 | Is Spitfire really the BEST British fighter???| Aviation Discuss Is Spitfire really the BEST British fighter??? in the World War II - Aviation forums; Originally Posted by mosquitoman
A saying from WWII: A Mustang can't do what a Spitfire does, but it does ... |
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05-08-2005, 06:33 PM
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#616 | | Senior Member
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Originally Posted by mosquitoman A saying from WWII: A Mustang can't do what a Spitfire does, but it does it over Berlin | And the P-38 with a good pilot could hold it own with the Spit and fight effectivly over Berlin! | 
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05-08-2005, 09:29 PM
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#617 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Originally Posted by wmaxt Quote: |
Originally Posted by mosquitoman A saying from WWII: A Mustang can't do what a Spitfire does, but it does it over Berlin | And the P-38 with a good pilot could hold it own with the Spit and fight effectivly over Berlin! | I agree 
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05-08-2005, 09:42 PM
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#618 | | Senior Member
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Country:  | The pilots with the skill to make a P-38 do the same as a Spitfire were few and far between.
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05-08-2005, 09:47 PM
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#619 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Country: | Bong, Mcguire, Robbins, MacDonald, Johnson, Lynch, Craigg, Westbrook, to name a few!
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05-09-2005, 04:18 PM
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#620 | | Der Crewchief
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Country:  | I agree what made the P-51 stand out over the Spit was its range. The Spit compares with the Me-109 as more suited for homeland defence and intercepting. The 51 and 38 were deffinatly more suited for long range escort duty and flights deep into Germany.
__________________  US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" | |
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05-09-2005, 09:57 PM
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#621 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Country: | As I mentioned earlier, you had to be a good pilot to fly a P-38. If you were a good pilot and flew a P-51, you became a great pilot. The great pilots who flew P-38s did phenomenal things with this airplane, like turn inside a Zero or any other Japanese aircraft. As Plan D stated however, the pilots who could do this were far and few between!
I think if P-38 stateside training would have emphasized more, the idiosyncrasies of this aircraft, courses on how to manage its fuel system for maximum range (as taught by Charles Lindbergh during his Pacific tour) and how to maximize the P-38 firepower, you would of seen this aircraft emerge operationally superior, in many cases to the P-51, especially if the L models would have entered service earlier!
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05-10-2005, 05:46 AM
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#622 | | Der Crewchief
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Country: | I agree with you on the comarison to the P-51. I personally think the P-38 could have been the best allied fighter.
__________________ US Army Blackhawk Crewchief 2000-2006 Classic ww2aircraft.net quotes: fly boy said: "isn't that the first jet bomber? becasue i have flown one in a flight sim before and i know how it handles" "wait what ok who made the b-2 crash come on people that messed up its a b-2" "ah yes the mistel those things are so annoying is games and in real life" | |
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05-10-2005, 10:51 AM
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#623 | | Master of Ewes
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Country: | i think your taking it a bit too far........
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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05-10-2005, 10:55 AM
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#624 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Originally Posted by the lancaster kicks ass i think your taking it a bit too far........ | Remember Lanc, he said "could of been." 
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05-10-2005, 10:58 AM
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#625 | | Master of Ewes
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Country: | fair enough.........
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"Reminds me of the time I sank the Tirpitz" comments a Spitfire pilot, "One pass of course, old boy." | |
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05-10-2005, 11:01 AM
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#626 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Originally Posted by the lancaster kicks ass fair enough......... | "But if they only put Merlins in that thing." 
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05-10-2005, 11:07 AM
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#627 | | Konfused with a 'K'
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Country:  | Actually I believe tests with the Merlins we done (on paper). There were no significant improvemnts so they stuck with the Good 'ol Alliscon
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05-10-2005, 11:09 AM
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#628 | | "Shooter"
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Country: | I think it was said that to put Merlins in a P-38 would have been difficult because it would have required structural changes.
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05-10-2005, 11:20 AM
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#629 | | IP/Mech THE GREAT GAZOO
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Originally Posted by cheddar cheese Actually I believe tests with the Merlins we done (on paper). There were no significant improvemnts so they stuck with the Good 'ol Alliscon | I know, still would of like to of known the actual results! Quote: |
I think it was said that to put Merlins in a P-38 would have been difficult because it would have required structural changes.
| BIG changes! - I wonder if modified, would the back pistons on the merlins would have had the heating problems like the Allisons?
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05-10-2005, 11:28 AM
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#630 | | Konfused with a 'K'
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Country: | P-38 with Griffon engines...  Would liked to have seen that! 
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