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this this flimsy, totally unprotected contraption
The persistence of the "Committee to Resurrect the Reputation of the P40" is only exceeded by that of the "Committee to Resurrect the Reputation of the Buffalo". The fact is that the Buffalo was not well suited for combat use by the USN because of it's weak landing gear and because of the difficulty of installing SS fuel tanks. It had other performance handicaps in the Pacific which made it a poor match for Japanese fighters. How well it may have done in Finnish hands not withstanding, it was a failure in the Pacific and the US was fortunate that the Wildcat was available because the USN was able to hold it's own against one of the best fighters in the world, the A6M, in 1942 with the Wildcat.
A further condemnation of the Buffalo was from No.71 Eagle squadron which were to be equipped with them in the BOB
The CO ordered his three best pilots to take off in the trio that had been delivered and land with the tail wheel unlocked, groundlooping them and totaling each one.
Well, it did manage to totally dominate air combat in the Pacific/China theater for over 6 months and continued to be a threat for months more, At times while significantly out numbered.
It could carry the armament of a Bf 109E and do it for a round trip from Formosa to the Philippines at the end of 1941.
You call the F2A a failure but say this this flimsy, totally unprotected contraption was "one of the world´s best fighters"?
Well it did hold a 5.4:1 ratio at the start of may 42. Comparable to the overall German ratio on the Eastern front latter half of 41.
Dutch fighter preformance was pretty bad in terms of exchange but i view this primarily in terms of behind the cockpit. I got a distinct impression that the Dutch underestimated the Japanese badly.
The F2A might be cited as an example of what men and circumstances can do with a machine. For me, I don't look at the kill ratio in regards to the Buffalo as much as i do it's manufacturing history. The early basic design appeared sound (and beat out the first Wildcat prototype) but later weight additions and shoddy quality control seemed to bedevil the machine. Brewster, IIRC was the only US air manufacturer to close shop during the war. That says something right there.
They were more weighted down but this was a facet much appreciated and commented on by more than a few Commonwealth pilots. Armor saves lives.
Yup that about sums it up. One should be very careful using the loss-to-kill ratio as a measurement for the Buffalo's capabilities. Vast area to defend with only about 70 a/c, no radar or other early warning, most of the time altitude-disadvantage etc. This is true for the British as well.I did not say that the Dutch were successful, just that they liked the plane. For success they would have needed a proper organisation on the ground; early warning, triple-A and so on. And the Marines should have escorted their bombers, not attacked the Japanese ones.
Once again, one should consider the circumstances. This was no Europe. No warning, defenses thinly spread, especially the a/c and there was no radar etc. One should remember the the NEI is vastly bigger than the whole of Europe, while being defended by only 200 a/c in total. Here the attacker has the advantage as he can concentrate on one point while the defender cannot, having no defense systems etc. This was not only true for the Dutch, but for the US (Philipines) and the British as well. This plus the fact that the Japanese were as good as any in the world in 1942.Dutch fighter preformance was pretty bad in terms of exchange but i view this primarily in terms of behind the cockpit. I got a distinct impression that the Dutch underestimated the Japanese badly.