Author Topic: "Afterburner" for planes  (Read 1479 times)

Offline Oberst

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"Afterburner" for planes
« on: 11-06-2015, 09:06:34 »
A lot of mid and late WWII fighter planes had systems on board, which provided their engines with some additional power, e.g. water/methanol injection for low altitude or nitrous oxide for high altitudes. This provided some extra speed or climbing rate, etc.

Examples:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_emergency_power
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MW_50

In my opinion it would offer the current dog fights some more tactical possibilities. Also the original vBf2 has an afterburner feature implemented, which might it be more easy to implement.

Offline LuckyOne

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #1 on: 11-06-2015, 16:06:25 »
Considering how small the maps are... I don't really think it's necessary... But it would still be a cool feature.

I once suggested a similar thing for the Crusaders to simulate the removing of Speed Governors...
This sentence is intentionally left unfinished...

Offline Stubbfan

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #2 on: 11-06-2015, 16:06:53 »
I thought about this at some point. I actually like it. I just need to know which of the planes we have had emergency power.

Offline Oberst

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #3 on: 11-06-2015, 16:06:05 »
My suggestion would a boost for maximum 10-20s or something like this, just like the "afterburner" feature in vanilla Bf2. While the ability recovers in 1-2 minutes completely. And for air-fights, some more additional player-controllable speed or climb-rate (+10%) would make the game for pilots more interesting and more tactical.

Offline jan_kurator

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #4 on: 11-06-2015, 20:06:15 »
I thought about this at some point. I actually like it. I just need to know which of the planes we have had emergency power.
Good suggestion! P-51D Mustang had it for sure, maybe you can add it to one plane first, so we can test it internally and find the best fitting settings (like lengh of the boost, the way it recovers or not etc.) before you will move to other planes??

Offline Leopardi

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #5 on: 11-06-2015, 23:06:40 »
I'd much rather see boost feature for AT gun pushing.

Offline Airshark79

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #6 on: 11-06-2015, 23:06:18 »
I agree with this suggestion.

Offline FORGOTTENKEVINOHOPE

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #7 on: 12-06-2015, 00:06:53 »
how about a boost for planes not being able to see through bushes and trees to kill us lowly infantry types  :)

Offline Oberst

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #8 on: 12-06-2015, 09:06:02 »
I thought about this at some point. I actually like it. I just need to know which of the planes we have had emergency power.

If their is someone with more knowledge, feel free to proof me wrong.

German Air-Foce issued conversion kits for most of the air planes.

Therefore, I think it is also safe to say, that for the version of the BMW 801 engine used in the FW 190A-8, conversion kits existed. For this engine conversion kits with methanol-water injection existed and were issued.

For the early Bf109E and Bf109F, we have ingame, I am not sure. They used models of the DB601 or DB603 engine, while I think the conversion kits only existed for the DB605 engine, which was used from mid (1941+) war on. It powered Bf109G versions. And we do not have a Bf109G or higher ingame.

I think for the Stuka and it's engines no such thing existed, but other can proof me wrong here.

The british used a different system. I think for most of the different types of Merlin-engines they used, the pilots could run the supercharger for a short amout of time on higher speed providing some extra pressure, which provided some additional thrust. Therefore, I think it is even safe to say to implement a boost feature to already the earliest Hurricanes and Spitfires. So how about giving all british planes such a feature, but make the top speed gain a little less, but with longer endurance compared to Methanol-Water injection on german planes.

Hurricane Mk. I data:
http://www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org/hurricane/hurricane-I.html

American had such emergency power as standard on their P51D Mustang.
I have no idea about Kittyhawk or Thunderbolt. Probably the Thunderbolt had such a feature.

Regarding italian plane, no idea.

Planes, which we have ingame and can get emergency war power:

- P51D Mustang
- FW190 A-8
- All british planes

Also one important aspect is balancing:

Currently the Bf109E and F, we have on most african maps, are superior to the british planes on most maps. Just think about Mount olympus or Gazala with Bf109 vs Hurricane Mk I. If you add a boost feature only for the hurricanes, this would dog-fights more interesting and more balanced. The only exception might be Mareth Line, where a Bf109F fights a Spitfire Mk IX, where the spitfire already is slightly superior. Adding a boost feature to the Spitfire but not to the Bf109 might be too much.

On most western front maps I do not see any problem at all. As their most of the planes are already quite balanced. Maybe the American planes are a little stronger, so if you are going to implement a boost feature, maybe lower the top speed or turn rate of the mustang very slightly by 2-5%. This way a boost feature would provide an advantage.

If you really going to implement this, consider asking in the communities (762, FHT or WaW) for their best pilots. In my opinion those are the ones, who are the best for testing such a feature.
« Last Edit: 12-06-2015, 13:06:31 by Oberst »

Offline jan_kurator

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #9 on: 12-06-2015, 17:06:18 »
Just think about Mount olympus or Gazala with Bf109 vs Hurricane Mk I.
Allied planes on Gazala are Hurricanes Mk II C/D (but it doesn't matter, AFAIK Hurricanes Mk I already had that feature so it can probably be added to Mk II as well)

Offline Oberst

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #10 on: 15-04-2016, 08:04:12 »
Was there anything tested on  this topic? Or did you decide against it for some (probably good) reason? Just curious.

Best regards,
Oberst

Offline Roughbeak

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #11 on: 15-04-2016, 14:04:01 »
Possibly in the future we'll test this out, but we had other things on our mind.

That's all. :)

Offline Stubbfan

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #12 on: 15-04-2016, 15:04:09 »
I'd like to test this one of these days.

Offline Oberst

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #13 on: 15-04-2016, 18:04:29 »
Was curious, but thanks anyway! You are doing a tremendous job!

Offline Matthew_Baker

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Re: "Afterburner" for planes
« Reply #14 on: 18-04-2016, 05:04:35 »
I like keeping this on the 'to-do' list. Would make dogfighting way more dynamic than it is now (mostly turn fighting imo). This along with some other changes would be cool. :)