The 'Great Debate' - Spitfire vs BF109

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I like 'em both but my all time favorite plane esthetically-wise is the Hawker Sea Fury. Fell in love with it when I first saw it roaring by. It is a perfect melt between a Spit and a Focke ...

[Ze-Jamz]

Originally Posted by 41Sqn_Stormcrow

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I like 'em both but my all time favorite plane esthetically-wise is the Hawker Sea Fury. Fell in love with it when I first saw it roaring by. It is a perfect melt between a Spit and a Focke ...

Prob the best sound you can get...

Love listening to that bird at airshows

If youve got headphones on..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlxtZSxF3pE

[fruitbat]

agree with the fury, it sounds and looks awesome, best display at flying legends this year as well,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB8-IyLDIy8

Its the pinnacle of prop fighters development in my eyes (although best looking goes to the DeHavilland Hornet, wish there was still one around )

[TomcatViP]

The Ash62 (a derived engine from the Wright Cyclone and older brother of the Ash 82) is also delightful to ear.

I was in Varradero/Cuba three weeks ago and every morning I was woke up by a low flying An2 skimming the roof top of this flat city built all in length on a finger like narrow peninsula. I don't know what those guys where doing but I did ear them 3 day in a row. My room was in a small building at the 3rd floor and the last day I had the time to jump out of the bed and run to the balcony just to see it nearly in profile and fully hear that beautiful grave tone that reveal nearly each stroke of its engine.

The girl that day might hve been really confused to see me getting exited that way oooops

[fruitbat]

one of the best if not very usual sounds i've ever heard was an i16 at Duxford 2 years ago.

kinda sounds like its chewing itself apart!

[Ze-Jamz]

Originally Posted by fruitbat

one of the best if not very usual sounds i've ever heard was an i16 at Duxford 2 years ago.

kinda sounds like its chewing itself apart!

Haha..yea i was there and heard that...

[TomcatViP]

Originally Posted by fruitbat

one of the best if not very usual sounds i've ever heard was an i16 at Duxford 2 years ago.

kinda sounds like its chewing itself apart!

Ash62 = M25

[ATAG_Snapper]

A little-known fact about the Real Life Mark I & II Spitfires of 1940 Battle of Britain fame is that the pilots could slide the canopy back at any speed to listen for enemy a/c sneaking up from behind. The 109's couldn't do this because of their inferior side-opening canopy design. The Cliffs of Dover sim models this perfectly. I can't put my hands on any documentation of this, but I read it on the Internet, so it must be true.

[Sammi79]

Originally Posted by ATAG_Snapper

A little-known fact about the Real Life Mark I & II Spitfires of 1940 Battle of Britain fame is that the pilots could slide the canopy back at any speed to listen for enemy a/c sneaking up from behind. The 109's couldn't do this because of their inferior side-opening canopy design. The Cliffs of Dover sim models this perfectly. I can't put my hands on any documentation of this, but I read it on the Internet, so it must be true.

Undoubtably. This would prove an adequate defense even against the Sea Furies, whose characteristic loud motors would give them away from about 2 kilometers.

[5./JG27.Farber]

This thread will be locked in time, I garentee it!

However whilst its still open, I'd like to point out the following:

THere is a difference to what a pilot wrote in a book years after an event and science fact. Im not saying any of the pilots were lying! I am saying somethings that they remembered as a first hand witness might not have been actually what was happening. Fear, adrenaline, perspective, where it was viewed from and many other things go into a memory. So without actual figures from instrument recorded flights then unfortunatley all pilot accounts are "hearsay".