How come then most of the time they did dogfight, and even more so if they were flying a P-47D or a FW-190A?
"When they avoided dogfights was when they flew Spitfires... I've never seen any aircraft type that avoided dogfighting as consistently as the Spitfire...
In fact the avoidance of dogfighting by the late Spitfire marks is so consistent and so extreme I had a hard time believing it, thinking as I was that the weakness of guns forced turnfighting even on 1944 pilots: Because only 2% of shots are on target, the target has to be peppered for a sustained time to be brought down, which doesn't help diving and zooming...
It turns out the Spitfire's 20 mm are really long-range and powerful, and allows the Spitfire to avoid turnfighting where it is at a disadvantage compared to most types, except the Me-109G or P-51 which are roughly equal or slightly inferior to it..."
Gaston, I begin to wonder if you actually comprehend the difference between what people do in the real world, and what people do in simulations. No one in their right mind is going to chance their future on the outcome of a sustained dogfight with an unknown enemy - unless forced to by circumstance. Combat pilots aren't there to test the capabilities of their aircraft or match their skills against those of the enemy. Their job is simple, it is to destroy the enemy as quickly and safely as they can. All sorts of crazy stuff may happen in war comics and movies but in real life where real ammunition is being used (by both sides) that sort of stuff is a no no. Get yourself into a sustained turn-fight with another aircraft and in all probability someone else, someone you haven't seen, will end the fight for you.
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