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Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3

Tier: V
Type: Fighter
Rating: 8/10

The LaGG-3 is another one of my favorites, I wasn't a huge fan until I realised you could mount a massive 37mm cannon on it! You can literally take down planes with one shot with this baby, its load time is horrible but if you wait until you are up close you can really make someone have a bad day including any heavy fighters. The maneuverability isn't great and if you have it fitted out with rockets you need to get rid of them early or you will be an easy target. I find myself coming back to this plane a lot, I've currently flown 71 missions in it. Its only a level V so you can find yourself up against some lower tier planes which can be a great turkey shoot. Make sure you upgrade as soon as you can and you will enjoy this as much as me I am sure.

LaGG-3 Specs

LaGG-3 Current Config

LaGG-3 in action

Related links

• WarHobby models
• Historical information

Top 20 most produced WW2 planes

Interesting facts and historical information regarding warplanes used in World of Warplanes will also be posted on this blog. Feel free to discuss the Infographic below!


Planes listed in graphic: Ilyushin Il-2, Messerschmitt Bf 109, Supermarine Spitfire, Focke-Wulf Fw 190, B-24 Liberator, Yak-9, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-51 Mustang, T-6 Texan, Junkers Ju 88, Hawker Hurrican, Curtiss P-40, B17 FLying Fortress, F4U Corsair , F6F Hellcat, Vickers Wellington, A6M Zero, Lockheed, P-38, B-25 Mitchell, Lavochkin La-5

Visit WarHobby.com for great scale model deals.

Brewster F2A Buffalo

Tier: IV

Type: Fighter

Rating: 9/10

I don't know if should be making this information public! The Brewster F2A is my favourite lower tier plane at the moment and it shows on my stats with 115 battles so far. Once this beast is fully upgraded it packs a lot of punch with the twin 20mm cannon devastating any enemy you will be up against at this level. Your speed isn't fantastic and the maneuverability also isn't great but those cannons make up for it. I am constantly getting 2- 3 kills a match with this plane. I also love the yellow paintjob available on this plane it stands out and lets your enemies know you mean business!

F2A Specs

F2A Current Config

 F2A in Action

Related links

• WarHobby models
• Historical information

Polikarpov I-16 Late Mod

Tier: IV
Type: Fighter
Rating: 7/10

The  I-16 has outstanding manoeuvrability, firepower and rate of climb. The plane is tiny but thats another advantage with less surface area to hit.  The small frame still allows 20mm cannons and that's what makes this nimble plane worthwhile.

I've had a fair bit of luck with this plane and still enjoy using it, the plane does exactly what you tell it to do. If you're under attack from the rear you can usually shake any enemy without too much hassle. When I'm up against these planes I tend to give up a lot of the time because they are so hard to hit but once hit they do take some big damage.

Current Specs

Current Configuration 

In Battle

Related links

• WarHobby Models
• Historical information

Bf.109E/F

Tier: V
Type: Fighter
Rating: 8.5/10

The Bf.109E/F is one awesome machine, it has an excellent rate of climb, high level of manoeuvrability and can pack some huge firepower. It’s one of the best planes to get earlier on in the game and if you can’t get some serious kills with this bad boy then you had better hit the training courses a few more times.

My current configuration has a top speed of 527 which is fantasic in this tier, you can outrun most other planes without a problem. You can also gain a height advantage over a lot of the other planes you will be up against.

I usually can make it to the last few planes with the this 109, a good survival strategy is to pick of the weaker tiers first.

Current Specs

Current configuration

In battle

Related links

• WarHobby Model
• Historical information

World of Warplanes overall review

PLATFORMS: PC GENRES: Combat, Flight, MMO,Simulation PUBLISHERS: Wargaming.net DEVELOPER: Wargaming.net RELEASE DATE: TBA

World of Warplanes is a flight sim with a difference, it’s also a Massive Multi-player Role Playing Game (MMO). I've been a beta tester for the last three months and enjoyed every minute of game play so far. You can access my stats here. I’ve played Wargaming’s World of Tanks for a solid year as well which made it easy for me to jump behind the controls and understand the tiered levelling and upgrade system. If if you are totally new to this style of game it won’t take long to get going it's pretty straight forward. In WoW you start as with basic biplanes from the 1930s and can work up to jet fighters from the Korean War.

I really admire the MMO business strategy Wargamming have gone with in WoT and WoW, it enables people to play for free or purchase in game gold to tier up quicker. You can also purchase stand alone planes / tanks but it's not required. This ensures that there is no use pirating the game and that there are always thousands of players online. In WoT I ended up spending about $30 on gold because I liked the game so much and bought a few special tanks, I will probabbly do the same when WoW is released.

Gameplay

After you have selected your plane you head to the lobby and wait for a matchup, I never really had to wait longer then a few minutes even in the closed beta. Two teams of up to 15 players each face off across across a random selection of battlefields which include a harbour, mountains, the Pacific ocean or desert. Wargaming.net provides an immersive gaming experience, you really feel like you are in the middle of a WW2 dogfight. I found myself ducking and weaving as the bullets smashed into my tail and wings. An amature mistake is to fly directly into the oncoming enemy formation, a head on kamikaze crash that kills both you and your enemy is highly likely. I ended up playing a deadly game of chicken on many occasions  Once you are shot down you are out of the game but you can rejoin another battle straight away however you cannot use the plane that has been destroyed until that battle has finished.

There are different damage points across the plane, a few shots to vital sections such as the engine will ruin your day pretty quickly. Larger autocannon shots will also take you down a lot quicker then standard 7.62 mm but reloading times are a lot slower. Distance is also a huge factor, you need to be about 600m range before you let off with a salvo of hot lead from a machine gun and around 750m for a cannon. The controls took a bit of getting used to, I originally used the standard mouse option and felt it was ok but then purchased a joystick for some added realism. I ended up getting a cheaper Logitech Attack 3 but after a few hours of not being able to stay on target and no kills I switched back to the mouse. Using the mouse I was able to lead in to my targets a lot easier and not constantly over correct. I'm sure if you use some of the more expensive joysticks you will have an easier time. Once I was back in the groove using the mouse I was getting a few good kills in the lower tiers up to about level VI with my best being 5 confirmed kills in once match. There are different types of aircraft, fighters, heavy fighters and ground attack. 

You can gain advantage over your opposition by destroying ground targets including bases which enables your team to win quicker if there is a statemate however most games are won by one team eliminating the other within the 15 mins allocated. If you are attacking ground targets such as your oppositions base you also have to deal with anti-aircraft fire which can do some hefty damage to some of the lighter armored planes. Some of the larger heavy fighters also have a rear gunner which is automatic, I was saved a few times by these brave men.You will find yourself getting addicted pretty quickly, overall the gameplay is fantastic and I can't fault it.

Graphics

The detail on each model is simply stunning, a lot of work has gone into making these models look and feel as realistic as possible but still allowing for arcade style gaming. There are also many real life paint jobs and markings you can customise and put on your planes. The only thing I can fault with this is not having the real german markings such as the swastika but that is totally understandable and is illegal in countries such as Germany. Wargaming.net really have gone to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of these models and have great experiance in doing so from WoT. For a WW2 history buff like myself I find myself just loading up the planes zooming in and around and just taking in the view.

Overall

I have been interested in WW2 history and models since my father bought me a Spitfire when I was a kid and this game is what I have been looking for my whole life as a gamer, I didn't think they could top WoT but they have in my opinion, the gameplay is faster and the adrenaline pumps a bit harder. Overall I give this game a 9.5/10 and thats for the beta version which is crazy I know. I am really looking forward to the full version coming out next year. Stay tuned to this blog for individual plane reviews, feel free to comment below on your thoughts of the game.

 Please also visit my store www.WarHobby.com where you can collect actual models used in the game.