Originally posted by Fianna
I think it was used to force other planes into a stall, not to increase turnrate.
Yep, it's a maneuver that forces the Spitfire to either stick with the fight and eventually lose out as the P-38 will start to gain an angle with the Cloverleaf or make the Spitfire break to build up energy in which case the P-38 can then latch on the Spitfire's six position.
Originally posted by DblTrubl
Ack-Ack if you can pull this off then I bow to your superior skills. Seriously. I'd love to see film of this being put to practical use. Has anyone done some testing ala Kweassa or Widewing to see if this actually does improve turn rate?
Do a search of the BBS and you should find a post from Widewing where he tested it out I think in either the TA or the DA. The result was that it was a beneficial maneuver for the P-38 against a Spitfire.
Remember, this isn't a 100% sure fire way of beating a Spitfire or any other plane. It is a maneuver you can try if you find yourself in that position and it will give you a chance to walk away from the fight, regardless of the Spitfire pilot's level. If the Spitfire got caught in a Cloverleaf against a P-38 at low altitudes, the Spitfire is in a very precarious position, regardless of pilot skill. As with all things with life, YMMV.
ack-ack