VVS fighters in WITPAE

[falcon2006]

I just felt curious that was there anyone test the performance of Yak-7B, La-7, and Yak-9T in the game. For example, if use them to escort B-17/B-29s, what would be their performance？ And compared to their allies counterpart (later P-40 models, spitfire VIII/IX, P-47/51), what's their advantage/disadvantage?

[wdolson]

The biggest problem with Russian fighters is their poor range. They are good for base defense, but have almost no offensive capabilities. The Spitfire also suffers from poor range. The P-40 isn't as good as many other American fighters, but it's better than British and Soviet fighters.

Bill

[GetAssista]

Russians never needed and hence never developed good range for their planes due to being involved in exclusively land war, with very few opportunities for meaningful long range strikes. On the other hand, land war propped up their tanking and arty abilities, which are always a pain for Japan

[wdolson]

The VVS was always tied closely to the land forces and rarely ventured very far from the front. The Russians did work on strategic bombers and had some of the longest range aircraft in the world in the 1930s, but they never advanced further than relatively small production runs.

When you think about it, one of the longest range fighters the VVS had was rejected from US service in part because it was the shortest range US built fighter, the P-39. For the kind of war the Russians were fighting the P-39 was a good aircraft, but it really wasn't a good fit with the kind of war the US was fighting which needed range in the Pacific and high altitude capability in Europe. Neither of which the P-39 could do.

Bill

[Barb]

Well, just use your VVS fighters the way they were used - Cover and Support your ground troops. For that you do not need too long range. In august 1945 you shouldn't have too big problem in attaining Air Superiority over the battlefield. Just Sweep+Bomb the nearest enemy bases with medium bombers to force the Japanese air further from the front lines. Then support your ground forces with those Attack aviation (just remember to bring along your Base Forces so that you can operate from the fields you are about to capture in Manchuria). And also keep something on CAP in case the Japs will try to hit your airfields.

With enemy air based far away, they are hardly to run an effective defense over the front. And all the Soviet steamroller needs to be more effective is ground support. [:D] Soviet Tanks will take care of everything else.

[crsutton]

In real life they would have done very well in air to air combat. In game though they are fairly slow. If you are playing DaBabes just about every second line Japanese fighter is faster, much faster. The only good news is that when the Soviets activate, Japan should have too many other problems. Most games are over before then though.