found this on a old topic.
Pyro: IMO, the P38 has the best flaps of all the fighters because it seems to me that they provide the best lift to drag ratio
Pyro: there are accounts that held that the P38 could turn even with the zeke with correct employment of the flaps
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Bullgator: the 38 turning with the zeke thing
Bullgator: was that an AW account or historical
Pyro: historical.
so um..yeah that dont happen here
So um...yeah it does happen in here.
A well flown P-38 (any of the models) can turn with a Zeke 2 to 2.5 turns before it will start to lose ground and the Zeke will start to gain an angle. So it is imperative for the Lightning driver to get the kill within that time or they'll need to go into a shallow dive and extend and then reset the fight. However, at high speeds (above 325mph IAS) it is much easier to turn with a Zeke in a P-38 as at that speed and above, the Zeke's turning ability is lessened, while the P-38 has far better high speed performance and can turn with a Zeke if the speeds are kept high.
If you're gonna insist in turning with a Zeke, it's better to use vertical turns to use the superior vertical performance of the P-38 and not get into a flat horizontal turn fight with the Zeke.
ack-ack