[BlackBerry]

RegRag1977, I agree with you. Shaw's P47C vs SpitfireIX story is to demonstrate combat tactic, the emphasis is "method" not " a rookie spitfire's pilot failure." My interpretation is below, notice that I care about their energy state all along the mock fighting.

Let P47C's energy(including both speed and altitude) is Ep.
Let Spitfire IX energy is Es.

1) At first, P47C and spitfireIX in formation. So, Ep=Es. Neither are full throttle.

We flew together in formation, and then I decided to see just what this airplane had to its credit.

2) then P47C full throttle to a higher speed, sometime later, spitfire followed with full throttle. There is some distance between p47c and spit because p47 speed up earlier, and p47 has a somewhat higher speed due to higher Vmax. Whether the p47c dives slightly or not is not important because spit is chasing p47c at same altitude with a little lower speed.

Now, Ep>Es, only slightly difference. (20-30km/h slower?)

I opened the throttle full and the Thunderbolt forged ahead. A moment later exhaust smoke poured from the Spit as the pilot came after me. He couldn't make it; the big Jug had a definite speed advantage.

3)

The Jug kept pulling away from the Spitfire;

Ep>Es, 30-40km/h difference? what are their TAS now? perhaps 600km/h vs 570 km/h? You know it takes quite sometime to accelerate to Vmax in a level flight with full throttle.

4)

suddenly I hauled back on the stick and lifted the nose. The Thunderbolt zoomed upward, soaring into the cloud-flecked sky. I looked out and back; the Spit was straining to match me, and barely able to hold his position.

Interesting is that Johnson begin to zoom from a medium speed(Below Vmax), and he found spitfire is in struggle to catch him. So we can say p47c outzoom spitfire: even spitfire could cut the conner, spit could not get closer to a zooming p47c.

At this stage, Ep>Es. still slightly advantage.


5) Turning point comes when both speed drops to sth. 300km/h? and below. Zoom period is finished. Continues low speed climb is here. Of course, spit9 outclimb p47c. Finnaly, spit9 fly ahead of and above of p47c and still keeping climb. Certainly, spitfire has opportunity of shooting at p47c at late period of zooming when distant is quite smaller.

Now p47c behind of and lower than spit, and spit begin to turn around in low speed, and try to ride on p47c's 6clock again.

This stage, spitfire pilot might grin happily. spit9 win! spitfireIX has both angle(before overshoot) and energy: Ep<Es. spitfire's somehow higher energy comes from its better climb rate(25 percent better power loading.)

6)

This was going to be fun. I knew he could turn inside the heavy Thunderbolt;if I attempted to hold a tight turn the Spitfire would slip right inside me.I knew, also, that he could easily outclimb my fighter. I stayed out of those sucker traps. First rule in this kind of a fight: don't fight the way youropponent fights best. No sharp turns; don't climb; keep him at your own level.

Johnson is smart, no turn, no low speed climb with a spitfire, otherwise he'll lose.

The most important is that the spitfireIX has both angle and energy! and this is at low altitude, only 5000ft. spitfireIX is ready to get to firing position. This is a typical nightmare for those caught by a spitfire at low alt.

We were at 5,000 feet, the Spitfire skidding around hard and coming in on my tail. No use turning; he'd whip right inside me as if I were a truck loaded with cement, and snap out in firing position.

Ep=Es, approximately.

7) P47c begin to barrel/scissors with better roll rate. But this could NOT establish energy advantage, just make spitfire not get into firing pisition.

Ep=Es, approximately. The distance between them is enlarging due to spitfire's lag in roll maneuver.
.

Every time he tried to follow me in a roll, I flashed away to the opposite side, opening the gap between our two planes.

8 )Now big time comes, p47c begin to dive, this is the beginning of dive extend/pitch back tactic.

If spitfire follows, this will be the beginning of spitfire's failure regardless who is the pilot of spitfire. Even you are the best spitfire pilot in the world, if you dare to follow, you lose, your excellent skills could NOT avoid being out-energy by p47c.

Then I played the trump. The Spitfire was clawing wildly through the air,trying to follow me in a roll, when I dropped the nose. The Thunderbolt howled and ran for earth.

Note that p47c begin to dive with roughly same energy with spitfireIX. Ep=Es.

Distant between them? Don't know. But it should be greater than the time before barrel/scissors.

9) The dive continues, speed higher and higher, p47c dive acceleration advantage show off. Even spitfireIX has same initial energy, p47c will establish energy advantage during dive. Of course, spitfire could not get closer to p47c, on the contrary, p47c is farer and farer away from spitfireIX.When they reach lowest point of the dive and begin level flight. P47c has more speed, same alt with spit.

So, Ep>>Es. and the distance is quite enough for the next maneuver----pitch back.

when I dropped the nose. The Thunderbolt howled and ran for earth. Barely had the Spitfire started to follow—and I was a long way ahead of him by now

10) P47c begin to zoom. This is the second zoom. The first zoom earlier is from not-so-high speed, and p47c get caught by spit. This time is different because p47c zoom from HIGH SPEED after a dive. Spitfire could NOT get closer to p47c even spit could cut the corner, in such a high speed zoom. High Speed is p47c's "secret weapon".

Spitfire pilot probably wants to repeat the first zoom, catch p47c when both speed drops to low. But BEFORE that, p47c has already established energy advantage, and spitfire could never get close to p47c, leave alone "overshoot" p47c.

Ep>>>Es !

When p47c speed drops to low, at the same time, spitfire IX speed also drops to low. But P47c is quite higher than spitfire, and p47c's altitude is so high that p47c could turn back to spitIX. Amazing. With il2 FB experience we know that p47c should be 500m+ higher than spitfire, otherwise, p47c have no enough space to turn back and spitfire will shoot p47c down.

when I jerked back on the stick and threw the Jug into a zoom climb. In a straight or turning climb, the British ship had theadvantage. But coming out of a dive, there's not a British or a German fighter that can come close to a Thunderbolt rushing upward in a zoom. Before the Spit pilot knew what had happened, I was high above him, the Thunderbolt hammering around. And that was it—for in the next few moments the Spitfire flier was amazed to see a less maneuverable, slower-climbing Thunderbolt rushing straight at him, eight guns pointed ominously at his cockpit.

Thus we know Shaw's opinion, P47C establish sufficient energy advantage over spitfireIX by "dive extend/pitch back" tactic.

Why? Spitfire is bleeding energy during high speed straight flight---dive and zoom. Spitfire pilot not stupid, he will NOT tight turn while P47c fly straight. Both of them straight fly, but P47c bleeds spitfireIX's energy in straight flight. That's the key. If you are bleeding energy in straight flight, you could do nothing. ACE pilot=rookie pilot during this period. All you should do is to think about how to avoid shot down in the next few minutes by a higher energy opponent.

To reproduce in il2 FB, we need NOT barrel/scissor maneuver, just let p47c fly 400m ahead of spitfireIX, same speed, same altitude,ie 5000ft. Then p47c begin to dive extend (near deck) and pitch back, SpitfireIX FOLLOWS. We'll see how much energy advantage p47c establishes when finish the tactic.

In real combat, if spitfire don't follow, p47c just dive away and go home, that's small case.