Spit IIa

[Kurfürst]

Hmm, Werknummer 1034s engine problems (seems lubrication related) are documented in both French trial reports and RR reports. Its noteworthy that already in French trials the plane was loosing boost at altitude for some reason - I suspect French lubricants did not go well with the DB engines hydraulic supercharger clutch. But that's besides the point, because the British did not measure turn times for the 109E in flight tests, nor they did measure times for the Spitfire either.

The doghouse charts you presented are inidrectly based on stall speed measurements of the Spitfire. Now, those long enough to remember Ubi there were a number of threads discussing the difficulties of defining and measuring stall speeds, so there is a degree of potential inaccuracy with this base data already. From the established stall speeds of the Spitifre, they estimated its lift coefficient; they used this estimate to guesstimate the 109's lift coefficient. These guesstimates were used to calculate the doghouse charts you presented, using known power curves.

In short, they are calculated estimates with a bit shaky base data.

As to Bf 109E turn times, these are known from German/Mtt calculations, and are given as 18.92 secs for a sustained turn at 0m altitude using 990 PS or 1.3ata output of the DB 601A. (note British guesstimate is for 12k feet so the figures are not directly comparable).

As to Bf 109E(-1, -3, -4) performane in the sim, I note that in the early versions of COD the 109E just can't go past around 460 using 1.35ata, whereas the actual specifications for the type gives top speed as 500 kph at SL and 570 kph at critical altitude, with plus/minus 5% tolerance on production aircraft (so actual production aircraft fell between ca. 545 - 595 kph). Can it now reach its specs in the new beta patch?

The aileron up/down travel angle for the 109E is very interesting though - it seems the F-K increased the travel angle a lot (and changed to Frise type ailerons), though I wonder why. Better control response times, even though the E was already noted as brisk for aileron control response?

Anyway for a reality check with a new patch I always use to try if I can break the Spitty in two by madly pulling back the stick, something that would be suicidal in the real one with a stick force of a mere 4 lbs / G. It isn't possible in the sim. In fact, I did nto manage to break any aircraft in the sim, no wonder what stupid maneuvers I tried.