Friday Update, April 13, 2012

[VO101_Tom]

Originally Posted by klem

I don't know where this idea that the 109 was a better dogfighter than the Spitfire has crept in from.

Simple. The pilots.

The pilot who shot down the other, his own aircraft was clearly better. What was the other pilot training, aircraft status, situation before the fight, and energy levels, no one know.

Therefore, you can read memories from pilots who overturn the enemy plane. Maybe the other pilot can't handle the high G loads, or it was damaged or full of fuel. It is possible that it was only a lower alt, and his potential energy was less when the fight started. Hundreds of tiny circumstances which might affect the outcome of the battle.

This is what both sides can be read in the memoirs. Interesting reading, but it is wholly inappropriate to technical analysis. Fortunate that there are tests, in which clearly describe what the aircraft was capable of. (of course, possible to argue that the test pilot how knew the plane, or what was the plane condition )