FW-190A vs Spitfire, Me-109G, P-47D in dogfights

[AndyJWest]

Originally Posted by JG27CaptStubing

Fact: Reduced airspeed results in a smaller radius... Don't confuse Turn Rate with radius or compare it to Best Cornering Speed. Two different things.

Um, no. there is an optimum speed (the 'best radius speed' I referred to) which results in a lowest-radius turn. Go slower than this and the radius increases again.

With a constant-speed prop, both the rate of rotation and the mass are constant, so gyroscopic forces are constant, over any power range the prop can maintain its 'constant-speed' setting. Torque isn't the same thing at all.

And yes, I'm fully aware of 'power curves'. This is what the debate is about. All I'm saying is that I can see no reason why one will get either a tighter sustained minimum-turn-radius, or a quicker sustained best-turn-rate with a reduced power setting. Again, I'd ask for verifiable evidence of this, either in real life (accurately measured, not mistranslated anecdotal evidence...), nor in the IL-2 sim.

JtD, I think you are mistaken about what 'corner speed' means. As I understand it, as the phrase is used in modern terms it is the highest speed at which you can safely apply any control input without risking structural failure. At lower speeds the wing will stall before G limits are reached, but any higher than corner speed and you may rip the wings off or whatever. Given the necessary safety margins, 'corner speed' is thus more a limit on what the pilot is supposed to do than a limit on what the plane actually can do.

[JtD]

Originally Posted by AndyJWest

JtD, I think you are mistaken about what 'corner speed' means.

I don't think I am, and actually think the three of us are on the same page now, just using different words for the same thing or looking at it from a different point of view.

Essentially, below corner speed the plane stalls before it breaks, above corner speed it may break before it stalls. Flying at corner speed gives you best rate and radius of turn. That's about it.

Note: WW2 warbirds are in general not capable of maintaining corner speed.