway it does seem reasonable that it was not usually a one and done if the German 30mm wasn't a .5 and done:-) I have a great deal of affection for the P-39 and am as disappointed as anyone about this.

[@LogieT2K]

If only this had a better cockpit design and a merlin with a 2 stage supercharger. Would be my favourite and might of actually got used by UK and USA

[@TheAngrySaxon1]

It had a lot more issues than just the cockpit and engine.

[@vicnighthorse]

​@@TheAngrySaxon1 Yeah, the armament wasn't very effective, there were no ammo counters while the plane had aft COG problems when the ammo was low, too much obstruction of the canopy, an engine that was more work to tend than it's German counter parts. This IS my favorite fighter, so I am not just a P-39 hater. If I could make only one change it would be to replace the M4 with two or three more M2s or a single VYa-23 (which is lighter and shorter than the M4).

[@countzero7]

that mirror is useles to bad it cant be removed

[@SheriffsSimShack]

I mean you would see a fat frame instead if the mirror.

[@countzero7]

@@SheriffsSimShack but imagine what benefit you get in climb rate without that mirror weight pulling it down :D

[@kailae3269]

P-39 is the only plane that I would NEVER go without the mirror. The framing causes a blind spot that the mirror shows. Anything coming from high 6 you'll see if you're looking.

[@countzero7]

@@kailae3269 good point, i didnt notice that, it does help with high 6

[@SheriffsSimShack]

I have a problem to get a good head position where I 1. Can see through the mirror and 2. See to my six properly and 3. Through the gun sight.

[@LolaBeans]

SA?

[@SheriffsSimShack]

Situation awareness

[@LolaBeans]

Ok I was completely lost on that thank you very much!! By the way fantastic video.

[@countzero7]

@@LolaBeans "completely lost" bad SA :)

[@LolaBeans]

Count Zero I had bad SA haha

[@MaverickCulp]

They really gotta do something to nerf the gunners

[@HO-bndk]

Is this what they call "air quake"? I thought WW2 fighters always flew in formation with wingmen for mutual support, not flying around randomly and shooting at anything they see.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

In reality the battle started like that. But as soon as enemies were involved often chaos ensued.

[@syzygysyzygy8332]

I'm currently reading 'Race of Aces' according to the author it was not uncommon for even the best USA pilots in the Pacific theater to completely lose their wingman's position in the heat of combat.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

Yeah totally normal

[@jkoeberlein1]

SA? Single action.

[@SheriffsSimShack]

Situational awareness. no revolver was harmed while filming.

[@themonolithian]

I thought the same thing. I was thinking semi-auto? Single action?

[@Asghaad]

i always find it funny that people fly full sim ... then bind camera look to go direct behind which from that seat would be nigh impossible to do ... sure im simulating everything to the greatest detail ... let me just twist the head of my pilot 180 degrees back ...

[@MaverickCulp]

Simulating flying with loose straps. I've read that a lot of pilots did that so they could look 180 behind them, and I've even read accounts of Japanese pilots not wearing parachutes just so they could look 180.

[@Asghaad]

@@MaverickCulp yeah while pulling 5g+ maneuvers and snapping back and forth in a milisecond ...

[@MaverickCulp]

Asghaad Of course in a maneuver, that’s the point. The speed of the camera though will be a flaw in any game (pretty much all games) that allows you to manipulate such things. To me it’s so minor it’s not worth making a stink about.

[@Asghaad]

@@MaverickCulp dude in high g turn if you try to turn your neck backwards like that is going to KILL YOU ... and you wouldnt be able to take your back from the rest of the seat ... i think you dont understand what being under 6+ times of normal gravity means for human body ...