"Comfort" in cockpits of BOB adversaries

Voyager · #1 03-03-2011, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sternjaeger

seen it before, the guy is a right tw@at and totally biased. The cockpit of the 109 was surely smaller, but the layout was superior and so was the distribution/quality of the controls and instruments.

This again is a classic example of how people shouldn't always listen to pilots' opinions, because believe it or not they're human beings like us, with flaws, preferences and what not..

He loved the 109 instruments and control layout. What he was freaked out about was the really cramped quarters, the heavy canopy, and the cannon sitting right between the legs.

Anyways, a couple other articles on flying aircraft from the era:
The Legendary Zero (Part 1)
The Legendary Zero (Part 2)
Hurricane (Part 1)
Hurricane (Part 2)

Fritz X · #2 03-03-2011, 05:11 PM

Hm, I for myself don't find the Bf-109 video appearing to be too biased... The last comment about not choosing it to go to war, especially when your enemy is a Spit on the other hand seemed to be unnecessary, though...

But his major complaints about the cockpit seem to be outright true. Just to compare what former RAF fighter and test pilot Eric Brown wrote in his book "Wings of the Luftwaffe":

"The cockpit was small and narrow and was framed by an unpretty canopy, which was heavy to open from inside and was fitted with rather primitive sliding windows. The frame of the windscreen was rather narrow and didn't block too much of the pilot's sight, but the overall space was so limited that the movement of the head was heavily limited, even for a rather small pilot like me."

This extract is a translation by me, since I only own a German copy of the book.

The plane being described there is a Bf-109 G-6/U2, by the way.

Dietger · #3 03-03-2011, 06:04 PM

He pointed out good and bad things about the cockpit, and it really makes sence what he said about it.
But.

He is biased.
He simply hate the German equipment. His remarks, all over, make it clear.

But what the the Hell? You dont have to love everything you came across in your profession, right?

That guy is obviously a British snop, absolute ok for me.

PS. Jaws got some good points here. Its called WEAPONS-PLATFORM, not your granddaddys lovlely armchair......
PSS. And whats wrong with a big gun between your legs???

JG4_Helofly · #4 03-03-2011, 06:31 PM

Well, I can confirme that the cockpit of the 109 is very small, since I had the chance to sit in a 109 G and a fw 190 A8. So I can only compare these two planes. The problem was that it was very narrow and the pilot had to be small in height, because with canopy closed it was impossible to sit normaly. I had to lean my head forward. ( I am 180 cm in height)
So yes, it's not the most comfortable place.

BadAim · #5 03-04-2011, 01:11 AM

Such emotion. Should we not save this passion for virtually murdering each other online when COD comes out in a few weeks?

Skoshi Tiger · #6 03-04-2011, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BadAim

Such emotion. Should we not save this passion for virtually murdering each other online when COD comes out in a few weeks?

+1 Payback time!

Heliocon · #7 03-04-2011, 01:41 PM

Umm wtf - I thought he was very direct and honest with both his opinions and that he talked directly about issues that could be seen with the camera. I am 6,3 - I could never fit in the 109

Moggy · #8 03-04-2011, 02:29 PM

I'm sure I saw a documentary years ago explaining the size difference between the 2 cockpits. I thought it might of been Spitfire! Two seconds to kill but having seen it again it doesn't look like it. I'm sure it's in my video collection somewhere!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/battleo...in/11405.shtml

If memory serves, the Spitfire had a slightly larger cockpit but the 109 had a better engine layout and was easier for ground crew to work on.

KG26_Alpha · #9 03-04-2011, 02:45 PM

Interestingly from Two Seconds to Kill

Bader mentions the Spit wing "folding up",

I had also read about this when over stressing the aircraft due to the pilots having to be careful with the Spits in hard manoeuvres as they were able to go past the safe limits due to the control authority being very light on the stick less than 10lbs where as the Bf109 was more than 20lbs.

I hope someone will put those figures right for me but I'm going from memory.

Moggy · #10 03-04-2011, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KG26_Alpha

Interestingly from Two Seconds to Kill

Bader mentions the Spit wing "folding up",

I had also read about this when over stressing the aircraft due to the pilots having to be careful with the Spits in hard manoeuvres as they were able to go past the safe limits due to the control authority being very light on the stick less than 10lbs where as the Bf109 was more than 20lbs.

I hope someone will put those figures right for me but I'm going from memory.

Dodge, wasn't that the part where Bader and Stanford-Tuck were talking about a German ace who had managed to tear off a wing or 2 and the story had got around the German squadrons causing their pilots to pull out of divers early?