Recent content by WEMM

as far as cannon cannon comparison the Type 99 cannon had a rate of fire of 490rpm with a muzzle velocity around 600m/sec and the hispano fired at 700 rounds/min and Muzzle velocity of about 800 m/s

I still think equipment failure was a big factor, there are reports of many mechanical problems, guns jamming and lack of fuel and don't forget many of the Australian pilots were not experienced, at least not at first. a full report can be seen by Clive Caldwell here The day the planes "all...

no problems:)

I agree, the The Ki-61 was just that, stronger and with better dive and climd but it also had a number of problems, the mauser cannon had unreliable amunition the engine was also unreliable, probably due to its complex construction, and its production line was slow but when an alternative power...

how do these battles compare to the Russian Japanese AF encounters at Nomonhan?

in practice what was the top speed of the Darwin spitfires with their mechanical problems and vokes filters?

these comtemporary articles may be of interest. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cd/Spit_vs_Zero_Wawn.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Spitfire_versus_Zero.jpg

I quote "If your alone and you meet a Zero, run like hell. Your outnumbered" Capt Joe Foss :)

if you're on your own and you meet 1 zero you're outnumbered

yes you're right, rushed posting, I was thinking of the mk V and MKVIII, after a bit of reading up, it was the MK VC used by the RAAF and the 1 RAF Sqn in the defence of Darwin, when the dive and climb method was used in 1943, and then the MK VIII was introduced in late 1943 with the retractable...

as I understand it, the spitfire MK VII was designed specifically to fight the Zero both the mark VII and Mark IX were superior in speed and kept high air speed making use of dive and climb tactics that the zero could not match, also the zero and zeke tended to become sluggish at very high air...