How good dogfighter was the Mosquito?
- Thread starter spicmart
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Not good at all. It was a fast light bomber.
ThomasP
Senior Master Sergeant
As pbehn said. These are the maneuver limit from the respective pilot's notes for the NF Mk II and FB Mk VI. All of the Pilot's Notes I have for the other Marks say acrobatics are prohibited.
NF Mk II
FB Mk VI
NF Mk II
FB Mk VI
Some numbers.
As for agility, it was agile enough to avoid Me 262 attacks under favourable conditions, according to some pilots (survival basis?). But hardly more than that.
Mosquito Performance Trials
WWII Aircraft Performance, wartime flight trials and reports of Mosquito aircraft. Mosquito data.
www.wwiiaircraftperformance.org
As for agility, it was agile enough to avoid Me 262 attacks under favourable conditions, according to some pilots (survival basis?). But hardly more than that.
- Thread starter
- #5
It seemed to be a bit more fragile than other twins. Maybe because of its wooden structure?
It was faster than others.
GregP
Major
Not completely.
Maybe faster than most and definitely difficult to intercept. The P-38 was always faster and it was a twin with less hp installed.
But, they usually didn't fly the same missions, so they weren't exactly competitors.
They were on the same side
I would rather have an extra 30MPH than take a gamble on how well my plane can absorb 20mm shells.
Greg Boeser
1st Sergeant
What were the airframe G limits?
buffnut453
Captain
Really? And on what do you base that assertion?
wuzak
Captain
It wasn't designed for high-G manoeuvres. It was designed as a bomber.
Shortround6
Major General
If you take a bomber, stick guns in it and don't fill the bomb bay, you still have a bomber airframe, which was never intended to do hi G maneuvers.
If you beef up the airframe to withstand hi G maneuvers the extra weight will cut into your fuel load, or your bomb load, or your speed or................Or some combination.
American A-20s, B-25s and B-26s were usually limited to under 4 Gs even running pretty light. When running at high weights they were under 3 Gs.
If you beef up the airframe to withstand hi G maneuvers the extra weight will cut into your fuel load, or your bomb load, or your speed or................Or some combination.
American A-20s, B-25s and B-26s were usually limited to under 4 Gs even running pretty light. When running at high weights they were under 3 Gs.
The Mosquito was fairly robust for the roles for which it undertook, and it wasn't designed for high energy manoeuvring - it was a bomber airframe designed to do bomber type jobs. Even as a night fighter it was not expected to be thrown about the sky simply because it didn't need to be. De Havilland did design a single-seater based on similar construction techniques in the Hornet and although that was extremely fast, you still wouldn't want to pitch one in a dog fight with a Bf 109G or K.
Greg's right, you can't really compare the Mosquito and P-38, the latter was designed specifically as a fighter interceptor, whereas the Mosquito wasn't. The Mossie was designed with the intent of being a fast bomber, that it became a fighter bomber and night fighter was to lend the design concept credibility to a sceptical Air Ministry and it worked and by consequence of the design the airframe was suited for the multi-role tasks it was asked to perform, but it wasn't designed to be a fighter, even if it undertook the role.
Greg's right, you can't really compare the Mosquito and P-38, the latter was designed specifically as a fighter interceptor, whereas the Mosquito wasn't. The Mossie was designed with the intent of being a fast bomber, that it became a fighter bomber and night fighter was to lend the design concept credibility to a sceptical Air Ministry and it worked and by consequence of the design the airframe was suited for the multi-role tasks it was asked to perform, but it wasn't designed to be a fighter, even if it undertook the role.
Mk.II (night fighter) was 8.0 at 18,500 lb
GregP
Major
Out of nothing more than curiosity, where did you find that load limit? Thanks!
ThomasP
Senior Master Sergeant
Info can be found on Air Ministry data sheet:
Drawing No. S.M.E. 6547
November 1943 Structure Weight Data and Drag Analysis for British and Foreign Aircraft (Including Firms' Amendments up to 9 February 1944)
It includes the "Ultimate Flight Factor" (ie Ultimate g Load) for the different aircraft. For example the P-51 is listed as 12g at 7836 lbs, the Spitfire Mk IX is 10g at 7240 lbs, the Mosquito Mk IIF is 8g at 18,500 lbs, etc.
Drawing No. S.M.E. 6547
November 1943 Structure Weight Data and Drag Analysis for British and Foreign Aircraft (Including Firms' Amendments up to 9 February 1944)
It includes the "Ultimate Flight Factor" (ie Ultimate g Load) for the different aircraft. For example the P-51 is listed as 12g at 7836 lbs, the Spitfire Mk IX is 10g at 7240 lbs, the Mosquito Mk IIF is 8g at 18,500 lbs, etc.
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- Thread starter
- #19
Interesting. Would you elaborate further?
In his book about the Ta 152, D. Hermann notes the load factor of 5 at 4500 kg for the Ta 152H, state of January 1945.
It was 6.3 at the 'medium fighter weight' 5000 kg for the Ta 152C (per the same source), so actually the 152C have had the greater load factor than the bomber Mosquitoes.
