Choosing a Plane to Learn In
by Hammer

Most beginners in on-line flight simulators believe they are going to pick the plane they've heard so much about through reading or the History Channel and become instantly competitive. Unfortunately, one of the plane you see this with the most (the P-51D Mustang) is simply not the best plane to learn the game in. The Mustang requires a certain level of expertise to fly effectively, especially in a one-on-one situation. In this write-up I am going to discuss what I believe to be the best plane(s) for beginners to learn in and why. These are in (my) order of preference for use as a beginner's plane. Let me emphasize beginner's. I do not endorse these as the best planes in the arena. I simply feel they offer a good combination of ability and are easy enough to fly successfully that a new player, flying like new players tend to fly, can have some success in one-on-one fights. First, though, a bit on fighting styles and how new players apply them.

Most new players start out trying to turn in circles no matter what plane they are in. This is called stall-fighting, turn-fighting, knife-fighting, turn-and-burn, or TnB. They think "this works in other flight sims (against computer controlled opponents) so why shouldn't it work here?". The main reason is each type of plane in Aces High performs differently from the other types. Turn-fighting works well in some planes and doesn't work at all in others. The other reason, of course, is that you are flying against real live opponents who are going to use different tactics against you!

The second form of fighting which new players tend to do is Boom and Zoom, or BnZ for short. BnZ, as most new players execute it, is simply coming into an existing fight with lots of speed, taking a shot at someone, and extending out to safety. As a beginner, you will initially get more kills using BnZ, but you will not learn the skills necessary to win a one-on-one fight against a decent player. Again, some planes are better suited for BnZ than others. 

As I alluded to above, a common "mistake" that many new players make is quickly giving up on a plane in order to go fly the P-51, Fw 190, Typhoon, or La-7, in the Boom-and-Zoom mode. They start getting some kills zooming through somebody else's fight at high speed, picking off unwary enemy, and they start landing some of those kills. So why do I call this a mistake? Because they have given up on learning the basic foundation of air combat - maneuvering your aircraft at the edge of its performance envelope. Don't get me wrong - I am not saying that this is not a useful tactic in the arena. What I am saying is that you are never going to be truly proficient until you understand how to fly the edge and you are not going to learn that by BnZing someone else's furball!

A new player must also realize that flying in the Main Arena and learning Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM) do not always go together. If your goal is to truly learn the ins and outs of air combat (as applied to Aces High), plan on spending some time in the Training Arena (TA) and the Dueling Arena (DA) learning to really fly your plane.

Now for the planes:

Spitfire Mk VIII: Don't be confused by numbers - the Spitfire Mk VIII, or Spit8 for short, is a newer model than the Spitfire Mk IX (Spit9) and out-performs the 9 by a significant margin in every category except pure turning. The Spit8 climbs, turns and accelerates very well, has a nice lethal combination of cannons and machine guns, good high-altitude performance and good energy retention. It doesn't require flap use to fly effectively. One of the main reasons I like the Spit8 is that it is equally as effective in the Boom and Zoom role (as flown by a proficient player in a one-on-one situation) as it is in the stall-fighting role, allowing players to learn BnZ in a one-on-one situation but giving them the chance to survive when they lose the energy edge. The Spit8 is only marginally slower than a Spitfire Mk XVI (Spit 16) and gives up a little climb rate to the 16, but the 8 will out-turn the 16. On the other hand, the Spit16 will out-roll the 8. Another bonus for the Spit8 is the versatility of the Spitfire family. If the ENY gets high and you can't fly the Spit8, take the Spit9 and fly it the same way. When it's time to really learn BnZ fighting the right way, take the Spitfire Mk XVI (Spit16). The Spit16's clipped wings give better roll rate at high speeds and make this the better spit for high-speed dives but you still fly it like a Spitfire.

N1K2-J: Called an "uber" plane by many, the N1K2-J "Nik" has many outstanding attributes which make it an excellent plane for beginners. Good acceleration and climb rate coupled with a very good turning ability and excellent energy retention make this a plane to be feared when met in an equal energy state. Add 4 x 20mm cannons and a generous load of ammo and you have a plane that a new player can get some kills in. The Spits can at least turn with if not out-turn it, but more often than not the better pilot will win the turning duel between these two planes. The Nik performs best below 10k, with performance declining rapidly over 15k. It's main drawbacks as a beginner's plane in the main arena are that it can require more flap work in a turn fight and everybody pounces on a nik when they see it.

P-51D Mustang: Now you're saying to yourself "didn't he say the P-51 wasn't a good plane for a beginner?". Well, it's not necessarily a good plane for a beginner, but it is an excellent plane in which to learn BnZ and energy tactics. Again, I am talking about fighting in one-on-one fights, not swooping through a furball. The P-51 is faster than most planes in the arena. It turns very well at high speeds and climbs decently. These combinations allow many new players to at least stay alive when other planes fail.

As a beginner, I would highly recommend sticking with the Spitfires until you are at least comfortable with your ability to fly them successfully in a good turning fight. Once you can ride the stall warning while also keeping the enemy in sight, you have the basic skills necessary to move on to some of the more "advanced" planes out there. Don't jump too soon, though. While flying different planes is a great way to learn about how they perform, you will have enough on your mind just trying to learn the tactics necessary to stay alive in the arena without having to learn new flight characteristics of a different plane.