Quote:
Originally Posted by swiss
In climbing little difference was found between the Fw 190 and the Spitfire MkIX up to 23,000 ft (7010 m), above which altitude the German fighter began to fall off and the difference between the two aircraft widened rapidly. From high-speed cruise, a pull-up into a climb gave the Fw190 an initial advantage owing to its superior acceleration and the superiority of the German fighter was even more noticeable when both aircraft were pulled up into a zoom climb from a dive. In the dive the Fw190 could leave the Spitfire Mk IX without difficulty and there was no gainsaying that in so far as manoeuvrablity was concerned, the German fighter was markedly superior in all save the tight turn – the Spitfire could not follow in aileron turns and reversals at high speed and the worst height for its pilots to engage the Fw 190 in combat were between 18,000 and 22,000 ft (5485 and 6705m), and at altitudes below 3,000 ft (915m).
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I'm just looking at that link, looks good.
Just regarding acceloration though, this has been poorly written:
"From high-speed cruise, a pull-up into a climb gave the Fw190 an initial advantage owing to its superior acceleration"
Now I don't doubt what he is saying, that the 190 can climb quicker when starting a climb from a high-speed cruise, but his English is not correct - that is not acceloration. If you are cruising at high-speed in a mid WWII plane, and adjust to climb at your maximum climb rate, you will slow down, not speed up.