Placing the Bell P39 Aircobra.

[Kutscha]

Originally Posted by tcolvin

The Pe-2, Ju87, Vengeance and Skua were dive bombers and could dive vertically.

Do you have a reading comprehension problem?

"Richard Hallion in 'Strike from the Sky' state the Pe-2 was used as a 70degree dive-bomber"

When did 70* become vertical? Is this the 'new math'?

It doesn't take a genious to understand that the dive limit angle is 70*. If the limit was more it would have been stated.

[tcolvin]

Originally Posted by Kutscha

Do you have a reading comprehension problem?

"Richard Hallion in 'Strike from the Sky' state the Pe-2 was used as a 70degree dive-bomber"

When did 70* become vertical? Is this the 'new math'?

It doesn't take a genious to understand that the dive limit angle is 70*. If the limit was more it would have been stated.

No it wouldn't.
But at least you've cleared the air. We're arguing semantics.
It's true both Shores and Hallion say the Pe-2 attacked in a 70 degree dive.
You interpret this as a design restriction.
I interpret it as a operational decision.
Hallion explains what he means by "70 degrees". He says the Ju87 attacked at a "very steep angle" of 60 to 80 degrees. But you would be wrong to conclude the Ju87 was restricted to a dive angle of 80 degrees. It wasn't. The Ju87 could and did attack at 90 degrees whenever pinpoint accuracy was required. Ditto the Pe-2.
Everybody including Hallion calls the Pe-2 a dive bomber, which means it had dive brakes, and a system for automatic pullout (which the Russians would have copied from Vultee who built them a factory), and bombs released from outside the propeller arcs. The Pe-2 must have had all these to qualify as a dive bomber.
But it had more. According to Hallion; "Designed to an ultimate safety factor of 11g, the Pe-2 obviously had the ruggedness to be operated with abandon by its crews". That is inconsistent with a restricted dive angle of 70 degrees
For myself I will not believe the Pe-2 was restricted to a dive angle of 70 degrees.
But Franek is right; such a restriction if it existed would be included in the Pilot's Notes, which no one has.
Tony