Aircraft on the Kuma.

[Cymru1956]

OK Guys, as you can tell I'm new at WoWS. Just upgraded to the second hull on the Kuma and "Surprise"!! I have an airplane!

Now, How do I use it? Is there a tutorial somewhere? Do I just launch it and it does it's thing? Help!!

 

Thanks ahead of time.

[desmo_2]

@Cymru1956

Kuma gets a fighter plane.  When attacked by a CV's planes, you can launch your fighters to protect you.  Your fighters will circle over you for 60 seconds and attack anything that enters their protective radius.  Be cautious not to launch them on enemy planes that are too far out, as their protective radius is only 3 km.  Once you launch them, you don't have to do anything else...they are autonomous after launch.

[BrushWolf]

12 minutes ago, desmo_2 said:

@Cymru1956

Kuma gets a fighter plane.  When attacked by a CV's planes, you can launch your fighters to protect you.  Your fighters will circle over you for 60 seconds and attack anything that enters their protective radius.  Be cautious not to launch them on enemy planes that are too far out, as their protective radius is only 3 km.  Once you launch them, you don't have to do anything else...they are autonomous after launch.

Very true on the radius but there is also a delay after launch before they will act which only experience will tell you when the best time to launch is.

Some ships get the choice of a spotter plane that increases firing range. Which you take is going to come down to how many CV's you see.

[black_hull4]

1 hour ago, Cymru1956 said:

"Surprise"!! I have an airplane!

Now, How do I use it? Is there a tutorial somewhere? Do I just launch it and it does it's thing? Help!!

The game automatically binds one of your keys for launching it. The Kuma's plane is a seaplane variant of Mitsubishi's A6M series fighters, and it'll fly around your ship spotting torpedoes, ships & aircraft(if you positioned right), and attack any enemy aircraft that come within 3 km of your ship. Some aircraft on other ships will not attack, but those have a much longer spotting range & allow you to shoot in isometric view. 

Here's Wargaming's tutorial: 

 

 

[Nevermore135]

1 hour ago, BrushWolf said:

Some ships get the choice of a spotter plane that increases firing range. Which you take is going to come down to how many CV's you see.

The other, and arguably more useful, effect of the spotter plane is that it changes your viewing angle when aiming. Zooming in shows a more top-down perspective (as off from the aircraft) that can allow you more easily target ships behind cover or hiding in smoke.

25 minutes ago, black_hull4 said:

The Kuma's plane is a seaplane variant of Mitsubishi's A6M series fighters, and it'll fly around your ship spotting torpedoes, ships & aircraft(if you positioned right), and attack any enemy aircraft that come within 3 km of your ship.

Aircraft no longer spot torpedoes. That ability was removed when the CV rework went live back in January 2019.

[SgtBeltfed]

3 hours ago, Cymru1956 said:

OK Guys, as you can tell I'm new at WoWS. Just upgraded to the second hull on the Kuma and "Surprise"!! I have an airplane!

Now, How do I use it? Is there a tutorial somewhere? Do I just launch it and it does it's thing? Help!!

 

Thanks ahead of time.

You launch the aircraft somewhat before a CV's planes get to you. That will give them time enough to time to get airborne and become active. They will attack any aircraft that comes within range, and will shoot down 1 plane per plane in the floatplane squadron (Kuma's planes will shoot down a max of 2) Most likely what will happen is the CV will fly around your fighters and bother someone else. They can spot ships over islands, but otherwise your own ship will spot any hostile ships before your planes will.

2 hours ago, black_hull4 said:

The game automatically binds one of your keys for launching it. The Kuma's plane is a seaplane variant of Mitsubishi's A6M series fighters, and it'll fly around your ship spotting torpedoes, ships & aircraft(if you positioned right), and attack any enemy aircraft that come within 3 km of your ship. Some aircraft on other ships will not attack, but those have a much longer spotting range & allow you to shoot in isometric view. 

Kuma's planes are Nakajima A4N's stuck on floats (1930's carrier based biplane fighter) and are not an A6M variant of any kind.

[black_hull4]

3 minutes ago, SgtBeltfed said:

Kuma's planes are Nakajima A4N's stuck on floats (1930's carrier based biplane fighter) and are not an A6M variant of any kind.

D'oh! I'm thinking of Kuma's plane in Silent Hunter 4. 

Yeah, okay he's right, Kuma's plane in this game is the same as IJN Hosho's fighters.

♦

[Cymru1956]

Great! Thanks Guys!