Holtzauge
Airman 1st Class
Without exaggeration, there are probably hundreds of books that already diligently detail the history of the Spitfire Mk I and the Bf 109 E during the Battle of Britain time period. So isn't this just adding another one to the pile?
Well no, because this book is rather different: And while other books may faithfully cover the origins, the development, the different versions, the operational usage and the pilots who flew them, when it comes to these aircraft's performance the results are usually rather meagre.
And detailed performance analysis is what's new and what this book brings to the table: Because it's the first to compare these two iconic fighter utilizing verified and validated computer simulations to gauge how they truly compared, and not just repeating the same old performance numbers that have already been quoted, copied and pasted in between so many other books.
In addition, the entire performance envelope is investigated: So not just speed and climb, but also acceleration, sustained and instantaneous turn, dive, and dive and zoom performance. And this analysis has actually uncovered some previously hidden aspects of these aircraft: Not in the least concerning their turn performance, which is an area that has previously been considered to be a no contest win for the Spitfire. But as the simulations show, there are exceptions to this rule, especially if the Bf 109 drops some flap. And while the Spitfire certainly was the better turning aircraft overall, the difference was in some cases not as large as common knowledge would have us believe.
The book also covers some hypothetical scenarios: What would be the effect of reducing the Spitfire Mk I's big wing to one that instead was about the same size as on the Bf 109? Would this have made the Spitfire better or worse? Then looking at the Bf 109 E: If it instead of its low pressure aluminium radiator is equipped with a high pressure radiator cooling system like the one on the Spitfire, how much better performance would that have given it?
In summary, this book digs deeper into these aircraft's flight performance than any previous book has ever done, introducing for example acceleration, energy retention, sustained and instantaneous turn comparisons, dive, dive and zoom comparisons all in an attempt to determine just how close or far apart or close together they were regarding each particular performance aspect. In addition, the issue of the Bf 109 E's range is also analysed in greater detail than is usual in many other books, revealing that it may not have been quite as limited as it's often made out to be. And last, but not least, in the summary and conclusions, looks into if an overall winner can be crowned.
Added to this, the book also covers background information regarding the state-of-the-art at the time in aeronautics, aircraft procurement, specifications, aerodynamics, wing design, engine and propeller technology, radiator design, armament, production costs and more.
The book is 405 pages long, and contains circa 140 figures, chart and diagrams and about 100 pictures, and is available as a paperback on Amazon:
WW2 Fighter Performance volume 1: Design, Aerodynamics and Flight Performance for the Spitfire Mk I & Bf 109 E, Battle of Britain Era, by Anders F Jonsson, ISBN 978-91-987748-1-8.
Note that this link is to Amazon.com, but that the book is also available at (Amazon.co.uk, .de, .fr, .es, .it, .nl, .pl, .se, .be, .ie, .jp, .ca, .au)
More information about the book and a thumbnail collection of its complete contents can be found on author's website here:
WW2 Aircraft – Military Aircraft Performance
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