:: I agree kind of, butand I dislike the late-war maps largely due to all the cannon, it makes the fights much more random. But especially on a mid-war map the heavy machine guns (especially the US Browning .50 cal) can be pretty effective in Il2 if you use them right. You have to use them differently than the cannons. The cannons destroy the fuselage and wings much better, but they have short range and dont' punch through armor well, and don't carry much ammo usually. The .50 can cause a lot of damage from long range, can cripple engines, and kill pilots (and gunners) easily. For bombers especially, long range shots can be useful, you can cripple it and then get it later. Similar for fighters, but you use more high angle shots and a little bit more 'spray and pray' shooting than you do with cannon (especially nose-mounted cannon). The US .50s, especially the wing mounted ones, have a lot of ammunition, and one or two rounds can seriously damage an enemy aircrafts engine. I also use long range shots esp. against faster planes lke a Fw 190. If a Fw 190 dives away from you in a P-40m, you can catch him as he pulls up, and make some careful long range shots from 500 meters or more.... this will often cripple them and then you can easily get them.
:: Generally speaking in that game, I find the P40B / Tomahawk holds it's own, the P-40E and P-40M usually do really well, you can own an Me 109 one on one and you can own a Zero too even more so long as you have some altitude (dont' ever get low and slow with one though). The whole trick to that game (and what makes it so interesting) is that the more you learn the subtle details of a given flight model the better you can do with it. A Spit is a better fighter in Il2, but I do better in a P-40 because I know it so well now and I know how to exploit it's two best features of turning (esp. using a little bit of flaps) and diving speed to maximum advantage.
