Best German fighter for the Eastern Front

[Snautzer01]

LA5FN (translated) Rechllin report

 

[Juha]

And this is how Soviets saw it, roc and max speed

 

[Civettone]

What is that double line of the La-5FN under 2 km? Some kind of WEP or injection?



Kris

 

[Tante Ju]

I think its "forsahz" or WEP of 5FN.

 

[Denniss]

The -F data looks ok, the -FN data is a bit optimistic and ~10 km/h too high.

 

[CORSNING]

The -F data looks ok, the -FN data is a bit optimistic and ~10 km/h too high.

Not really, the latter La-5FNs M-82FN engines were producing the 1,850 hp closer to the La-7s ASh-82FN of 1944, late in 1943.While it is true that earlier -5FNs were iffy, they were still well liked compared to the LaGG-3s their pilots had been flying.

 

[Juha]

The -F data looks ok, the -FN data is a bit optimistic and ~10 km/h too high.

But entirely possible, well inside +-3% and 109G-4 is fairly close a bit too slow at low level and bulged differently than usually at mid altitudes but max speed fairly accurate. On the other
hand 190A-5 way too slow, much like La-5FN in LW tests.

Juha

 

[tomo pauk]

Not really, the latter La-5FNs M-82FN engines were producing the 1,850 hp closer to the La-7s ASh-82FN of 1944, late in 1943.While it is true that earlier -5FNs were iffy, they were still well liked compared to the LaGG-3s their pilots had been flying.

The M-82FN and ASh-82FN are the two names for the same engine, the 1st following the pre-ww2 Soviet nomenclature (M-number-modification) and later following the mid war nomenclature (initials of the main constructor and then number modification).

 

[altsym]

I terms on the general altitude where air combat took place in the East, I go with the BF 109K-series. That's a plane that should have come out 10 months earlier.

 

[tomo pauk]

Any plane coming out 10 months earlier during the ww2 should be the world-beater.

 

[CORSNING]

Ten months is a very long time in a rat race war.

 

[Civettone]

I terms on the general altitude where air combat took place in the East, I go with the BF 109K-series. That's a plane that should have come out 10 months earlier.

Good point. The streamlined fuselage of the Bf 109K was completely ready in early 1944. The streamlined fuselage without bulges was tested, so were the wheel covers. Retractable tail wheel should never have been a problem.

Just by streamlining the fuselage the Bf 109 would have become 20 km/h faster.
Kris

 

[Civettone]

dp

 

[parsifal]

20kmh? Im not saying no to that, but it seems a lot of speed increase, for not a lot of change....

 

[riacrato]

according to Messerschmidt:

rest of main wheel covers (Restabdeckungen): ca 11-14 km/h
improved MG131 installation (verbesserter MG 131-Einbau): 7-9 km/h [another test said 6 km/h, but this wasn't at full throttle height iirc]
retractable tail wheel (Spornganzein): 3-4 km/h
------------------------------------------------------
total: 21-27 km/h

This might be a bit optimistic, but 20 km/h average doesn't seen unrealistic. It would've made the Bf 109 G-6 a ~660-670 km/h fighter, not bad, but not up to Mustang level just yet. Now with ADI added...

 

[altsym]

Just look at the forward part of this Erla built BF 109K-4 (captured after May 8, 1945).

Everything on this aircraft is about speed.

 

[Civettone]

... and it made the Bf 109 beautiful again!


Kris

 

[altsym]

Not sure if anybody noticed looking at pics of Eastern front BF 109G K series in various publications, but there are some that have '100' inside the fuel triangle rather then the 'C3'. Perhaps that could be the 'new C3' rated at 150 octane, maybe used with 1.98ata DB 605D/AS like II./JG 11 used in the west? IIRC some of those A/C also had the '100' fuel triangle.

 

[Civettone]

When is this 'improved C3' supposed to have been introduced? I have never seen it mentioned next to C3, so I assume it became the new C3?

But then again, how common was this improved fuel?

It is all the more remarkable as by then, the Germans were struggling to produce any fuel at all.

Kris

 

[nuuumannn]

I know these are not entirely relevant to this thread, but I liked what you said about the Bf 109's looks, Kris, even if this is a 'G-2.