What next?

Well, no doubt you're spoiling for a fight, and worry not, you will get it and almost certainly you will end up a flaming heap on the ground afterwards. In a game with a steep learning curve as it is, aircraft combat is as steep as it gets - though thankfully, unlike tanking, there's at least a rather linear procedure to it.

Combat almost certainly occurs over the towns that have Attack or Defense objectives on them. You can see these on the map before and after you spawn, they'll be the red or green circles with arrows inside. Fly to the nearest one and find an enemy to engage. First, however, it's best to gain some altitude. Do this on the way there. The bare minimum altitude I'd ingress in is at 3km or 10k feet. A better option is 4km/13k feet. If you choose to play Axis, your aircraft are more BnZ oriented, so there's no such thing as excess altitude. 6km is a good choice, since that gives you the time and altitude to recon the area. The 6 levels of cloud layer don't help, but it's easy to lose altitude if you want to take a closer look. Getting it back isn't at all simple. Remember, altitude above you does you no good.

Depending on what aircraft you're flying, you'll need a different strategies. We'll cover all fighters here, leaving bombers and fighter bombers out.

French Air Force

Much maligned in years past, the French Air Force (more accurately, Armée de l'Air or AdA) has become possibly the most fun in recent years thanks to the friendly pilots on channel 90 and their great co-ordination with ground forces. Multiple squads operate in the FAF, like VFA-25, SPA 75 (a French squad), The Shadow Squad, 78th Fighter Group. Generally, this is the most easy-going air force in the game. The French, more than anyone, rely on their guns - especially the .50 caliber Brownings. The long reach of Ma Deuce can kill or at least slow the usually-superior airframes of the Luftwaffe. Do not discount this advantage or assume that the French are being short-changed. Many a thread has been started in the forums complaining about those same guns.

H75
Their newbie ride is the Hawk 75, or H75. It's a Curtiss design, known as the P-36 in America. It has 4 rifle-caliber machine guns in the wings and 2 in the nose. The nose guns have slightly more ammo, though the H75 in general doesn't lack it as much as the Hurricane. It has the weakest firepower of all three starter aircraft, but not by much - the Hurricane Mk I has only 2 more small machine guns with considerably less ammo. The H75 turns very well, rolls well at high speed and has an excellent dive. Its visibility isn't the greatest, but it's a stable gun platform. On the downside, its climb is quite poor, its high altitude performance is terrible, its top speed is low and, if you go too fast it will lock up its controls. Its worst feature, however, is the engine that overheats quite quickly. Stay off WEP if at all possible, and cruise around at continuous RPMs and less-than maximum throttle settings. A tight convergence, about 60-100m, helps overcome the firepower deficit.

H75 Exterior

H75 Cockpit

H75 Instruments

D520
The Dewoitine D.520, D520 or simply Dewo is the only true French aircraft in the game. Its flight model has been audited for the 1.19 patch and it has become a new man, so to speak. The Dewo is the primary tier 0 fighter for the French and remains slower than either the 109E or Spitfire Mk I of the Luftwaffe and RAF respectively, but the margin has narrowed and is comparable to both now. Its strengths include excellent elevator controls for instant-turn capability, a centerline Hispano 20mm cannon belted exclusively with high explosive rounds, that does more damage than any other single cannon in the game and is easy to aim, and excellent high-speed roll. It can run at max/max (max RPMs, max throttle) with WEP indefinitely - though this may change in the new patch. On the downside, it is still the poorest climber and slowest of the top three tier 0 fighters, and its firepower is not worth speaking of once its 60 rounds of cannon are gone.

D520 Exterior

D520 Cockpit

D520 Instruments

H81
The Hawk 81 or H81 is another Curtiss design, closely related to the H75 but with a much better engine and better firepower. It's the French Tier 1 fighter and typically comes into the game about 10-15 days after a campaign starts. In the USAAF it was known as the P-40, though the export version sent to the French is a better performer at the expense if some firepower. In terms of speed, turn and climb, it is scarcely better than the German tier 0 109E, but its dive is excellent and like the H75 it has excellent high speed roll and stability (until it locks up at excessive speeds). So what makes it so good that it's in tier 1? The twin nose-mounted .50 caliber Browning machine guns, which do adequate damage but are mostly noteworthy for their remarkable range and accuracy. The guns have a very flat trajectory and huge reach, far exceeding that of any other gun in the game. Luftwaffe fighters often have to spend energy on evasive maneuvers long after they'd be out of guns range from a Spitfire. Other than its otherwise mediocre airframe performance, the H81's other great weakness is poor high altitude capability. The H81 and the P38 both have gobs of ammo. H81s don't overheat easily, unless on WEP.

H81 Exterior

H81 Cockpit

H81 Instruments

Lockheed 322-15
The Lockheed 322-15 is known almost exclusively as the P-38 in the game. It is the export version of the P-38F, and is the tier 2 French fighter. Not a very popular aircraft as yet, it has been improved in 1.19 with a more realistic rate of climb and better stability, issues that hampered its performance in the past. The P-38 has the same main strength as the H81 - guns. This time, however, there are 4 50s and a 20mm Hispano with mixed high explosive and armor piercing loadout. The P-38 is fast though not as fast as the 190, it has a good dive (not as good as the 190) and good instant turn, though it can't turn with a 109F, it can out-turn a 190. Its climb, even with the patch, leaves something to be desired and its roll rate at low speeds is atrocious. However, at high speed it can out-roll the Spitfires - until it locks up - and its instantaneous turn rate, especially with flaps down, is ridiculously good. Drawbacks include poor climb, bad acceleration and large profile that makes it easy to hit. Like the H81, it has gobs of ammo, almost 20 seconds' worth. P-38s don't overheat easily, unless on WEP.

P38 Exterior

P38 Cockpit

P38 Instruments

Bell 14a
The Bell 14a - commonly just the Bell, or P-39 as it was known in the USAAF, is the French tier 1 fighter-bomber. It doesn't perform anything like its historical counterpart, other than being highly unstable. Do not, under any circumstances, touch the rudder. The Bell is the fastest fighter-bomber in the game and carries the single best bomb, a 200kg tactical nuke capable of killing any tank with a close hit. After a dive it retains speed extremely well and can outrun a 109F in that dive, though don't bother against a FW190. It rolls very well and has good firepower - twin Browning .50s, though with less ammunition than its counterparts, and a 20mm gun loaded exclusively with AP. Don't waste it on tanks, and its performance against aircraft isn't that great but still better than an aircraft with no cannon. The Bell has significant drawbacks, however. It is extremely unstable at low speed and on its lateral (yaw/rudder) axis. Its climb rate is the worst in the game of any fighter or fighter-bomber and its turning performance is so bad it is doubtless a crime against humanity under the Geneva Convention. Unless the local air is completely friendly, this is strictly an aircraft which dives in (in the direction of its airfield), drops its bomb on a target and runs. The Bell takes a long time to overheat, even with WEP.

Bell Exterior

Bell Cockpit

Bell Instruments