The K-4 will have the advantage unless the F4U brings a lot more energy into the fight.
Youre leaving out way too many variables. If a co-E fight begins at 20K, the Corsair has plenty of room to build E with dives and zooms.
Low altitude, that ability is gone for the Corsair and the 109 is in control. At high altitude? The Corsair has options and the 109 cant follow all of them. Classifying the Corsair as 'inferior' because it builds E 'differently' than the 109 is a strange concept.
Even if the Hog starts at a position of a marginal advantage it is fairly easy and reasonably safe for an experienced K-4 driver to equalize E and then build an E advantage over the Hog.
Dependant upon the variables excluded above.
The K-4 is a good diver if you trim it manually.
In what game?
The K-4 requires a good pilot to get the most out of it, it is not an easy plane to fight.
And the Corsair does not?
The power to weight ratio of the K-4 compensates for the Hog's greater mass.
Variable dependent. What speed and altitude?
A K-4 will not have a problem following a Hog in a zoom climb; the Hog will pull away initially, but the K-4 will close the distance near the top of the climb.
Disagree. The K4 has a climb advantage over the F4U, not a zoom advantage.
Neither aircraft can sustain 400 knots, I'm going to assume you meant 400 mph.
No, I meant knots. For the purposes of this forum, they are generally used interchangably because the conversion is close enough for government work. 1 MPH = 0.87 knots. 400 MPH = 348 knots.
While I can appreciate your attempt to suggest level flight, even if you were correct, one of the primary points of discussion is the relative differences in performance at both ends of the vertical envelope (read: anything but level).
You assume the Hog has the positional advantage of being on the 109's six. In a head-on merge like most fights start the 109 has the advantage like described in my quote above. If the Hog is on the 109's six, both at 400 mph the 109 can gain separation using its superior speed.
Missing variables again.
That is inaccurate; the K-4 has marked advantages at all speeds and most altitudes. The K-4 is the fastest non-perked plane between 5k and 26k+, It is also the best climber (and thus acceleration) in that altitude band. At 20k the K-4 still has a 1,500+ fpm climb advantage against a Hog-1a. Under 5k there are three non-perked planes that are faster: La-7, Dora and Typhoon.
You may disagree, but a subjective statement can not be deemed inaccurate. What can be deemed inaccurate are performance claims. Your statement, above, that the K4 is the "fasted non-perked plane between 5K and 26K+" is inaccurate.
The K-4 does not have a compression problem (like the P-38 for instance), it has a control force problem. However, that problem can be alleviated by manual trim (unlike the P-38). An experienced K-4 driver does not lawn-dart, and still has full control at 500 mph being able to pull black-out turns. Trimming is key to handling the K-4 (or any 109 really) at high speed.
You are correct that the 109 does not have a compression problem like the P38. I have a nasty habit of classifying nearly-useless control surfaces in a dive as "compression." My bad.
Regardless, no matter how you slice it, the 109 is a horrible diver. At 500MPH (that would be 435 knots), youre not going to be doing much damage to anyone but yourself. Suggesting otherwise is semi-funny. The Corsair is one of the best divers in the game... the 109... not so much.
Nor would I, but if the pilots are good, my money is on the K-4.
Ok. Well if you ever tire of arguing for the sake of argument in each thread, Ill be happy to help you with some in-game testing.
