Oscars are still death traps from the get-go.

[Ron Saueracker]

I think I read somewhere that no more effort will be expended on Oscar vulnerability. If so, I'm wasting my finger flapping, but what the hey.

In the PBEMs I'm playing (both as Allied), every fighter I have, save the P-26 maybe, kicks the crap out of Oscars, even if the Oscars have 80+ exp pilots vs low grade Chinese piolets (a Brady[;)]). Watching innumerable combat replays without hitting esc key (sorry guys, makes turn longer but I was curious) I've noticed something strange, almost a possible reversal to the intent. Oscars are lightly armoured and armed, so I don't expect them to blow everything out of the sky...the odd outright kill, a few damaged enemy aircraft crashing on the return leg, but mainly damage to enemy planes. This I see.

What disturbs me is the loss rate to less maneuverable adversaries. The Oscar was renowned for it's insane maneuverability, like many Japanese fighters, but the armoured and therefore heavier and less maneuverable Allied planes predominantly both "evade" the Oscars in combat and manage to "fire from behind, Range 1", resulting more often than not in the Japanese plane's demise. The maneuverability seems not only to be negated but exceeded by less agile Allied puruits with less experienced pilots.

Something is still rotten in air combat model land.

Anyone agree?

[Tankerace]

I do wholeheartedly. Its kinda tough to say that, because I like shooting down Oscars in droves. It gives me a reason to keep about 3 P-36A Mohawk units around. I have heard that the Oscar was not the best plane, but it certainly isn't useless as WitP sometimes seems to indicate.

Of course, that is just what I remember from playing. Thanks to the leader bug, I had to can my current game about 3 weeks ago [:(].

[WiTP_Dude]

Oscars are garbage planes. Like the Nates, they just don't have much use. If you look at the numbers for the two planes they are about equal. Basically I use both planes for attacking airfields at 100 feet as much as possible. Or they can be used in rear areas to protect against Allied long range bombers. They don't shoot anything down but they will force the bombers to miss most of the time.

[Belphegor]

Well, once again I think I got a different copy of the game. [:(]

My Oscars are doing fairly well actually. Quite happy to have them romping around. I don't know the history of the plane, so can't comment on game performance, but to where I am in '42 they still seem fairly useable. I'll leave it up to the more experienced to debate whether they are too poor in the game or not

[WiTP_Dude]

What planes do use them against?

[caslug]

and I used to think the ME109 in BTR was lame, because it had 3 guns versus the FW190. Now I take the ME109 anyday, especially over the lame oscars. Anyone play long enough to get the Oscar II? Wonder how those fair against 2nd gen allied fighters?

[Belphegor]

Hmmm, I used them in sweeps and escort missions in the Malay, Burma, Philippines and DEI campaigns. A few LRCAP for covering landings and of course CAP

They generally go up against Buffalos (Yeah, I know) Brewsters (See number 1) etc.... Occasionally they have held their own against AVG as long as it is 1/2 way near a fair fight and not an everyday thing....

[Belphegor]

I just looked at my game (against the AI, maybe that's why?) and it is 5/17/42. I have lost 57 Oscars to all causes, 29 in the sky, 20 to ops...

[pad152]

Well if you think the numbers are wrong for the Oscar, you can change it with the editor!

[Ron Saueracker]

Just wondering why the Oscars are the ones which have their less nimble opponents "evade" them, then they can't themselves. Seems reversed.

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

Just wondering why the Oscars are the ones which have their less nimble opponents "evade" them, then they can't themselves. Seems reversed.

I am no expert on aircraft by any stretch but I seem to remeber the Oscars being crap in the old WW2:Battles of the South Pacific game. Or is that because so many Matrix guys came from the old SSI (or so I remember being told). [:D]

Do I hear "anti-Oscar conspiracy"? [:D][:D]

[esteban]

However troubled Oscars may be, they are better than Nates. [:'(]

[Ron Saueracker]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Ron Saueracker

Just wondering why the Oscars are the ones which have their less nimble opponents "evade" them, then they can't themselves. Seems reversed.

I am no expert on aircraft by any stretch but I seem to remeber the Oscars being crap in the old WW2:Battles of the South Pacific game. Or is that because so many Matrix guys came from the old SSI (or so I remember being told). [:D]

Do I hear "anti-Oscar conspiracy"? [:D][:D]

Let's not go using games as source material! [:-][8D] And yes. a direct link is there.

[Platoonist]

Put a green pilot behind the controls and it's even worse.

[Ron Saueracker]

ORIGINAL: Platoonist

Put a green pilot behind the controls and it's even worse.

[:D][&o]

[Tankerace]

I know how we can prove if the Oscar's are bad. Once I get the carriers in the WPO mod working, we can have unmodified Oscars tangle with the Vought VE-7SF fighters of Langley's VF-1. Or, to be less humiliating, we can have them go at Curtiss F6C-4 Hawks of VF-2 (Not sure where Ill stick VF-2 yet.... kinda ran outta flattops). Or, we can use the Army's DH-4Bs left over from WWI. Sound like a good test?

EDIT: Whoops, F6C-4 Hawks, not F9Cs.

[Ron Saueracker]

ORIGINAL: Tankerace

I know how we can prove if the Oscar's are bad. Once I get the carriers in the WPO mod working, we can have unmodified Oscars tangle with the Vought VE-7SF fighters of Langley's VF-1. Or, to be less humiliating, we can have them go at Curtiss F6C-4 Hawks of VF-2 (Not sure where Ill stick VF-2 yet.... kinda ran outta flattops). Or, we can use the Army's DH-4Bs left over from WWI. Sound like a good test?

EDIT: Whoops, F6C-4 Hawks, not F9Cs.

Yes, yes, yes.

[Tankerace]

Im actually scared to do it, but you never know what will happen, right?

[Nikademus]

Oscars were the most successful plane type during the Malaya campaign in terms of kills. They also preformed well during the Sumatra and Java operations, but their successes were overshadowed by the exploits and fame of the Zero.

[2ndACR]

Nik,

With respect, they may have been real good in real life, but they suck worse than anything in the game. Even with no fatigue, high morale, 80+ experience. Anything can outmaneuver them and shoot them down.