Originally posted by TexMurphy
What would you compare it to?
I know this is individual as I know most people consider the jug (my main ride) a worse turner then P38s and Nikkies but I can out turn both in the jug.
Tex
You cannot depend on the enemy being a lousy pilot, because some of them are not. At low to medium altitudes, the P-38 (any model) and the N1K2 absolutely own the P-47s. It gets even worse if they have an E advantage on the initial merge.
Down low, a well flown P-38J is a match for an expertly flown P-47. If the P-38 survives the first minute of so, it will rapidly gain the Jugs six by simply keeping the fight in the vertical.
Yesterday, I had just taken off in a P-47D-25, 50% fuel and a belly tank. Passing 3k, olskool offered a fight. He was in a P-38J and quite a bit higher. I dumped the drop tank and turned his way. He dived down, building speed and we passed on each other's left side. Having barely 250 mph, I watched him go vertical in a high loop. I just extended trying to get a bit more air speed. When he came down, we jousted a bit, mostly me avoiding his attacks. I took a few pings, but eventually equalized the E states enough to work angles and was able to clobber the P-38. Being the TA, the fight continued and after a few more minutes, olskool was able to get on my six. The D-25 simply cannot compete in the vertical with the Lightning. Now take the fight to 25k or higher and the Jug can handle the P-38. Not so down low.
Score that one 2/1 in olskool's favor.
Let's see; the P-38J is faster, accelerates faster, easily out-climbs the Jug and is one of the very best stall fighters in the game. The P-47N will eliminate some of these disparities (except climb and low-speed maneuver), giving the Jug pilot the ability to disengage and gain some seperation (the P-47N being some 20 mph faster on the deck than the P-38J, with even better roll and turning than the D models).
Now, if the P-47 has the E advantage from the outset, things will be much hotter for the P-38 as a well handled P-47 can maintain that E advantage for a long time (and nothing zoom climbs better).
As for the N1K2; if you are Co-E and Co-alt, the Jug pilot should simply refuse the fight until he has a discernable advantage in E. Otherwise, the P-47 is at risk.
When presented with the choice, never fight the way the enemy fights best.
My regards,
Widewing