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| Aviation Discussion on the aircraft of WWII. |
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10-15-2005, 08:48 PM
| #1 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 10,283
| Corsair vs Lightning Ok, lets hear your thoughts on the relative merits of either plane, beginning in early 1943. So far, Id say that both are so evenly matched through the summer of 1945, thats its hard to pick which was the best.
__________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?" |
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10-15-2005, 09:31 PM
| #2 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas
Posts: 1,013
 | One thing I know for sure- it would be a helluva match to see!
__________________ "I had ten rockets on board, and as I wasn't particularly fond of head-on attacks, I salvoed the whole lot at him. The rockets didn't hit him but but they must have scared the bejesus out of him, for he did a steep turn to starboard... I let him have the full blast, all eight fifty-calibers. I had never seen an aircraft completely disintegrate in the air the way this Me-110 did..." Bill Dunn, 406th Fighter Group  Matt |
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10-15-2005, 10:30 PM
| #3 |
| Minister of Whoopass   Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi
Posts: 17,506
| I think the F4U had it all over the -38, in just about every aspect except long range missions... My Grandfather flew F4U's and in mock dogfights, he never met a -38 pilot that could match him, and he self admittedly stated he wasnt the best pilot around... That being said, the equally qualified Corsair pilot takes 3 outta 5 engagements...
__________________  My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk |
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10-15-2005, 10:56 PM
| #4 |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 11,978
  | Corsair 'cos it can do almost everything the P-38 can do but it can do it from a Carrier.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004  To those in that club. |
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10-16-2005, 12:03 AM
| #5 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 10,283
| Each plane has its plus's and minus's. Even though the Corsair was carrier capable, the P38 was very successful in the recon version. If their was one edge I'd give the P38, it would be for armarment. The concentrated MG's was more effective at the medium and longer ranges.
__________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?" |
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10-16-2005, 12:30 AM
| #6 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 11,978
| Six .50s would only be slightly inferior to the concentration of four 50s and one 20mm. And there was the four 20mm armed Corsair ...I think ...I can't remember anymore. 
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. |
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10-16-2005, 12:39 AM
| #7 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 10,283
| Didnt the Corsairs with four cannons appear after the war? But in 1943, it was still six 50's. Having the cncentration of your guns in the nose advoids convergence issues. I dont think any fighter with wing mounted guns could reliably hit planes beyond a certien range.
__________________ "Pilot to copilot..... what are those mountain goats doing up here in the clouds?" |
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10-16-2005, 12:41 AM
| #8 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 11,978
| Of course they can. It depends on the pilot. I think you're over-playing the advantages of nose mounted guns compared to wing mounts.
__________________ "When you go home tomorrow, don't expect anyone to know what you have been through. Even if they did know, most people probably wouldn't care anyway. Some of you may get the medals you deserve, many more of you will not. But remember this, all of you are now members of the front-line club, and that is the most exclusive club in the world." - Lt. Col. Matthew Maer CO 1st Battalion, the Princess of Wale's Royal Regiment. Camp Abu Naji, Oct. 2004 To those in that club. |
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10-16-2005, 12:42 AM
| #9 | |
| IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO  Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Colorado, USA
Posts: 16,051
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__________________ "IF ITS RED OR DUSTY, DON'T TOUCH IT"  | |
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10-16-2005, 08:20 AM
| #10 |
| Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi
Posts: 17,506
| IIRC, there were cannon armed Corsairs in the Pacific during the War, although in limited numbers.... I'll check into it later if no one knows.... Hey Joe, WTF is ur avatar??? I cant make it out... As far a nose mounting verses wing, ie convergence, there was a difference, but only the truly excellent pilot could make a use outta it... Plus, the thing to remember about guns in the nose was the muzzle flash.... For a rookie green pilot, wing mounted .50's were where it was at...
__________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk |
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10-16-2005, 09:27 AM
| #11 | |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Auburn,Alabama; USA
Posts: 1,822
| Quote:
I say the P-38 was great on long range, could carry more bombs and rockets, and i think nose guns were slightly more accurate than wing guns. Although i hate to say this since the -38 is my bird of choice, F4U Corsair might out class it in a dogfight but the P-38 probably have a chance of punching some bullets into the F4U. It was very useful like PD said that it could fly off of Carrier decks. It would have been cool to say a Navy Air Corp P-38j fly off the deck of a carrier like what Doolittle did with the B-25!
__________________  Its better to have an Army of deer being led by a lion, rather an Army of Lions being led by a deer... | |
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10-16-2005, 09:35 AM
| #12 |
| Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi
Posts: 17,506
| Navy Air Corp???
__________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk |
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10-16-2005, 10:52 AM
| #13 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Auburn,Alabama; USA
Posts: 1,822
| Wasnt that the name of the pilots who flew on carriers?
__________________ Its better to have an Army of deer being led by a lion, rather an Army of Lions being led by a deer... |
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10-16-2005, 11:03 AM
| #14 |
| Minister of Whoopass Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Long Island Native in Mississippi
Posts: 17,506
| No...
__________________ My IL2 Video Tribute to My Grandfather: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtzN5RuNNJk |
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10-16-2005, 11:19 AM
| #15 |
| Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: WSM, England
Posts: 20,387
| The Model 822 was the carrier version of the P-38 but didnt materialize because the USN thought it too big... In a dogfight it would be close to call for me...The Corsair probably did have the advabtage but I would still rather be in the -38, twing engine survivability and sheer toughness does it for me, as well as the extra hitting power of that 20mm...Then again the Corsair was mighty tough too...Close to call. |
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