Best Dogfighter Poll Revisited...

[Adolf Galland]

Adolf Galland wrote:
The Hurricane is only capable of being flown in a clean configuration.

Sorry, but I don't follow this
What do you mean?
_________________
If in doubt........Panic!!!!!!!

That means that the Hurricane can only be flown without any external weapon in BoB.

[lesofprimus]

External weapons on a Hurricane?? What does that have to do with ur post???

Once the aircraft caught fire, it was quickly engulfed in flames. Many pilots suffered the effects of 'Hurricane burns'. The Hurricane is only capable of being flown in a clean configuration.

It sounds like u are talking about the plane either being in flames, or pieces were missing....
Where did the external weaps come from???

[Adolf Galland]

and about the spit...

"The Spitfire was conceived about the time that the importance of speed and climb rate was being discovered. Subsequently, the early Spitfires were rather slow with poor climb rates, but (being very light weight) possessed excellent turn performance."

[Adolf Galland]

The Spitfire Ia and the early Bf109 are well-matched, with the 109 being slightly faster in level flight and accelerating quicker in a dive. At slow speeds, however, the Spitfire is much more maneuverable and rolls faster than the 109. The Spitfire Ia suffers at high altitude, however, with the Bf109E clearly superior above 20,000 feet. The Spitfire Ia is under armed; its light punch can't guarantee lethality against targets with self-sealing fuel tanks (such as the He111 bomber). Further, the Spitfire Ia's carburated engine will cut out under negative G, something the fuel-injected Bf109 doesn't have to worry about. The Spitfire Ia must watch out for high-speed bandits diving from above, and generally needs to sucker the opponent into a low-speed turning fight.

[Adolf Galland]

Turn performance is good, but being slower meant that the enemy could generally dictate the terms of the fight, disengaging at will. Subsequently, later Spitfires added emphasis on speed. The Spitfire IX is generally 20% faster at all altitudes, accelerates better, and climbs faster than earlier variants. It can still dominate the low-speed turning fight against a 109, but also has the option of diving away and escaping a battle. Lastly, the Spitfire IX packs more punch, carrying two 20mm cannons and four .303cal machine guns.

Faster German planes, like the Fw190, again called for a faster Spitfire. The Spitfire XIV, weighing some 8,400 pounds compared to the Spitfire Ia's 5,700, is substantially faster than the IX, performing better at all altitudes. The XIV can meet any Luftwaffe fighter on equal terms with the exception of the significantly-faster Me262 jet."

Is the site wrong about the Spitfire?

[Adolf Galland]

Turn performance is good, but being slower meant that the enemy could generally dictate the terms of the fight, disengaging at will. Subsequently, later Spitfires added emphasis on speed. The Spitfire IX is generally 20% faster at all altitudes, accelerates better, and climbs faster than earlier variants. It can still dominate the low-speed turning fight against a 109, but also has the option of diving away and escaping a battle. Lastly, the Spitfire IX packs more punch, carrying two 20mm cannons and four .303cal machine guns.

Faster German planes, like the Fw190, again called for a faster Spitfire. The Spitfire XIV, weighing some 8,400 pounds compared to the Spitfire Ia's 5,700, is substantially faster than the IX, performing better at all altitudes. The XIV can meet any Luftwaffe fighter on equal terms with the exception of the significantly-faster Me262 jet."

Is the site wrong about the Spitfire?

[lesofprimus]

Three posts in a row..... Whatcha tryin to do boy, set a new record???

[Adolf Galland]

Notes: The Spitfire I suffered from a carburetor problem which caused the engine to cut out if the pilot performed an inverted maneuver like a Split-S.

[Adolf Galland]

No, just tell those ppl that the site is NOT wrong.

[redcoat]

Originally Posted by Adolf Galland

and about the spit...

"The Spitfire was conceived about the time that the importance of speed and climb rate was being discovered. Subsequently, the early Spitfires were rather slow with poor climb rates, but (being very light weight) possessed excellent turn performance."

Whats the source for these odd quotes....

The RAF,along with every other air force, had known about the importance of speed and climb since WW1

Even with the Mk 1 the Spitfire was was capable of 355mph at 19,000ft, while the top speed of the E model Bf 109 was 357mph at 11,500ft (the A-D marks were all considerably slower)

[Erich]

I am a little surprised that the Dora 9 is doing so well in the polls with so few units really equipped with the bird.

[lesofprimus]

Im not.... It saw enough operational duties to be considered for this.... JG 6 under Barkhorn took delivery of 150 new Dora-9's in April 1945....

Fw-190D-9's first flew in May 1944 and began service in Aug/Sept 1944 with III/JG 54.... Protecting Hesepe and Achmer and Nowotny's Me-262's...
Equipped, from early 1945, JG's 2/3/26 and 301.....

Not sure on total production run.....

[Erich]

yes JG 2 in full and JG 26 for the most part as they absorbed III./JG 54 into their IV./JG 26.

for JG 3 1 staffel in the old IV.Sturm/JG 3 SturmFw gruppe. The stab had some D-9's under RK winner Oskar Romm who though it was the best a/c on the Ost front in 1945.

Stab of JG 4 under Michalski had some Doras on hand with the distinctive black/white/black rumpfbands

tests with JG 11, erg unit

JG 6 as you mentioned although the unit also had A-9's on hand.

II./JG 301 in the 5-7th staffels only. 8th staffel with blue numerals had A-8's and A-9's. Geschwader stab had the Ta 152H-1 in 45 III./JG 301 had the Ta first in January but sent them all to the Geschwader stab, III. gruppe then took back the heavier A-8.

there has been talk and notm proven as of yet that stab of II./JG 300 had 5-6 possibly 9 Doras on hand. Several pilots have made mention but no pics seen.......... ?

[Lightning Guy]

I still am surprised. As I noted earlier, many of the aircraft in this list could out turn the 190.

[wmaxt]

I say the P-38L as you all knew I would.

The mock fight with the Spit XIV is well known.

A Dogfight with John Lowell vs Adolf Galland in a fw-190D from altitude to the inside of a deep pit, Galland was defensive until fuel made John break off. In Gallands own words "You son of a Bitch, you dom neer keel me dat day"

In the PTO it was known that Bong, McGuire and others often had dogfights with Zero's (though slashing was the normal tactic).

In the words of Art Hieden a pilot who flew both P-38s and P-51s in combat " There is nothing a P-51 can do that a P-38L can't do better".