Spitfire supposed to dive better than the 109?

[jf1981]

Originally Posted by Osprey

I am more bothered by the BS 'bunt' that 109's apply when getting hit. I believe that the pilot should risk injury from the violent bunts that 109's perform, up and down like bucking horses - show me a single guncam where that is happening - the body couldn't take it!

I would be pleased that they tune up what a human can stand in a fighter aircraft so that one cannot abuse the very high followed by negative Gs.

At the present time, one can handle very high Gs for some time but even a low neg G for long time results in sort of blackout.

[Osprey]

Totally agree JF. For instance the way we survive a bad landing or even a belly landing is over-protective. Wheels up would at best give bad bruising to the pilot shoulders and would usually break his nose on the gunsight (There is footage of a PR Spitfire landing wheels up from a mission but he was fine because the PR had no guns!). When they nose over the pilot is often injured, usually trapped and doused in petrol with a grave risk of fire. Heavy landings could easily cause spinal injuries and improper bailout often led to the pilot hitting the airframe - Hans Joachim Marseille was killed this way, the P51 Big Beautiful Doll which crashed at Duxford in 2011 injured the pilots legs on the tail as he bailed out - it would make people try to get out properly, canopy, half roll, forward stick and out. (can't really do harneess, oxygen and RT connection)

If you died on bad landings that would improve landing quality I am sure!