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Flyboy-
No, I am not aware of Eric Brown's bias. I guess I'm not in the know as many of you are.
Could you elaborate in more detail about Brown's bias?
Thanks,
Kenneth
It is possible that the Me-109 killed more Me-109 pilots than any single Allied aircraft type.
then, why you choose the 109?To be clear, my contention was that the Me-109 didn't have more fatal accidents than any other allied aircraft, but I think more Me-109 pilots died in fatal accidents than to the guns of any single Allied type.
I do not think this claim wild, as more American aircrew were lost in training/operational accidents than actual combat.
then, why you choose the 109?
I don't see how that would make it overrated though...
A pilot killed by a takeoff accident in an Me-109 was just as dead as a pilot killed in a P-39 trying to dogfight a Japanese Zero at 20,000 feet. In both cases it was a inherent shortcoming of the plane.
A pilot killed by a takeoff accident in an Me-109 was just as dead as a pilot killed in a P-39 trying to dogfight a Japanese Zero at 20,000 feet. In both cases it was a inherent shortcoming of the plane.
Actually a P-39 could beat a Zero at 20K easily if the right tactics were employed
And if you "dogfight" a zero at high speeds, the zero maneuvers like a tank, that's my point. We tend to dwell on old folklore about certain aircraft and one of those is the maneuverability of the Zero.I think we may have different definitions of "dogfight". The AVG (Flying Tigers) generally didn't dogfight, but they had successful tactics for engaging enemy fighters using dives and superior speed.
The key in air to air combat is to actually avoid the dogfight, stalk your enemy, engage quickly, kill him and move on. If one gets into a furball they have already failed the first rules of air to air combat tactically
I absolutley agree! I think the dogfight or turnfight was antiquated at the beginning of WWII with the very fast fighters.
The japanese didin't get it and stick much to long with there fixation to turning- and dogfights and this type of fighter.
That is why to my opinion the A6M is the most overrated aicraft. In the ETO it would be outclassed from the begining of it's service.