Corsair -v- Me109 or Fw190?

[Jukka Juutinen]

Originally Posted by drgondog

I didn't say they were 'bad'. My comment was directed to the downside of the use of flaps to increase CL to improve rate of turn.

The most effective combat flap was the P-38 version, more of a fowler flap version as contrast use of flaps in F4U, F6F, FW 190, P-51, etc.

Turn and climb are dependent on CLmax, Excess Available HP over HP required, and Wing Loading.

Excess HP quickly goes to zero as drag increases. Drag increases as CL increases. CL (and drag) increase rapidly with deployed flaps.

To the other comment about the G6 - once again for a 1944 comparison versus the F4U and F6F you should consider G10, G14 or even K4 as a period vs period comparison.

To re-iterate - my comments weren't to denigrate either the F4U or F6F, but to cast light on the conclusions based on opinions supported by a flight test versus an 'old FW 190 in unspecified condition (rigging and engine). Even RAF comparisons are suspect for the same reasons. Additionally, consider the familiarity of USN pilots wrt FW 190 type. Perhaps flying against Bar or Meyer would have yielded different conclusions?

Granted, such comparisons should be flown with multiple pilots flying each aircraft in turn first and then analysing the results.

Regarding the condition, by many accounts it seems very plausible that flying hours had a much greater reduction in actual performance of German aircraft compared to American aircraft. And even the variance between individual airframes as new were probably greater with Germans.

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by Jukka Juutinen

Granted, such comparisons should be flown with multiple pilots flying each aircraft in turn first and then analysing the results.

Regarding the condition, by many accounts it seems very plausible that flying hours had a much greater reduction in actual performance of German aircraft compared to American aircraft. And even the variance between individual airframes as new were probably greater with Germans.

We are in violent agreement..

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by twocee

Why on earth would the Royal Navy have gone to the trouble of acquiring large numbers of Corsairs and Hellcats, and training large numbers of pilots to fly them, if they were of no use against German fighters? I think that source you mention can be safely ignored.

The Seafires operated by the USN in the UK were in place of SOC and OS2U floatplanes.

Because of shortages of own aircraft production in the first place. Corsairs and Hellcats were operated by FAA against Japan or off Spain and off Norway but not from the UK. The source might be Alfred Price, but not sure. Another could be Wojtek Matusiak who wrote a book on Seafires. It was many years ago, and I do not remember exactly.

[knusel]

Yes, the long years of the Corsair's war service after 1945 prove of the quality of the design.