4.11 overheat and engine damage test results

[JG27_PapaFly]

Originally Posted by WhistlinggDeath

Focke Wulf pilots who dive down on a tight turning spit, go for a high deflection shot and then zoom climb back up another 1800m very close to stall speed are doing exactly what the FW was built for.

I know exactly what you mean, WD, I've done gazzillion of zoomclmbs just the way you describe them. However, I doubt that WW2 FW, or any energy pilots for that matter, actually zoomed until very close to stall. I think they stopped their zooms earlier, probably at or even above best climb speed, because of following reasons:

1) Tactical considerations: being very slow at the very top of a zoombclimb one is extremely vulnerable. In those days, one never had the full situational awareness or controlled situations that we enjoy here. There was always the danger of a wildcard bandit doinking you at the top of your zoom. One example comes to mind: Bubi Hartmann scored one of his last kills on a Yak pilot who was part of a larger formation and was performing a looping, maybe in celebration of the nearing victory over Hitler. Bubi knocked the Yak out unseen, while it was slow and on its back, at the apex of the loop. Ingame i reserve maximum zoomclimbs to controlled situations where i am absolutely sure that nobody's going to sneak up on me. And i especially do so since the spit25lbs are around, these beasts can zoomclimb from ridiculously slow speeds and knock you out with a spray from 600m below you while you are very slow and reversing.

2) Plane controllability. A maximum zoomclimb calls for a reversal at very slow speed, this being a hammerhead or humpty-bumb. Now there are a few aerobatic maneuvers I've never ever seen a warbird do in reality: the tailslide, the hammerhead, the humpty-bump at very slow speed. All these maneuvers bear the risk of loosing control and spinning. I don't think that real warbirds have a controllability similar to our simulated planes in those conditions. FWs and mustangs had very harsh loaded power on stall characteristics. If i remember correctly, mustang pilots were advised never to slow down below 350kph when encountering FWs.

3) Engine overheat.

Most bnz attacks those days were hit and run. I've never read an account where pilots have repeatedly boomed-and-zoomed the same defensive opponent, going up and down as is often done ingame. The greatest asset of a fighter pilot was, will always be - surprize. After the first attack that advantage is gone.