[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by timothy

Yes, Franek - maybe I was a little flippant in my cups last night. We would have loved some creature comforts. On patrol at 30,000' in '41, my fingers were so numb I could not change to reserve fuel & had to return to base. I subsequently trialled the first pair of electrically heated gloves in service. Heaven!!

That is the thing I cannot understand. Technology was just there and it was not any state of the art, nonetheless it was not introduced immediatelly, when needed.
Nevermind, I am just noting facts, and actually I am more interested what was actually a necessary equipment and not luxury. Just an interest in engineering issues.

Yes - a floor would have been a joy, even to keep the grit out of your eyes when inverted! But we were unquestioning in the early days - just so thrilled to have such fine aircraft. And refinements? In part due to having our backs to the wall, & materials & capacity being short, whereas others had time to think & the capability to produce? And, as you suggest, lack of imagination?

Grit? Tools were the problem! One of the Polish pilots almost passed in the cockpit, when hit by a mutter, during cleaning it in the air. Some Frenchman must have left it in the new Curtiss Hawk. Reputedly this happened with several worn and overhauled aircraft.

Yes - I would have loved a cockpit like the P47 - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...4/RAF2/p47.jpg - but I still felt more of a passenger than the main cog. And how did we cope in our toy aircraft without all those switches??

Well, it was a perfect aircraft for long range sorties. You had a plenty of switches to play with, and could have a walk if too tired!
But was it efficient dog fighter? I assume you mostly flew it as a ground attack aircraft.

190/Zeke? Most memorable was their rate of roll.

Personally I am impressed by the range of Zero, but I understand you have not flying it so long. Was not the cockpit a little bit small? The one flying currently in the US has its seat moved a little bit backwards.

Y2? http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...F2/y2Small.jpg

Oh, a version with a cabin on the back of the fuselage. I liked the Soviet sollution of flying with CoG moved backwards in ambulance/transport variants. Just press the stick a little bit forward. Is not it simple?

Fuel tanks? Perhaps something that was learned later through bitter experience.

The man told me in regard of his downing that occurred on 5 September 1940. I was just wondering if it was widespread belief.
All the best