Dang, the Spitfire has always been overmodeled ...

[gatt]

Sicily, July 1943, from Wing Commander Duncan Smith, RAF:

 

Soon after gettin on patrol I spotted four Macchi (probably C.205V of 4°Stormo, 96°Squadriglia) immediately below and realised they had not seen us. I went down on them with my number two, and was about to open fire on the lead Macchi when they saw us and broke into our attack, still keeping immaculate formation. Thereafter a hectic dogfight took place.

This Italian pilot really knew what he was doing: apart from giving a splendid aerobatic display, I found that each time he stayed and turned he gained on me in the turn. I looked frantically for help but there was no sign of my number two. Knowing my Spitfire's capability so well, I pulled her up sharply into corkscrew turns into the sun as steeply as I could.

I expected to hear and feel unwelcome bangs of exploding shells in my fuselage but nothing happened until suddenly I felt my Spitfire shake violently and next moment we were spinning. I cought her after a couple of turns and getting control again looked for the Macchi.

Sure enough there he was, slightly to one side and below me asking to be shot down. My first burst caught him in the cockpit area and wing root and he went up in flames ....

Pffffft, clearly overmodeled sissyfire  

P.S.: the AH's C.205V belongs to the 96° Squadriglia, 9° Gruppo, 4° Stormo. The same of the story.

[This message has been edited by gatt (edited 07-18-2000).]

[funked]

Damned Spitdweebs!

[Ripsnort]

Room in the back for "Ken"
 

[This message has been edited by Ripsnort (edited 07-18-2000).]

[mx22]

Ahhh,

I think I'm in love guys

mx22

[jmccaul]

The barbie robot which flew spitfires had 4 times the strength of an average pilot and as such i demand the spit's roll performance is improved at high speed.

[Pyro]

Sounds like he really roped him, even if it wasn't his initial intention.  That combat sounds a lot like the one in which Marseille was tangling with a Spit and almost gets his clock cleaned before resorting to that same maneuver and manages to turn the table.  



------------------
Doug "Pyro" Balmos
HiTech Creations

[gatt]

Yup PYRO,

what is hard to understand is how you can pull up and spiral tightly after a turning fight. Would be interesting indeed to know his E state before the Rope maneuver.

I found interesting also that the italian was gaining in the turning fight against a Spitfire. Maybe it was a C.202 against a Spitfire MkIX. Hard to believe that a C.205V can turn inside a Spit MkV. But who knows?