01-22-2011, 01:13 AM
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Approved Member
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Venice - Italy
Posts: 585
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lane
Actually Steinhilper wrote (page 330 of my copy of his book): “The Me 109 E 4 was capable of reaching 10,000 metres (32,800 ft) with the Mk I Spitfire at a comparable 10,3363 (typo) metres(34,000 ft), but the new Mk IIs soared up to 11,340 metres (37,200 ft.) This gave a tactical advantage of 1,340 metres or 4,300 ft to the Spitfires.”
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A whole generation of pilots learned to treasure the Spitfire for its delightful response to aerobatic manoeuvres and its handiness as a dogfighter. Iit is odd that they had continued to esteem these qualities over those of other fighters in spite of the fact that they were of only secondary importance tactically.Thus it is doubly ironic that the Spitfire’s reputation would habitually be established by reference to archaic, non-tactical criteria.
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