1. #1
    In WWII, for pilot.
    How did they distinguish enemy airplane from allies with only naked eyes?
    Did they have binocular?
    Share this post

  2. #2
    Good eyesight was and still is one of the most important qualifications for a pilot.

    But you cannot compare the game to real life in this regard, anyway.
    Reality is not limited to 1280x1024 pixel or something and it does not depend on the right contrast and brightness settings.
    It also has no LOD, where at a given distance important details or national markings are simply not shown.
    After all, it was more common to fly in formations and use comms and ground-control.
    Share this post

  3. #3
    I have also asked myself that question. The answer is, they didn't always recognise the enemy aircraft: When american and russian ac were operating in the same area towards the end of the war there were quite a number of friendly fire accidents!
    I guess it's mainly looking for distant dots that "shouldn't be there", ie you know where the friendlies are, so any other units must be the enemy. Ofcourse, good eyesight was a big plus!
    Share this post

  4. #4
    How did they distinguish enemy airplane from allies with only naked eyes?
    Did they have binocular?
    Above-average eyesight, youth, many hours of looking at aircraft-recognition silhouettes, situational awareness and, finally, those big roundels & crosses painted on the machines.

    Binoculars - I think not. Items which might fall about the cockpit during combat manoeuvres were not encouraged.

    B
    Share this post

  5. #5
    tigertalon's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    1,986
    They didn't always recognise a plane correctly, many P51s were misidentyfied as 109s, Typhoons or Jugs as Fw190s (and vice versa)...

    Hell, even such an ace as Juutilainen (94 kills, never been hit by a single bullet in combat) made mistakes. Once he has misidentyfied Yak7 fighters for fellow 109G2s and flew with them in close formation!! Whether they had also misidentified him (most likely), remains a mystery.
    Share this post

  6. #6
    Badsight-'s Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    1,750
    in an older Aeroplane mag , they had a guy contributing his account of his time in the Korean War

    he flew in the wingman role his entire time there , he flew in squadrons that had the top scoring USAAF pilots of that war

    One thing THEY ALL had in commen - excellent eyesight
    Share this post

  7. #7
    MrMojok's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    1,125
    yes--- that is why 'tight' icons are much more realistic than the so-called 'full-switch' servers.


    *Hides*
    Share this post

  8. #8
    Heliopause's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    1,425
    In game you can see differences in airplanes, specially up close. (just as in real life)
    You have to know wing- and fuselage angles to recognize what type it is in the distance. So check photo's of Spits, Fw's, P-39's etc and you'll be able to discover an enemy just a little quicker!
    Share this post

  9. #9
    tigertalon's Avatar Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Posts
    1,986
    Originally posted by MrMojok:
    yes--- that is why 'tight' icons are much more realistic than the so-called 'full-switch' servers.


    *Hides*
    While I generally tend to agree with that, I can't avoid mentioning instances when a perfectly camouflaged enemy bounced me from 6 low, and I would have NEVER noticed him without the icons... whether I would IRL, remains a question.
    Share this post

  10. #10
    You can recognise the different types of aircraft in-game at long distance, once you wean yourself off the icons. I promise you.
    Share this post

Page 1 of 6 123 ... Last ►►