Is the Ki-43-Ib Oscar a dog?

[jeffs]

How much does PDU off slow down the Oscar in Tojo/Tony moves.
 
Am playing a campaign game as the allies with PDU off and clearly it reams me in so many ways.
But what does it do to the Japanese upgrade situation?
 
Thanks.  A bit off topic I know.

[Yamato hugger]

PDUs off, there really arent that many Tojo / Tony groups. Maybe 2 dozen if I recall correctly before the Frank comes out.

[Commander Stormwolf]

Aerial combat can be represented by a number of physics equations, most commonly

S = k ln w

Whereby the entropy is exponentially magnified by the number of possible microstates.

Essentially, the with a greater number of aircraft, the number of attack positions is exponentially increased.
The fundamental result is a larger number of aircraft engaging other aircraft in the most probable (and therefore most disorganized) circumstances. Eventually, all aircraft will have opportunities to fire upon another airplane and therefore
be fired upon themselves.

In a highly thermodynamic aerial battle, it is essential to have the capability of destroying the target in the least possible time and secondly to sustain the maximum possible damage while being acquired onself.

These principles were self-evident during the first world war, where aircraft such as the SPAD 13 were capable of achieving assymetric attrition ratios in battles of 50+ aircraft.

The advantages of maneouver are reduced on an exponential scale as the number of aircraft per volume of airspace is increased. Over time, the successful ratios are resultant in the air superiority of a region as the number of enemy pilots and airplane numbers are attrited (see Guadalacanal campaign, where no significant battles were won by the allies, however the enemy was worn down to a point of impotence).

In terms of kill probabilties, the P-47 Thunderbolt could be considered an effective platform, with the saturation of firepower (4800 rounds per minute; greater than many gatling cannons) and heavy armour protection that are vital for a successful prolonged aerial campaign.

[jeffs]

Thanks Yamato Hugger.
 
PDU off really cuts down what the allies can do..Especially since many of the army planes need
the P-40E and we only get 40 a month...
 
Nice to know Japan gets bottlenecked as well.
 
To Stormwolf
(see Guadalacanal campaign, where no significant battles were won by the allies, however the enemy was worn down to a point of impotence).

By significant battles, do you mean naval, air or land? One can clearly point to land and naval battles that the allies one and their were many days where the allies did much better in the air than Japan.

[Commander Stormwolf]

Greetings,

"their were many days where the allies did much better in the air than Japan."

This is precisely the point that is being demonstrated. Over many days, as the indecisive battles had accumulated,
the tide of machines and pilot experience could be overcome as result of the greater survivability and
lethal effect of the F4F Wildcats, causing the eventual attrition of enemy units.

Precicely by suffering constant disproportionate combats over the course of many days, the enemy was reduced to a position where carrier based units were needed to fill the ranks of the axis units.

A wildcat that is damaged can be salvaged for parts, and the pilot transfered to another machine.
An axis plane that is damaged will in all probabilty dissintegrate, causing the loss of pilot and machine.

These effects are facilitated as the molarity of combatants is increased.

[jeffs]

Ok. Now I see what you mean.
Agreed.
 
Given the situation, a 1 to 1 fight at Guadalcanal was hugely in the US favor given
A. many US pilots survived.
B. few IJN pilots survived
C. IJN replacements were much less experienced.
 
Even if US pilots were killed, their replacements were usually superior to IJN replacement pilots.

[John 3rd]

I will use the Oscar for offensive operations through the conquest of the DEI and in China.  After about April of 1942 I try to pull them off the mainline so I can upgrade them to Tojo/Tony quickly while they still have excellent experience.  For me the key is to try to stay out of ANY long-term aerial battle (say Burma for example) until those fighters come online.

[Miller]

Well in my current game Oscars enjoyed a 33:0 kill ratio over Buffalos in a recent turn......I think pilot exp is critical, although the mod we are using gives them such a high mvr rating they are almost impossible to hit[:@]

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

I will use the Oscar for offensive operations through the conquest of the DEI and in China.  After about April of 1942 I try to pull them off the mainline so I can upgrade them to Tojo/Tony quickly while they still have excellent experience.  For me the key is to try to stay out of ANY long-term aerial battle (say Burma for example) until those fighters come online.

Exactly, in my PBEM I'm basically using the Oscars in 1 mass group 1 day, then pulling them off the line for a few weeks just to try and nip at my opponants 2E bombers in Burma. Anything more than 2-3 days on the line and they start taking unacceptable losses. Not to mention the fact that for some reason their morale goes into the toilet after 1 mission. I'm guessing its the number of bombers they face affecting it.

[John 3rd]

Miller--I agree that in Brian's Mod the Oscar is a bit more useful then Stock.

Concur with Shark's view on his use of them.  I won't move them immediately though.  IF they are doing well and not taking heavy losses then that is fine but the moment Spitfires or Wildcats show up then they can quietly move away while waiting for those nice shiny new fighters in late-1942...

[niceguy2005]

Oscars make lovely paper weights if the wind doesn't pick up too much. 

[alanschu]

Woof woof!

[Tomo]

 i have ever read that Hayabusa(oscar) was easy to produce&maintenace palne and was good maneuverable in low altitude. Tony is better fighter but is very hard to maintence its engine.

[DivePac88]

They’re no good against bombers, even early medium ones. In PBEM game have Oscars on long-range CAP over Khota Bharu, and the CAP is leaking like a sieve. Hanzo’s Hudsons and Blenheims are getting through to my ships no problem at-all.
DP.

[Hornblower]

Oscars were a good weapons package against the Chinese.  A very very poor package against p-40’ and worse against P-47’s and P-38’S. Agreed they were very nibble, even more so then the Zero, but they didn’t have the strength to sand up to B-24’s or any other USAAF bomber.  

[Mynok]

Nibble? [:D]

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Mynok


Nibble? [:D]

Yep, that was pretty much all they could do to a real airplane. Just nibble at it. [:D]

[niceguy2005]

ORIGINAL: DivePac88

They’re no good against bombers, even early medium ones. In PBEM game have Oscars on long-range CAP over Khota Bharu, and the CAP is leaking like a sieve. Hanzo’s Hudsons and Blenheims are getting through to my ships no problem at-all.
DP.

Oscars are better at protecting airfields. When providing CAP to surface ships I wouldn't use anything but Zeros until the Tony/Tojo upgrades.