Difference between revisions of "Krasnolutsky's I-15bis"
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+ | {{About | ||
+ | | about = Soviet premium fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}''' | ||
+ | | usage = other versions | ||
+ | | link = I-15 (Family) | ||
+ | }} | ||
{{Specs-Card | {{Specs-Card | ||
|code=i-15bis_krasnolutsky | |code=i-15bis_krasnolutsky | ||
Line 6: | Line 11: | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | ||
− | + | '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Sky Guardians"]]. | |
This plane belongs to ''Hero of the Soviet Union'' medal-wearing ace, Mitrofan Petrovich Krasnolutsky. | This plane belongs to ''Hero of the Soviet Union'' medal-wearing ace, Mitrofan Petrovich Krasnolutsky. | ||
Line 14: | Line 19: | ||
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}} | {{Specs-Avia-Flight}} | ||
<!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' --> | <!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' --> | ||
− | |||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%" | ||
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics | ! rowspan="2" | Characteristics | ||
− | ! colspan="2" | Max speed<br>(km/h at | + | ! colspan="2" | Max speed<br>(km/h at 4,000 m) |
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres) | ! rowspan="2" | Max altitude<br>(metres) | ||
! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds) | ! colspan="2" | Turn time<br>(seconds) | ||
Line 27: | Line 31: | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Stock | ! Stock | ||
− | | | + | | 367 || 352 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 10.7 || 11.6 || 10.7 || 10.7 || rowspan="2" | 125 |
|- | |- | ||
! Upgraded | ! Upgraded | ||
− | | | + | | 394 || 380 || 10.3 || 10.5 || 18.8 || 14.2 |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
Line 41: | Line 45: | ||
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear | ! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | | + | | X || X || X || X || X <!-- ✓ --> |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
Line 56: | Line 60: | ||
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! - | ! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! - | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || | + | | 580 <!-- {{Specs|destruction|body}} --> || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || - || - || - || ~12 || ~6 |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
Line 66: | Line 70: | ||
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator | ! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | < | + | | < 180 || < 360 || < 240 || > 190 |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
Line 73: | Line 77: | ||
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}} | {{Specs-Avia-Armour}} | ||
<!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' --> | <!-- ''Examine the survivability of the aircraft. Note how vulnerable the structure is and how secure the pilot is, whether the fuel tanks are armoured, etc. Describe the armour, if there is any, and also mention the vulnerability of other critical aircraft systems.'' --> | ||
− | ' | + | Krasnolutsky's I-15bis does not have significant armour protection. All the important modules are located in the front half of the fuselage, but the large fuel tank is self-sealing. With all the important modules packed together, well aimed shots will have little trouble causing significant damage very quickly. As such, Krasnolutsky's I-15bis must rely on other factors, such as manoeuvrability, in order to increase its survivability. |
+ | |||
+ | * 8 mm Steel - Behind Pilot's Seat | ||
+ | * Self-Sealing Fuel Tanks | ||
=== Modifications and economy === | === Modifications and economy === | ||
Line 85: | Line 92: | ||
{{main|PV-1 (7.62 mm)}} | {{main|PV-1 (7.62 mm)}} | ||
− | + | '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with: | |
* 4 x 7.62 mm PV-1 machine guns, nose-mounted (1,100 rpg upper + 425 rpg lower = 3,050 total) | * 4 x 7.62 mm PV-1 machine guns, nose-mounted (1,100 rpg upper + 425 rpg lower = 3,050 total) | ||
+ | |||
+ | Available belts for 7.62 mm PV-1 machine gun: | ||
+ | |||
+ | * '''Default''': T/Ball/AP-I/AI/AI/AI — 50% of the belt consist of incendiary bullets which deal more damage to the crew at a distance of 500 m and above than other bullets. On the other hand, this belt has almost 33% bullets without any additional effect, so this belt can be found useful against fighters; | ||
+ | * '''Universal''': T/AP-I/AI/AI/API-T — The belt consists of the same amount of AI and AP bullets which makes it useful against all types of targets, but it still has one tracer bullet without any additional effect; | ||
+ | * '''Tracers''': API-T — The whole belt consists of AP bullets, which deal most damage to the modules of aircraft and makes more damage to the crew at a distance lower than 500 m. The best choice against bombers; | ||
+ | * '''Stealth''': AP-I/AP-I/AP-I/AI/AI — 60% of the belt consist of AP bullets. Recommended for unexpected attacks and may help new players get used to stealth ammunition. Quite universal, so can be used against all targets with the same efficiency. | ||
=== Suspended armament === | === Suspended armament === | ||
Line 94: | Line 108: | ||
{{main|FAB-50sv (50 kg)|RBS-82|ROS-82}} | {{main|FAB-50sv (50 kg)|RBS-82|ROS-82}} | ||
− | + | '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance: | |
* Without load | * Without load | ||
Line 103: | Line 117: | ||
== Usage in battles == | == Usage in battles == | ||
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> | <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> | ||
− | '' | + | |
+ | Like other I-15 models, try not to go face-to-face against enemies and instead manoeuvre around and dogfight the enemy from advantageous positions. With 3,050 rounds in the four machine guns, greater firing time can be afforded to lead shots into the enemy. As such, the aircraft is quite friendly to beginners with low gun accuracy. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Keep in mind Krasnolutsky's I-15bis has a slightly slower turn time than the preceding I-15 models. As such, be wary of rival biplanes that could begin out-turning Krasnolutsky's I-15bis. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Krasnolutsky's I-15bis can also equip six rockets, which can be used to ground-pound targets like light tanks or light-skinned vehicles, or activate the timed fuses and try to down larger aircraft like bombers, or even time it to destroy a fighter in a head-on. | ||
+ | |||
+ | '''Simulator:''' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The I-15 can be used in turnfighting, bomber intercepting and ground pounding. Like in AB and RB, it is excellent in turning tightly and continuously, and it has lovely low-speed handling and low stall speeds (unlike its successor I-16), making it a great starter plane for sim. However it does have its drawbacks: the rather big nose blocks the visibility a lot, offering very poor over-the-nose visibility which is a disadvantage in a turn fight, because when leading a shot the enemy will always get obstructed by the engine, making the player guess the shot. Also its upper wings will get in the way when you look aside. Plus, it has an awful telescope-like gunsight, so when zoomed in the I-15's nimbleness is magnified, making the aim super wobbly. You cannot see anything around which greatly reduces your situational awareness. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Note: in a turnfight you must get used to shooting without zooming in, as you really can't see anything with its awkward scope when zoomed it. However when tailing a straight-flying plane that scope doesn't seem that bad | ||
+ | |||
+ | Before engaging a fight, it is better to have an altitude advantage first. When approaching the fight try to figure out which is your teammate and which is the enemy, to avoid going for a second pass, as the energy retention of the I-15 is rather slow. Also pick your target carefully. For easier aiming, you want to go for those unmanoeuvrable twin engine aircraft like [[Ju 88 (Family)|Ju 88]] or [[Ki-45 (Family)|Ki-45]], or bombers if there are any. Given the bad forward visibility of the I-15, these are the best options as they are quite slow and sluggish, and are a bigger target to hit. However getting hits on them doesn't mean good damage, so you must be patient. When dealing with fighters, it is way harder to aim. The elevator control of the I-15 is extremely sensitive, giving it good manoeuvrability, but at the same time, bad handling. The I-15 will respond in a very fast turn upon moving your stick / mouse by a little bit, which makes tracking nimble planes quite hard. But once you get used to it, try to lure every enemy into a turnfight, as that is where the I-15 shines. Quite a bit of bullets are required to effectively damage the enemy so you must be patient. If you find an enemy at your 6, utilise your great roll rate to do defensive manoeuvres like scissors to make them overshoot. Or you can simply do tight turns, most monoplanes won't be able to cut inside your turn and they might disengage. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you are not very experienced in sim, you can also go for even bigger targets (bombers) for easier aiming. However you want to be more careful when hunting bombers, since with the Sim control (whether it be mouse joystick or a real stick) the plane will manoeuvre much more gently, making itself a great target for the bomber's gunners. Do not follow behind a bomber's 6 unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets. Your big radial engine will usually get damaged. Instead, before attacking, get an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The bomber should only fill up about 1/6 of your gunsight. The best position for an attack is at the bomber's high 6 so you can adjust the lead much easier. Dive at the bomber, but not directly at it, try to predict where you two will crash by imagining yourself as a missile, that's where you should aim at (deflection shooting). To maximise the damage it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber passes in front of your guns. This short window might seem inadequate to do anything, but with a accurate burst on the engine the 4 MG can at least damage it. With an engine damaged most bombers cannot go far. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Ground pounding ability is average as there are only few bombs and rockets. The 6 rockets, with accurate aiming, can destroy 3 targets, whether them be tanks or pillboxes. The small 50 kg bombs can be used on light pillboxes. Once the suspended armaments are gone, the 4 MG are good for killing soft targets like trucks, artillery and AA cars. | ||
+ | |||
+ | '''Enemies worth noting:''' | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[Ki-27 otsu|Ki-27]], [[N1K1]], [[He 51 (Family)|He 51]], [[Gladiator (Family)|Gladiator]], etc. - Those commonly seen planes are equally good at turnfights and will be a hard target to down since they are very small and agile. To deal with them you need to practice leading and deflection shots, plus manoeuvres like barrel rolls and scissors. They still need plenty of bullets to get damaged, so these kind of targets are the hardest to kill and requires great skills from the player. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[Do 17 Z-2]] - This early twin engine plane always shows up as an AI controlled recon aircraft that you have to down, which is a good news as AI won't manoeuvre aggressively. However this plane is extremely durable for the I-15's weak MGs. When it shows up as an AI, deflection shots are not recommended as the small shooting windows really does nothing. Instead, try disabling its 2 gunners first, then just sit behind it and burst on its wings and engines. When attacking the gunners try to not get your engine damaged by pulling evasive manoeuvres as soon as the bullets come close, since the Do 17 can outrun the I-15 in a level flight. Another solution is to mount the devastating RS-82 rockets which will down the heavy Dornier with relative ease. | ||
=== Pros and cons === | === Pros and cons === | ||
<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> | <!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in the bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' --> | ||
− | |||
'''Pros:''' | '''Pros:''' | ||
− | * | + | * Decent firepower: 4 x 7.62 mm PV-1 MG has good destruction; with 3,050 rounds fire saturation is great even with low beginner's accuracy |
+ | * Amazing turnfighting capacities at almost all speed, making it one of the best turnfighters in-game | ||
+ | * Able to perform ground pounding: can carry 6 x rockets to destroy light tanks or even aircraft with timed fuses, or 2 x 50 kg bombs | ||
+ | * Lovely low stall speed and low speed handling, meaning it performs well in manoeuvres like spiral climb | ||
+ | * Fixed gear means that the player does not have to worry about extending/retracting gears in RB/SB | ||
+ | * Good rate of climb | ||
+ | * Small silhouette meaning you are harder to hit | ||
+ | * Very short take off distance | ||
+ | * Open cockpit allows you to easily hear nearby aircraft in Simulator | ||
+ | * Nose-mounted MGs means no need to worry about convergence distances | ||
+ | * Good manoeuvrability combined with fast rockets makes this aircraft lethal against both ground and air targets | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
− | * | + | |
+ | * Very slow speed: cannot keep up with early monoplane fighters (e.g. [[He 112 (Family)|He 112]]) or even some bombers such as [[Do 17 E-1]] | ||
+ | * No combat flaps which limits its sharp-turning potential | ||
+ | * Awful gunsight for SB: too much zoom makes aiming very wobbly and frustrating | ||
+ | * Bad over-the-nose visibility makes turnfighting and leading hard in SB | ||
+ | * I-15bis's turn time is relatively higher compared to previous I-15s | ||
+ | * Will quickly lose speed gathered in a dive | ||
+ | * Average roll rate | ||
+ | * Side views are obstructed by the upper wings and supporting structures | ||
+ | * Very wobbly with Simulator controls, making it hard to aim precisely | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> | <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> | ||
− | + | {{main|I-15bis#History|l1=History of the I-15bis}} | |
+ | |||
+ | Mitrofan Petrovich Krasnolutsky is a Soviet fighter pilot, a Hero of the Soviet Union, and a Major-General of aviation since 1955. He participated in the Winter War and The Great Patriotic War. In 1941, he was commander of the 1st squadron of the 65's AAR. On 12th August 1941, a group under the command of Krasnolutsky with 5 planes in the echelon took a fight against four Finnish MS.406C-1s. M.P. Krasnolutsky rammed one of the enemy planes with his I-15bis. However, having only damaged wings, both planes managed to return to the airfield. | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> | ||
− | + | ||
+ | ;Skins | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=i-15bis_krasnolutsky Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
Line 127: | Line 187: | ||
* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;'' | * ''reference to the series of the aircraft;'' | ||
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' --> | ||
− | + | ||
− | + | ;Related development | |
− | * | + | |
+ | * [[I-15 (Family)]] | ||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
Line 137: | Line 198: | ||
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
− | * ''other literature. | + | * ''other literature.' |
+ | {{AirManufacturer Polikarpov}} | ||
{{USSR fighters}} | {{USSR fighters}} | ||
{{USSR premium aircraft}} | {{USSR premium aircraft}} |
Latest revision as of 08:31, 5 January 2024
This page is about the Soviet premium fighter Krasnolutsky's I-15bis. For other versions, see I-15 (Family). |
Contents
Description
Krasnolutsky's I-15bis is a premium rank I Soviet fighter with a battle rating of 1.3 (AB) and 1.0 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Sky Guardians".
This plane belongs to Hero of the Soviet Union medal-wearing ace, Mitrofan Petrovich Krasnolutsky.
General info
Flight performance
Characteristics | Max speed (km/h at 4,000 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
Stock | 367 | 352 | 8600 | 10.7 | 11.6 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 125 |
Upgraded | 394 | 380 | 10.3 | 10.5 | 18.8 | 14.2 |
Details
Features | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
X | X | X | X | X |
Limits | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
580 | 580 | - | - | - | ~12 | ~6 |
Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
< 180 | < 360 | < 240 | > 190 |
Survivability and armour
Krasnolutsky's I-15bis does not have significant armour protection. All the important modules are located in the front half of the fuselage, but the large fuel tank is self-sealing. With all the important modules packed together, well aimed shots will have little trouble causing significant damage very quickly. As such, Krasnolutsky's I-15bis must rely on other factors, such as manoeuvrability, in order to increase its survivability.
- 8 mm Steel - Behind Pilot's Seat
- Self-Sealing Fuel Tanks
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Offensive armament
Krasnolutsky's I-15bis is armed with:
- 4 x 7.62 mm PV-1 machine guns, nose-mounted (1,100 rpg upper + 425 rpg lower = 3,050 total)
Available belts for 7.62 mm PV-1 machine gun:
- Default: T/Ball/AP-I/AI/AI/AI — 50% of the belt consist of incendiary bullets which deal more damage to the crew at a distance of 500 m and above than other bullets. On the other hand, this belt has almost 33% bullets without any additional effect, so this belt can be found useful against fighters;
- Universal: T/AP-I/AI/AI/API-T — The belt consists of the same amount of AI and AP bullets which makes it useful against all types of targets, but it still has one tracer bullet without any additional effect;
- Tracers: API-T — The whole belt consists of AP bullets, which deal most damage to the modules of aircraft and makes more damage to the crew at a distance lower than 500 m. The best choice against bombers;
- Stealth: AP-I/AP-I/AP-I/AI/AI — 60% of the belt consist of AP bullets. Recommended for unexpected attacks and may help new players get used to stealth ammunition. Quite universal, so can be used against all targets with the same efficiency.
Suspended armament
Krasnolutsky's I-15bis can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
- Without load
- 2 x 50 kg FAB-50sv bombs (100 kg total)
- 6 x ROS-82 rockets
- 6 x RBS-82 rockets
Usage in battles
Like other I-15 models, try not to go face-to-face against enemies and instead manoeuvre around and dogfight the enemy from advantageous positions. With 3,050 rounds in the four machine guns, greater firing time can be afforded to lead shots into the enemy. As such, the aircraft is quite friendly to beginners with low gun accuracy.
Keep in mind Krasnolutsky's I-15bis has a slightly slower turn time than the preceding I-15 models. As such, be wary of rival biplanes that could begin out-turning Krasnolutsky's I-15bis.
Krasnolutsky's I-15bis can also equip six rockets, which can be used to ground-pound targets like light tanks or light-skinned vehicles, or activate the timed fuses and try to down larger aircraft like bombers, or even time it to destroy a fighter in a head-on.
Simulator:
The I-15 can be used in turnfighting, bomber intercepting and ground pounding. Like in AB and RB, it is excellent in turning tightly and continuously, and it has lovely low-speed handling and low stall speeds (unlike its successor I-16), making it a great starter plane for sim. However it does have its drawbacks: the rather big nose blocks the visibility a lot, offering very poor over-the-nose visibility which is a disadvantage in a turn fight, because when leading a shot the enemy will always get obstructed by the engine, making the player guess the shot. Also its upper wings will get in the way when you look aside. Plus, it has an awful telescope-like gunsight, so when zoomed in the I-15's nimbleness is magnified, making the aim super wobbly. You cannot see anything around which greatly reduces your situational awareness.
Note: in a turnfight you must get used to shooting without zooming in, as you really can't see anything with its awkward scope when zoomed it. However when tailing a straight-flying plane that scope doesn't seem that bad
Before engaging a fight, it is better to have an altitude advantage first. When approaching the fight try to figure out which is your teammate and which is the enemy, to avoid going for a second pass, as the energy retention of the I-15 is rather slow. Also pick your target carefully. For easier aiming, you want to go for those unmanoeuvrable twin engine aircraft like Ju 88 or Ki-45, or bombers if there are any. Given the bad forward visibility of the I-15, these are the best options as they are quite slow and sluggish, and are a bigger target to hit. However getting hits on them doesn't mean good damage, so you must be patient. When dealing with fighters, it is way harder to aim. The elevator control of the I-15 is extremely sensitive, giving it good manoeuvrability, but at the same time, bad handling. The I-15 will respond in a very fast turn upon moving your stick / mouse by a little bit, which makes tracking nimble planes quite hard. But once you get used to it, try to lure every enemy into a turnfight, as that is where the I-15 shines. Quite a bit of bullets are required to effectively damage the enemy so you must be patient. If you find an enemy at your 6, utilise your great roll rate to do defensive manoeuvres like scissors to make them overshoot. Or you can simply do tight turns, most monoplanes won't be able to cut inside your turn and they might disengage.
If you are not very experienced in sim, you can also go for even bigger targets (bombers) for easier aiming. However you want to be more careful when hunting bombers, since with the Sim control (whether it be mouse joystick or a real stick) the plane will manoeuvre much more gently, making itself a great target for the bomber's gunners. Do not follow behind a bomber's 6 unless you are sure that its tail gunners are unconscious. Chasing behind a bomber makes yourself stationary for the tail gunners, and you will be showered with bullets. Your big radial engine will usually get damaged. Instead, before attacking, get an altitude advantage over the bomber by flying around 2 km above it. The bomber should only fill up about 1/6 of your gunsight. The best position for an attack is at the bomber's high 6 so you can adjust the lead much easier. Dive at the bomber, but not directly at it, try to predict where you two will crash by imagining yourself as a missile, that's where you should aim at (deflection shooting). To maximise the damage it is better to aim for their wings and engines, as the fuselage usually soaks up quite some bullets. Only fire when the bomber passes in front of your guns. This short window might seem inadequate to do anything, but with a accurate burst on the engine the 4 MG can at least damage it. With an engine damaged most bombers cannot go far.
Ground pounding ability is average as there are only few bombs and rockets. The 6 rockets, with accurate aiming, can destroy 3 targets, whether them be tanks or pillboxes. The small 50 kg bombs can be used on light pillboxes. Once the suspended armaments are gone, the 4 MG are good for killing soft targets like trucks, artillery and AA cars.
Enemies worth noting:
- Ki-27, N1K1, He 51, Gladiator, etc. - Those commonly seen planes are equally good at turnfights and will be a hard target to down since they are very small and agile. To deal with them you need to practice leading and deflection shots, plus manoeuvres like barrel rolls and scissors. They still need plenty of bullets to get damaged, so these kind of targets are the hardest to kill and requires great skills from the player.
- Do 17 Z-2 - This early twin engine plane always shows up as an AI controlled recon aircraft that you have to down, which is a good news as AI won't manoeuvre aggressively. However this plane is extremely durable for the I-15's weak MGs. When it shows up as an AI, deflection shots are not recommended as the small shooting windows really does nothing. Instead, try disabling its 2 gunners first, then just sit behind it and burst on its wings and engines. When attacking the gunners try to not get your engine damaged by pulling evasive manoeuvres as soon as the bullets come close, since the Do 17 can outrun the I-15 in a level flight. Another solution is to mount the devastating RS-82 rockets which will down the heavy Dornier with relative ease.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Decent firepower: 4 x 7.62 mm PV-1 MG has good destruction; with 3,050 rounds fire saturation is great even with low beginner's accuracy
- Amazing turnfighting capacities at almost all speed, making it one of the best turnfighters in-game
- Able to perform ground pounding: can carry 6 x rockets to destroy light tanks or even aircraft with timed fuses, or 2 x 50 kg bombs
- Lovely low stall speed and low speed handling, meaning it performs well in manoeuvres like spiral climb
- Fixed gear means that the player does not have to worry about extending/retracting gears in RB/SB
- Good rate of climb
- Small silhouette meaning you are harder to hit
- Very short take off distance
- Open cockpit allows you to easily hear nearby aircraft in Simulator
- Nose-mounted MGs means no need to worry about convergence distances
- Good manoeuvrability combined with fast rockets makes this aircraft lethal against both ground and air targets
Cons:
- Very slow speed: cannot keep up with early monoplane fighters (e.g. He 112) or even some bombers such as Do 17 E-1
- No combat flaps which limits its sharp-turning potential
- Awful gunsight for SB: too much zoom makes aiming very wobbly and frustrating
- Bad over-the-nose visibility makes turnfighting and leading hard in SB
- I-15bis's turn time is relatively higher compared to previous I-15s
- Will quickly lose speed gathered in a dive
- Average roll rate
- Side views are obstructed by the upper wings and supporting structures
- Very wobbly with Simulator controls, making it hard to aim precisely
History
Mitrofan Petrovich Krasnolutsky is a Soviet fighter pilot, a Hero of the Soviet Union, and a Major-General of aviation since 1955. He participated in the Winter War and The Great Patriotic War. In 1941, he was commander of the 1st squadron of the 65's AAR. On 12th August 1941, a group under the command of Krasnolutsky with 5 planes in the echelon took a fight against four Finnish MS.406C-1s. M.P. Krasnolutsky rammed one of the enemy planes with his I-15bis. However, having only damaged wings, both planes managed to return to the airfield.
Media
- Skins
See also
- Related development
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- other literature.'
Polikarpov Design Bureau (Опытное конструкторское бюро Поликарпова) | |
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I-15 | I-15 WR · I-15 M-22 · I-15 M-25 · I-15bis · Krasnolutsky's I-15bis |
I-153 | I-153 M-62 · Zhukovsky's I-153-M62 · I-153P |
I-16 | I-16 type 5 · I-16 type 10 · I-16 type 18 · I-16 type 24 · I-16 type 27 · I-16 type 28 |
I-180 | I-180S · I-185 (M-71) · I-185 (M-82) |
ITP | ITP (M-1) |
Twin-engine fighters | TIS MA |
Bombers | Po-2 · Po-2M |
Export | ␗I-15bis · ␗I-153 M-62 · ␗I-16 type 5 · ␗I-16 type 10 · ␗I-16 type 17 · ␗I-16 Chung 28 |
USSR fighters | |
---|---|
I-15 | I-15 WR · I-15 M-22 · I-15 M-25 · I-15bis · Krasnolutsky's I-15bis |
I-153 M-62 · Zhukovsky's I-153-M62 · I-153P | |
I-16 | I-16 type 5 · I-16 type 10 · I-16 type 18 · I-16 type 24 · I-16 type 27 · I-16 type 28 · I-180S |
I-29 | I-29 |
I-185 | I-185 (M-71) · I-185 (M-82) |
I-225 | I-225 |
ITP | ITP (M-1) |
MiG-3 | MiG-3-15 · MiG-3-15 (BK) · MiG-3-34 |
LaGG | I-301 · LaGG-3-4 · LaGG-3-8 · LaGG-3-11 · LaGG-3-23 · LaGG-3-34 · LaGG-3-35 · LaGG-3-66 |
La | La-5 · La-5F · La-5FN · La-7 · Dolgushin's La-7 · La-7B-20 · La-9 · La-11 |
Yak-1/7 | Yak-1 · Yak-1B · Yak-7B |
Yak-3 | Yak-3 · Eremin's Yak-3(e) · Yak-3P · Yak-3T · Yak-3U · Yak-3 (VK-107) |
Yak-9 | Yak-9 · Yak-9B · Golovachev's Yak-9M · Yak-9T · Yak-9K · Yak-9U · Yak-9UT · Yak-9P |
Other countries | ▂P-40E-1 · ▂P-47D-27 · ▂Hurricane Mk IIB · ▂Fw 190 D-9 · ▂Spitfire Mk IXc |
P-39 | ▂P-39K-1 · ▂Pokryshkin's P-39N-0 · ▂P-39Q-15 |
P-63 | ▂P-63A-5 · ▂P-63A-10 · ▂P-63C-5 |
USSR premium aircraft | |
---|---|
Fighters | Krasnolutsky's I-15bis · I-16 type 28 · Zhukovsky's I-153-M62 · I-153P · I-180S · I-301 · ITP (M-1) |
LaGG-3-4 · LaGG-3-23 · LaGG-3-34 · Dolgushin's La-7 · La-11 | |
Eremin's Yak-3(e) · Yak-3 (VK-107) · Yak-3T · Golovachev's Yak-9M | |
▂P-39K-1 · ▂Pokryshkin's P-39N-0 · ▂P-39Q-15 · ▂P-40E-1 · ▂P-47D-27 · ▂P-63A-5 · ▂P-63A-10 · ▂P-63C-5 | |
▂Hurricane Mk IIB · ▂Spitfire Mk IXc · ▂Fw 190 D-9 | |
Twin-engine fighters | I-29 |
Jet fighters | Su-11 · MiG-15bis ISh · MiG-17AS · MiG-21S (R-13-300) · MiG-23ML |
Strike aircraft | IL-2M "Avenger" · IL-2 M-82 · IL-8 (1944) · Su-6 · Tandem MAI · TIS MA · Su-8 · Tu-1 |
Yak-38 · Su-7BMK · Su-25K · Su-39 | |
Bombers | Po-2M · Be-6 · MBR-2-M-34 · Pe-2-205 · TB-3M-17-32 |
▂PBY-5A Catalina · ▂Hampden TB Mk I · ▂A-20G-30 · ▂B-25J-30 |