Groundhog Thread Part Deux - P-39 Fantasy and Fetish - The Never Ending Story (Mods take no responsibility for head against wall injuries sustained) (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter greybeard
- Start date
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GregP
Major
Oh no ...
Why dontcha' pick a GOOD airplane to talk about?
Why dontcha' pick a GOOD airplane to talk about?
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Someone did just mention the Buffalo.
P-39 Expert
Non-Expert
P-40 data was straight from wwiiaircraftperformance.org test dated July11, 1942.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Oh look, a Martlet!
Greg Boeser
1st Sergeant
Stop trying to hijack this thread! The title is P-39 vs P-40. P-39 fanboys have a home here. As do P-40 fanboys.
If you want to talk Martlets, start your own thread.
If you want to talk Martlets, start your own thread.
It is known in internet circles as "The tallest dwarf" thread.
GregP
Major
Tallest dwarf means it is low.
So low, you'd have to look up to see whale crap.
So low, you'd have to look up to see whale crap.
Not if it is an extremely tall dwarf.
buffnut453
Captain
Oh look....a groundhog:
See? I can play along, too.
See? I can play along, too.
GregP
Major
We were told to start our own thread. So, here it is. Since I have to say or show something in here, here's my drawing of an FM-2 Wildcat ... nee ... Martlet.
And it ain't no P-39 ... but it DID establish a pretty good combat record with the U.S. Navy / Marines.
The FM-2 flew 12,925 combat sorties with 62 losses to AAA, 13 losses to enemy aircraft, and 75 operational losses, for a total of 150 losses on action sorties. They lost 283 on ship or ground, 164 on other flights, for a total of 447 losses on non-action sorties. They scored 422 aerial victories. They dropped 148 tons of bombs on target. All in all, a pretty good little airplane. Being a typical early carrier fighter, there were no "power" controls. The wings folded and unfolded manually, there was to hydraulic assist for anything, and the flaps were operated by vacuum, so they would tend to deploy asymmetrically and partially retract if speed built up past flap operating speed. Not even the landing gear was power-operated. It was a manual crank on the right side of the cockpit with 29 turns up and down. Once you started cranking the gear up or down, you could NOT let go of the crank or it could easily break your arm of leg as it wound down due to air pressure from forward velocity.
All for now.
And it ain't no P-39 ... but it DID establish a pretty good combat record with the U.S. Navy / Marines.
The FM-2 flew 12,925 combat sorties with 62 losses to AAA, 13 losses to enemy aircraft, and 75 operational losses, for a total of 150 losses on action sorties. They lost 283 on ship or ground, 164 on other flights, for a total of 447 losses on non-action sorties. They scored 422 aerial victories. They dropped 148 tons of bombs on target. All in all, a pretty good little airplane. Being a typical early carrier fighter, there were no "power" controls. The wings folded and unfolded manually, there was to hydraulic assist for anything, and the flaps were operated by vacuum, so they would tend to deploy asymmetrically and partially retract if speed built up past flap operating speed. Not even the landing gear was power-operated. It was a manual crank on the right side of the cockpit with 29 turns up and down. Once you started cranking the gear up or down, you could NOT let go of the crank or it could easily break your arm of leg as it wound down due to air pressure from forward velocity.
All for now.
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All aircraft performance has a time component to it. The Martlet as it was known at the time was the first in service with British forces in UK in August 1940, when the BoB was still being waged. The P-40 started in British service in early 1941 while the P-39 was tried out and packed off to the USSR in late 1941.
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Greg Boeser
1st Sergeant
FM-2 s were called Wildcat Mk VI, so even your first post is wrong!
Greg Boeser
1st Sergeant
Besides, everyone knows that the Bell Airabonita, the Navy's experiment to use the P-39 as a shipboard fighter was killed by entrenched anti-groundhog factions at BuAir, even though it would have surpassed all WW2 era Navy fighters.
A proper Martlet doesnt have folding wings, why would you do such a thing, pure exhibitionism.FM-2 s were called Wildcat Mk VI, so even your first post is wrong!
Admiral Beez
Major
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Greg Boeser
1st Sergeant
Tricycle gear would never work on a carrier, as history has proven.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
I'm sure that one day, using this forum as guide, an aviation historian will convincingly write about the P-39 Groundhog.
