SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
The heck with the specs. I don't even read 'em. The Buffalo is prettier.
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The Finns did well with both.The heck with the specs. I don't even read 'em. The Buffalo is prettier.
Id give the armament to the 406, that central Hispano cannon was a formidable weapon, albeit with only 60 rounds in the drum. The synchronized Browning's in the F2A would have only been firing about 400-450 rpm.Armament might be a wash, but I don't know my ass from third base about French weapons.
Of course they would. Those guys would have had success with the Wright Flyer.
Was that the wreck found off Midway Atoll?I think Kermit weeks found a Buffalo but until it's restored you will have to go to Finland to see one.
It's not only a matter of engine (he designed also the J2M which used an engine that was available when he designed the Zero, and that was universally praised by US/British pilots who flew it after the war). I think it's more a matter of what he was asked to create. Factor into that also the much better political connections of Nakajima that prevented Mitsubishi and others to use a number of alternate engines. We all knew how it played out with the Homare.The A6M Zero neglected five of the above seven elements to focus on agility and endurance, resulting in an unbalanced design that was doomed once its one trick and the related compromises were exploited by the enemy, IMO. It would have been interesting to see what Jiro Horikoshi would have designed had Mitsubishi sourced a competitive engine in the late 1930s.
Of course they would. Those guys would have had success with the Wright Flyer.
I'm surprised that the Buffalo outperformed the Hawk. The B-239 must have been significantly better than the B-339.
I wonder what the Japanese thought of it?The B339 was the peak of the Brewster design. It had more power and better armament than the B239 and yet didn't have all the extra fuel/oil tankage of the F2A-3.
If only someone had thought enough of the Buffalo to save one...and a TBD or two.
In the F-104's case weren't most of those CFIT? Hardly the crate's fault if the driver steers for the ground. The Canadians did fine with their CF-104s, assigned a NATO tactical nuke strike mission.
I've always liked the Curtiss Hawk. Give it the F4F's more powerful P&W R-1830-76 Twin Wasp and the Hawk would do as well as the Wildcat.I'm surprised that the Buffalo outperformed the Hawk. The B-239 must have been significantly better than the B-339.
Id give the armament to the 406, that central Hispano cannon was a formidable weapon, albeit with only 60 rounds in the drum. The synchronized Browning's in the F2A would have only been firing about 400-450 rpm.
Some comfort to you
I've always believed that there was nothing wrong with the Buffalo in Malaya, they just needed was more of them. In Nov 1941 Malaya Command had five active squadrons of Buffaloes for a territory larger than the UK where RAF Fighter Command had over 80 fighter squadrons.The heck with the specs. I don't even read 'em. The Buffalo is prettier.
I've always believed that there was nothing wrong with the Buffalo in Malaya, they just needed was more of them. In Nov 1941 Malaya Command had five active squadrons of Buffaloes for a territory larger than the UK where RAF Fighter Command had over 80 fighter squadrons.
This photo below of a dozen RAF Buffaloes represents a full fifth of the entirety of Malaya Command's fighter force.
View attachment 627059
Give Malaya Command twenty squadrons of Buffaloes along with well defended, properly placed bases and they'll give the IJAF's Oscars and Nates a good fight. The Buffalo is fine, but you can't hold back a Japanese onslaught with sixty active aircraft.
It's too bad the dozen or so MS.406 didn't escape and fly to Malaya to become a Free French unit.
View attachment 627060
Capt. Brown flew a Belgian-order Brewster 339 at Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, early in 1941, along with a Grumman Martlet, as the British called the F4F Wildcat. "They were both tubby little single-seat fighters with a very purposeful air about them," he wrote. Brown noted that there were 40 of these planes, acquired when Belgium fell to the Germans, and shipped to Britain aboard HMS Furious. They were assembled at Burtonwood, later a huge American base--near Manchester, I think. He obviously had his notes in front of him as he wrote the Buffalo chapter:
"Once in the cockpit I found the view ahead rather poor because of the aft position of the pilot and the high position of the nose. In spite of this, the aircraft was very easy to taxi, as the brakes were smooth and very efficient.
"On take-off the throttle had to be opened carefully as there was no automatic boost control, and the stick [had to be] moved forward to get the tail up and improve acceleration. The rudder control was very good in keeping the aircraft straight on its short run.
"The climb was steep and initially at a rate of 2,000 ft./min. but soon began to fall off noticeably as altitude increased. The longitudinal stability was decidedly shaky and would make instrument flying very difficult. [Commenting on another a/c, Brown noted that longitudinal instability was a good feature in a fighter.] It was also apparent that there were [exhaust] fumes coming into the cockpit....
"In normal cruise at 160 mph the aircraft was longitudinally unstable, laterally neutral stable, and directionally positively stable. Maximum speed was 290 mph at 16,500 ft. and the service ceiling was only 25,000 ft. Not very impressive performance. However, it was a different story when it came to handling, for the ailerons were highly effective throughout the speed range, the elevators almost equally so, and the rudder very good too.
"The all-up stall occurred at 76 mph with a sudden but mild wing drop followed by the nose. The all-down stall was at 67 mph with similar but slightly more pronounced characteristics.
"For landing the undercarriage was lowered at 95 mph followed by the slow moving flaps at 90 mph. An approach speed of 80 mph gave a reasonable view, but needed almost full backward elevator trim. Touch down occurred at 75 mph with a good pull back on the stick to achieve a three-pointer as the power was cut. Once on the ground the aircraft could be kept nicely straight on rudder with a discreet touch of brake.
"My feeling after flying the Buffalo was one of elation tinged with disappointment. It was a true anomaly of an aeroplane with delightful manoeuvrability but poor fighter performance. Indeed above 10,000 ft. it was labouring badly."
Brown acknowledge [sic] the Brewster 239's success in Finland, and suggested that "the climate and the opposition" must have favored the plane in Finnish service.