ANDROID SPECIAL: Steambirds Playing Hints

Was playing this game Steambird and got pretty addicted. I haven't gotten all 4 stars on all missions yet, but I am getting there. Here's a few hints for the players...
 
Special Abilities:

* Shield -- protects the plane for ONE TURN from all hits, but cannot fire
* Speed -- makes the plane 50% faster for one turn
* Gas -- spreads green gas behind the plane for one turn, damage all who fly through it
* U-turn -- makes 180 degree turn in one turn and a very short distance (maybe 5 plane lengths)
* 360-spin -- makes a flat-spin and keep going, shooting in all directions

Only in the special missions

* missile -- shoots a missile that will make a left turn if it doesn't see a target. Kills ANYTHING with one hit, even the zepplin
* bomb -- drops a string of 5 bombs behind you, explodes one turn later, wider damage than the gas

Each plane only have TWO special abilities. Your tactics will change depending on which one you got. Special abilities can only be used on alternate turns (needs one turn to "recharge"), sometimes more.

Guide to Enemy Planes

* Enemy Fighter -- just like you, get behind it and blast it

* Enemy Fast Fighter -- flies a bit faster than you, has fancier wings, try to have one fast guy distract it from the front while another kill it from behind
* Enemy Gas Fighter -- no guns, fat body, release gas behind it when you get close, don't fly directly behind it, but rather, ahead of it
* Enemy Twin-Engine Fighter -- slow, tougher, release gas behind it when you get close, guide it through the gas
* Enemy Bombino (flying wing) -- have a front-hemisphere heavy gun with a good range, but slow, get behind it, or make it fly through gas
* Enemy guard balloon -- short range but VERY heavy guns, VERY VERY slow, guide it through the gas, or shoot it from outside its range
* Enemy Zepplin -- have 360 degree guns, good range, slow, shoot it from outside its range
* Enemy Flying HQ (super bomber) -- immune to missiles, but armed with 2 missiles (special abilities), so VERY very dangerous, use shields to get past it and behind it, then stay behind it and slightly to the right so the circling missiles miss you.

Some playing hints:

* Check each of your planes and see what special abilities do they have, which will dictate your tactics.

* AI can exploited. Each enemy plane picks ONE of your planes and goes after it with a vengeance. It will SHOOT at targets of opportunity, but it will only chase down one target. Thus, what you need to do is get in front and RUN, and leave poison gas (or bomb) in your wake.

* If you have rear-firing weapons (gas, bomb) let the enemy chase you

* Exploit the range difference... airplane guns have better range than the zepplins and the balloons.

* Kill the planes, THEN the balloons / zeps.

* Exploit the border. If a plane flies out of the map, it's considered destroyed. Of course, this also means if you fly out (or you can't control the plane any more) you lose the plane too.