FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
I know in the old book Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe (Toliver and Constable) they quote many pilots saying the P-38 was an easy kill, Heinz Baer is quoted saying that in a 1955 interview with Toliver, HOWEVER we could talk about the above average P-38 driver that could bring his aircraft around and accomplish this, the P-38 stalled flaps down, gear up between 94 and 105 mph depending on weight - under normal circumstances this would be suicide to bring your aircraft that slow and start turning it at the "buffet" with flaps down but remember one thing - the P-38 had no adverse yaw which meant unless it was heavily banked, it would not drop a wing during a stall (unlike most single engine aircraft of WW2) if both engines were running, as a matter of fact if you stalled the P-38 "flat" (limited pitch attitude) and kept the yoke back inducing a secondary stall the aircraft basically dropped like a falling leaf - this I was told by Tony LeVier....
It was documented and witnessed that Elliot Dent turned with an Oscar at 90 mph - the Oscar (KI-43) was probably one of the most (if not the most) maneuverable aircraft of WW2 below 200 mph and yet this guy got his P-38 to turn with one - while I totally accept this is definitely the exception than the rule, I still think it leaves the door open that it could be done with a select pilot behind the yoke!!!
It was documented and witnessed that Elliot Dent turned with an Oscar at 90 mph - the Oscar (KI-43) was probably one of the most (if not the most) maneuverable aircraft of WW2 below 200 mph and yet this guy got his P-38 to turn with one - while I totally accept this is definitely the exception than the rule, I still think it leaves the door open that it could be done with a select pilot behind the yoke!!!