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Admiral Beez
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Not with twin .303 and no cannons. What were the Japanese thinking when they armed their high performance fighters with nothing more than what a Sopwith Camel brings to bear?
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Not with twin .303 and no cannons. What were the Japanese thinking when they armed their high performance fighters with nothing more than what a Sopwith Camel brings to bear?I don't think a 1940 era Zero or Hayabusa would be as competitive.
The Hellcat was the Fokker D7 of the Pacific War, a highly competitive fighter that was easy to fly, devoid of "gotchas" and "coffin corners", rugged enough to absorb punishment and still be controllable getting aboard the ship, and behaved predictably at the limits of its flight envelope. It allowed young pilots to survive long enough to get good at their game, and allowed more experienced ones to run up their scores.I've read of the Hellcat being called the Ace Maker. Sounds true but is it a Caidinism?
The Hellcat was the Fokker D7 of the Pacific War, a highly competitive fighter that was easy to fly, devoid of "gotchas" and "coffin corners", rugged enough to absorb punishment and still be controllable getting aboard the ship, and behaved predictably at the limits of its flight envelope. It allowed young pilots to survive long enough to get good at their game, and allowed more experienced ones to run up their scores.
Which is more effective, five experten who make fifteen kills each or twenty nuggets who get six each? That's the genius of the Hellcat.
Not with twin .303 and no cannons. What were the Japanese thinking when they armed their high performance fighters with nothing more than what a Sopwith Camel brings to bear?
What fighter of 1940 could compete with fighters of 1945
I wouldn't except to see an attack bird intercepting and shadowing a Bear. That seems more a job for the Corsair II's sibling, the F-8 Crusader.A guy I know on a car board (S2K) flew A7 Corsair II in the 1980s. His Dad was an ace in a Hellcat, during WW2. He said that his Dad thought the F6F saved his butt more than a few times. With battle damage, engine issues, landing issues. The friend's son flies F/A18's. Three generation USN pilots. His A7, escorting a Bear.
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Awww, drgndog was so adorable!
Bf 109F-2, in the hands of an ace could be a handful. One-on-one, against a P51D or P47D, at altitudes less than 20,000 feet.
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at pg.9 they reported that F-1 go in combat in October '40The 1st Bf 109F-2 was delivered in January 1941, per Prien & Rodeike, pg. 10. That should mean it is not a fighter from 1939-40?
Ancestor, not sibling. By the time A7 showed up, F8 was on its way out.I wouldn't except to see an attack bird intercepting and shadowing a Bear. That seems more a job for the Corsair II's sibling, the F-8 Crusader.
"Up yours, Ivan! You aren't worthy of a Tomcat, so we attack pukes get to play fighter pilot with you today. Shit hot! Go ahead, make my day!"He said he did it a few times. Bears were definitely sub-sonic. Maybe. the F4 squadrons were unavailable or the Capt just wanted to scramble the Corsairs?
The 1st Bf 109F-2 was delivered in January 1941, per Prien & Rodeike, pg. 10. That should mean it is not a fighter from 1939-40?
I think they were building them in late 1940. So yes, maybe not used in field combat --- but were available.
VA-105 used to make light of their AIM-9's and call themselves "Light Attack and Twilight Pursuit."A guy I know on a car board (S2K) flew A7 Corsair II in the 1980s. His Dad was an ace in a Hellcat, during WW2. He said that his Dad thought the F6F saved his butt more than a few times. With battle damage, engine issues, landing issues. The friend's son flies F/A18's. Three generation USN pilots. His A7, escorting a Bear.
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I think they were building them in late 1940. So yes, maybe not used in field combat --- but were available.
The first production Bf 109Fs rolled of the line in November 1940 but the first Luftwaffe units did not receive theirs until March 1941. They had a few issues though, the F-1 and 2s had a tendency to shed their hori stabs owing to structural weakness following the removal of the strut prominent on earlier models.
Combat as in entire squadron/s equipped with them or
Combat trials in which a few squadrons got a handful of planes each to try out and report on?
The 109 F had 3 different armament setups and at least 2 different engines, one of which operated for months under restrictions.