Stability and Control characteristics of the Early Mark Spitfires

[Crumpp]

We're other contemporary aircraft also tested in this way?

Yes, many other aircraft were tested. My plan is to do threads on the stability and control of all the main fighters involved in the game.

I am sure I will be hated by both "red and blue".

I don't want to de-rail my own thread so if you want an in-depth discussion we will start another one.

It's all good and well saying the Spit did this, this and this but, how did other aircraft stack up?

Well, subsonic incompressible flow theory for symmetrical airfoils will give a one dimensional picture of an aircraft. The stability and control characteristics help to complete the picture.

Stability and control was a new science during WWII. Many of the aircraft have issues and those issues should be modeled.

For example, a symmetrical airfoil analysis of the Spitfire and Hurricane would give the impression the Hurricane was the 2nd rate fighter. In fact, the Hurricane was the real workhorse and an airplane the Bf-109 pilot should respect. Why?

The Hurricane was a very stable and maneuverable aircraft. Air combat is not about fancy flying on a warm sunny day. It is about getting bullets on a target. The Hurricane did not have the convergence issues and was an airplane the average pilot could quickly get guns on target as well as accurately shoot from to destroy his opponent.

I am sure there is nothing you can teach a Spitfire ace about finessing an airplane or over controlling.

Also, how exactly do you intend to model this phenomenon in CLOD?

So really the most important point, considering where we are is, what would you expect to be done to the FM to replicate this?

Well that is up to the devs as I don't know the game engine. If they are using the standard Cm calcs, then it should be rather straight forward.