Quote:
Originally Posted by K_Freddie
From one of those articles...
With interpretations one should look at what is not said... the bold section is very telling and looks like a Freudian slip in context.
I would think that if the LA5 could out turn the FW190 at this point it would be explicitly mentioned.. but not being mentioned it is possible that the two a/c (in good hands) matched each other turn for turn, and no further.
Now extending from this.. how did the LA5 match against the spitfire in such a situation.... or any other a/c
Gaston may have something..  |
Very good point. I never make any claims about German aircrafts vs the Russians types, or even vs the P-38 or Tempest/Typhoon, because the amount of combat reports is so much smaller than what I have read vs other US/British types.
A lot of Russian quotes are very indicative though: "Experienced FW-190A pilots never fight on the vertical plane"
"There are reports of turning battle with the FW-190A lasting quite some time"
"FW-190A will inevitably offer turning battle at minimum speed"
If it was so poorly suited and unsuccessful in the horizontal, wouldn't you think it would have been used in other ways?
On the other hand, the only fighter type I have ever heard the Me-109G engaging more or less successfully in a turning battle was the P-51, and even then it is barely as a close equal... The Fs and G-2 could sometimes match Spitfires as well, and that is not a good sign for the Spitfire...
I did hear from Steinhoff that the Me-109G's climbing spiral was superior to other fighter types, but this appeared to be useful only against some mid-war Russian fighters, and usually specifically when flying the G-2... A climbing spiral is a rare case in an air battle in any case...
I see still no contestation that KG 200 did say the P-47D needle-tip Razorack did out-turn their Me-109G as a general statement that is always (grossly) demonstrated in real-life combat reports (as in, quite a bit over 90° of gain per 360° of horizontal turning), and this in all circumstances (including left-hand climbing spirals)...
Does that mean we finally have a consensus on that?
Gaston