OT slightly: Fighting Words ???????

Why do I have to take up your "challenge"? Must be rather infuriating that I don't take you bait!

OK! So you hate everyone! Makes sense to me. Especially after watching your antics here.

Now why don't you take DH's advice and just ignore! Like him, you have shown yourself incapable of basic discussion.

Not at all. Even refusing to (as you put it) take my bait revealed much about you. But again, all you would have had to do is state that you didn't have a favorite! Instead you decided to play your little game of hide and seek. But now you are shown to simply be a Bush hater. No doubt for no other reason than he occupies the office and has more balls than you. Too bad you can't see that.

Jones,

I am incapable of tolerating your "basic discussion" here in

How about living up to the model of integrity you try to portray here and taking your political trolls to an appropriate NG.

Sincerely, Gregg Uhlendorf

And here in this ng we have the Kevorrhoid.

I don't start it and I won't run from it! Take to the lower classes who troll here!

Hmmmmmmmmmmm..

Not sure about this....

The numbers I have (including opinions from pilots) and accurate sims... indicate the Pony is NOT a great fighter at low alts...

It is a fab long range escort fighter at high alts where the Spit runs out of range and breath...

But in a low alt "knife fight" with equal pilots, one would be nuts to take on a Spit 9 with a 51 D ...... Turn radius, sustained turn velocity, acceleration , stall behavior (remember that laminar flow airfoil?) and cannons vs guns...all favor the Spit...

In the "serious" sims (Air Warrior, Aces High) where the performance of the aircraft is VERY accurately modeled... I can 'Play" with a P-51at low alt if I am riding a Spit Mk 5 - 9 .. (if the Pony pilot is stupid enough to try me... )

In a 'stang... meeting a Spit at under 8k alt, I just run.. unless I can sucker the Spit into an energy fight.. (rare)

It is accepted (among those whom I beleive know these things) that they are two VERY different aircraft, designed for very differedt missions & fighting styles that calling one or the other the "best" can only be argued after defining "best at what" ....

Cheers!

Dave

Exactly, Spits were fine in defiending UK airspace where they could work with limited duration, but it took a P-38 to fly across the pacific and take on zeros, and then fly back again...

All effective nighfighters - a every different discipline, were twin engined and radar equipped. The approach being more a stalk-and-pounce than a dogfight. Beaufighter possibly the best here.

For shooting down V1 planes, ulitmate top speed was needed. I believe typhoons and thunderbolts were the machines of choice.

For ground attack, a very different plane is needed - high speed and the ability to take punishment are more use than manouverability. Except when tank busting where more than opne pass is needed. Think A10 in this context.

The spitfire was a lightweight, rather low armoured and low gunned plane when it first appeared. The hurrcane was slower, but steadier and I think initially better armed.

Planes designed for US conditions do not always map well into teh European theater either - the Starfighter equipped for the Luftwaffe became a real dog when loaded up with all weather gear and armaments.

Best in the Pacific were on both ends of the single engine spectrum. The small, light weight Wildcat was a great dogfighter. On the other end was the F4U and FG-1 Corsairs. Big, heavy and fast.

P-38s excelled in bomber escort as did the later P-51D due to excellent range and high altitude capability. P-47s were probably the best ground attack plane because of toughness and firepower.

Tally Ho! Thanks for taking the heat away from us Brits and the P51 debate with a little civil squabling....sounds like history all over again :)

Cheers

Mike