I don't think any spotter plane could handle itself against fighters. Spotter planes are supposed to be escorted! It can't be considered a "dud" if it was a spotter, unless it failed to fly...
You got a point D, but at the same time I think I would rather find myself in a -109 than one of those! Could you imagine being in the tail of that flying greenhouse and have a couple od Spitfires coming at you? Almost as bad as being in the turret of the Anson!
Well, I'd find it worse to be in a Lysander and having Spitfires shooting at you. Which happened quite a bit in the Battle for France apparently. The site I've got the story from is down...
Short range Recon and Close Support. Was also tried for use as a nightfighter and Tank buster. Interestingly the Tank Buster version (Fw-189C) competed against the Hs-129 and although the Fw-189 was better in just abuot every area the RLM chose the Hs-129.
FBJ it was surprisingly good against enemy fighters. It could out manouver thm and it was phenomenally tough, ive read reports of them flying back with one of the booms hanging off
FBJ it was surprisingly good against enemy fighters. It could out manouver thm and it was phenomenally tough, ive read reports of them flying back with one of the booms hanging off
I've read a story about a La-5 going through one of the booms of a Fw-189 (A typical Soviet ramming scheme) and the boom ripped off but the -189 carried on flying and came home missing it's quite well painted boom...the Red bastards...
That site that had the stories about the Lysanders being attacked by Spitfires is still down.
But the difference is, the Sea Hurricane was actually good. The only reason they were launching the Re-2000 was to get rid of the thing because it was taking up space on the ship.
No, they used it to replace the ancient Ro-43 biplane fighters...the Re-2000 was an excellent plane...But like the majority of early Italian fighters it was let down by poor armament...
But the difference is, the Sea Hurricane was actually good. The only reason they were launching the Re-2000 was to get rid of the thing because it was taking up space on the ship.