Quote:
Originally Posted by Richie
Molders took a Spitfire for a test and didn't like it at all. He thought it flew like a civil aircraft.
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Actually what he said:
Quote:
"It was very interesting to carry out the flight trials at Rechlin with the Spitfire and the Hurricane. Both types are very simple to fly compared to our aircraft, and childishly easy to take-off and land. The Hurricane is good-natured and turns well, but its performance is decidedly inferior to that of the Me 109. It has strong stick forces and is "lazy" on the ailerons.
The Spitfire is one class better. It handles well, is light on the controls, faultless in the turn and has a performance approaching that of the Bf 109. As a fighting aircraft, however, it is miserable. A sudden push forward on the stick will cause the Motor to cut; and because the propeller has only two pitch settings (take-off and cruise), in a rapidly changing air combat situation the motor is either overspeeding or else is not being used to the full."
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Notice he refers to the two pitch propellor. This is because the captured aircraft did not have the later Constant speed, which performed much better. His comparison of 109E was against the worst version of the Spitfire.