Which would you rather fly if your life depended..

[WhiteHawk]

In response the the '12 best things about the jug'.

If you were headed deep into Germany.  (assume within the range of the p-47, p51, and p38).  Which would you rather be flying in a escort roll?   After escort, you were ordered to release and strafe anything that moved on the way home.
  Remember, you are not here to rack up perk points, you have to protexct the bomber formation, and then wreak as much havoc as possible and still get home alive.  Assume the bombers are flying at 18k.   You will be defending agains 190a8, and 109g-6 and 110 formation destroyers.
  I think I would take the p47.  
  Would anybody take a spitfire mk5 or mk9?

ohhh, this makes me hungry for AH2:)

[rshubert]

P38, defineitely

[Tilt]

Originally posted by WhiteHawk
 You will be defending agains 190a8, and 109g-6 and 110 formation destroyers.
  I think I would take the p47.  
  Would anybody take a spitfire mk5 or mk9?

 

Given that it seems to be mid 44 then I'll have the Spit MkXIV or the Tempest.

[nuchpatrick]

P-47 D-15.. all the perks of the D-11 with the bigger prop and wing hard points for extra fuel!!

[Seeker]

Spit XVI or Tempest.

[WhiteHawk]

Originally posted by Seeker
Spit XIV Tempest.

Hmmm, I wonder why We dont hear of these 2 supereior sim planes clearing the way for bomber formations during 1944 air war?  Its always 'the p51?  Obviously the most popular buff escort for the media and historians.
Was it just the long range capacity?  Or the highperformance of the pony at high alt and highspeed combat?
  Did the spit14 and the Tempest escort lancs into germany?
  How did they perform?
  Can u justify your decision?

[MANDOBLE]

Originally posted by WhiteHawk
assume within the range of the p-47, p51, and p38

For my own survability, P38. Better accel than P51 and P47, and two engines.

For a better survability of the scorted buffs, P51.

Spits would have a very hard time trying to catch fast german interceptors.

[Furball]

Originally posted by MANDOBLE

Spits would have a very hard time trying to catch fast german interceptors.

XIV wouldnt.

[BlckMgk]

Considering I've never flown a real plane, and my only experience has been AH. My thought process is as follows

In The MA: P-51 Just because there are so many assorted contacts including other 51's !.

In real life I'd probably take the P-47, it seems to out perform the LW planes in at least 1-2 aspects, i.e. fighting a 109, roll and it can turn inside most of them, except for the F4 and g2, I'd then use the p-47's speed and High speed manueverability. Vs a 190 it'll be close but I'd still choose the p-47 over the 51.

So in the end the P-47... she just looks so powerful, and who wouldn't want 8x.50cals on the wing to blast an enemy if ya get a chance..

[vorticon]

tempest or p51...p51 is all you americans ever hear about because its a american plane...

[Sakai]

Originally posted by WhiteHawk
In response the the '12 best things about the jug'.

If you were headed deep into Germany.  (assume within the range of the p-47, p51, and p38).  Which would you rather be flying in a escort roll?   After escort, you were ordered to release and strafe anything that moved on the way home.
  Remember, you are not here to rack up perk points, you have to protexct the bomber formation, and then wreak as much havoc as possible and still get home alive.  Assume the bombers are flying at 18k.   You will be defending agains 190a8, and 109g-6 and 110 formation destroyers.
  I think I would take the p47.  
  Would anybody take a spitfire mk5 or mk9?

Given the parameters you specify I would say the P-47 because of its survivability.  It obviously was a good enough match for the German fighters--especially those occupied with Bombers.  After that I'd say P-38 because of the twin engines to get you home if one gets hit (P-51 engine gets hit, you likely going down).

If it was simply skinning Heinz off of the butts of some fat old bombers, there isn't a dog in the bunch.  It's the post escort part of your question that makes me say Jug.

One wonders how many Spit-escorted missions there would have been if they could have increased the range without affecting performance adversely.  US pilots who flew Spits rarely, if ever, got over the planes.  Obviously it was an amazing aircraft in a pissing contest, but from what I have read I would rather strafe in a Jug.  

One also wonders if the Jug had the range of the P-51 if the Pony would ever have become the marvel it is perceived as having been.  I mean, some might argue that the P-47 shouldered the toughest part of the fight against the better German pilots and came out on top.  Its record is pretty glowing.

Sakai

[ergRTC]

I would have to say the 51.  Cause I would probably chicken out of the ground straffing, and being that much faster than any other plane is always helpful staying alive.

[Tumor]

Jug without a doubt.  Spit Mkwhatever would be "nice" but I wouldn't feel at all safe.  Wouldn't even consider the Tempest based on how tough it's modeled in AH.

[HoHun]

Hi Whitehawk,

>Which would you rather be flying in a escort roll?  

P-51. It's the only one of the three you named that has full high Mach manoeuvrability. And its laminar flow profile means that it gains turn rate at medium to high altitude, too.

The P-47 may have the survivability, but we haven't talked about susceptibility yet. It means that a bigger, less manoeuvrable target will be hit more often ... :-)

The P-38 is Mach limited and has a poor search view, and its thick chord wings make it lose turn rate at operational altitudes. It's not as fast as the P-51 down low, and if coming home alive is a priority, I'd prefer the faster plane.

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[NOD2000]

as a B-17 gunner said once....

"send us through fighters and flak
and all that other crap
and one other item
AN ESCORT OF P-38'S!!!"

part of a song that a gunner of a B-17 wrote.....


 i was reading a book about the bloody 100th the otehr day and they crew of the 17's overall agreed that the 38's pilots were the most agressive and protective...

so i'd take a 38