need answers to allied carrier aircraf questions please!

[pmt411@cox.net]

I am playing the Americans and it is August 1943. I now have a choice of Hellcats or adding some Corsairs as fighters. Is the Corsair a better carrier fighter or is the Hellcat the way to go. Secondly I now have both Dauntles5 and Helldiver available to put on my carriers, which is the better carrier dive bomber?? I just cant figure it out from the TOE chart in the game. It looks to me like for a dive bomber the Helldiver carrys more payload but I still am not sure which is the way to go. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[Terminus]

The F4U-1 isn't even carrier capable, so the point is moot. The F4U-1A is carrier capable, but the Hellcat production run is much larger, and that in itself should be enough to make your decision for you. You'll have your hands full keeping shore-based Marine Corsair squadrons up to strength without diverting any to the fleet.

As for dive bombers, I'd go with the Helldiver. The only minus is that the early models of the SB2C require MUCH more maintenance, so your squadrons will be more fragile.

[pmt411@cox.net]

I do have 36 Fu-1a already carrier trained in Los Angeles in a squadron. Would you try these on one of your carriers?? Are they better fighters than the Hellcats?? Also the WildcatFM-2 will be coming on line in number in a little while, are they any good?? Thanks!

[Nomad]

I would suggest you get Tracker and compare the aircraft yourself. Sometimes how you will be using them makes a difference.

[Terminus]

Don't put the FM-2 on any of your big carriers. It's the same as the F4F-4 Wildcat, and only remained in production because of the need to put fighters on the escort carriers.

Don't bother putting Corsairs on your carriers now. You've got too few to equip the shore-based Marine squadrons as is. Hellcats all the way.

[crsutton]

No matter, you must be talking mid 1943 when the hellcats, helldivers and corsairs come on line. As Terminus says you will not be able to put corsairs on carriers until late 43 when the next version comes on line.

I find the hellcat to be an excellent fighter vs the zero, tojo and tony and even have put them on shore for brief periods to back up my army fighters. For an Allied fighter it has a great climb rate and I am beginning to think that is important for breaking your opponent's dive. You get plenty of hellcats, so why not use them on the carriers-even escort carriers. In game, the wildcat just blows vs any fighter (too bad about that) so I try best to not use them anywhere there is good Japanese fighter opposition. As for the helldiver, the earliest version has a service rating of 3 and I don't like that so I have opted to use the SBD5 on my carriers. Some say it is not so important as carrier fights are a one shot deal but I think a 3 service rating is a serious handicap on any single engine aircraft. Still they have great range, so for now have put them in my few shore based navy SBD squadrons. Allied carrier strikes are limited to a seven hex range so the SBD5 are not handicapped by being on carriers.