Bozon you are correct, the view from above would be a clover leaf with all left turns if the turns are each 270 degrees, followed by a small straight. If the the turns are each 180 degrees, you get a nice oval.
Slapshot's drawing would require a 180 degree roll in the straight area between turns 1 and 2, also between 3 and 4, which is not what is described.
FYI, I tested a 38 and a Spit IX in the training arena. I don't believe a well flown Spit would have any problem shooting you down. A P-38 pretty much goes to mush, unable to pull more than 1.1 or 1.2 G's at about 105 mph. However the Spit could get down to around 82-85MPH before it too went to mush at 1.1 to 1.2 G's. I also had no problem with nasty stall characteristics in either plane.
Note the described fight is with a Spit XV, Griffon engine. I'm sure a Spit XV with the Griffon engine would have nasty stall characteristics. The Griffon was huge engine with tons more torque than a Merlin.
From:
http://www.home.aone.net.au/shack_one/rolls.htm"Shoehorning the Griffon into a relatively light single engined aircraft such as the Spitfire created some handling difficulties primarily due to the enormous torque reaction which could amount to a very significant 4,700 pounds feet at take-off power. Designing a gear reduction unit for a contra rotating propeller turned out to the definitive answer after various aerodynamic attempts such as enlarged vertical stabilizer area only presented partial solutions. Contra rotating props were essential for the Navy version of the Griffon Spitfire, known as the Seafire due to the extremely hazardous nature of carrier landings particularly during a go-around when maximum power needed to be applied at low altitude and low air speed. Torque reaction pulled a Griffon Spitfire with a single prop to the right, towards the carrier island, obviously a very s situation.
Spitfire XII's were the first recipient of the Griffon powered by the Mk. III or IV variants with single stage, two speed supercharging. A number of subsequent Spitfires retained Merlin power but towards the end of Spitfire production all were powered by Griffons. Starting with the Spitfire XIV, two-stage, two-speed intercooled, aftercooled superchargers became standard, all of which were 60 series engines."
I will flight test our Spit XIV.
On the other hand, after an hour of this stall practice flying, I went into the MA and found myslef in a very low alt turn fight with a Seafire, I was in a YAK9-T, a supposedly poor low speed manouvering plane. I've been flying the 9-T a lot , and had in fact just been practicing it on the stall edge after testing the P-38 and Spit IX.
I dropped all flaps, went to half left rudder, 3/4 nose up trim and flew the cloverleaf as described. The 9-T mushes out at about 102-05 MPH doing this, so that's where I straightened out for just a second or two.
The Seafire tried to follow, but after two circles apparently got scared of stalling at only 200 ft and split away. I followed but he turned around for an HO, which my 37MM quickly dispatched him to the tower in a mid air explosion.
So the bottom line is it's 90% pilot, 10% plane. But the 10% plane is a huge advantage if both pilots are able to fly on the edge of the stall equally well. The Seafire should and could have turned inside me if he had more practice flying the stall edge.
