Spit IIa

[winny]

Originally Posted by Crumpp

Not even close. This is gaming fantasy and not the reality of flying aircraft.

I can't put this any clearer. I'll leave it to someone who was there instead.

Geoff Wellum - " In a Spitfire, just before the stall, the whole aircraft judders, it's a stall warning, if you like. With practice and experience you can hold the plane on this judder in a very tight turn. You never actually stall the aircraft and you don't need to struggle to regain control because you never lose it. A 109 can't stay with you."

Time and time again people push machines past their operational limits, some live some die, that's not the point. The point is that 'riding the buffet' happened, for real. Geoff Wellum did it, as did many many other Battle of Britain pilots.

As for the reality of flying aircraft, what's your experience of flying Spitfires in combat?

I'll take my info from people who know what they are talking about, because they were there, thanks.

Originally Posted by Crumpp

MMMM, maximum performance = follow the book

You're sarcasm is palpable.

It's simply not the truth. I'll say it again, The RAE themselves (They conducted the 109 vs Spitfire mock dogfights) found that the reason in initial tests a Spitfire could not shake a 109 of it's tail was because the pilot's were backing off as soon as the buffet set in, when in fact it was possible to fly with the juddering and make a tighter turn. So max turning at least was achieved by not following 'the book'

Originally Posted by Crumpp

Maximum Performance AND you get to stay alive!!

No if you follow the book, you can't shake a 109, and you die.

Originally Posted by Crumpp

If you read this primer on Pilot Operating Instructions, you will find that for most maximum performance there is ONLY one point or airspeed that maximum performance can be obtained. That point is linked to the physical design of the aircraft and is given to the pilot by the engineers. There is nothing to be "conservative" about. Additionally, the margins are such there is very little room engineering wise to be "conservative" and still produce a machine that flys.

And what exactly has this got to do with combat flying? Irrelevant, they did whatever they could to stay alive.