Very interesting Oboe. Makes you view the Buffalo a little different . :aok
No, no Buffalo F2A but B-239. It was never Buffalo in Finland but bodel 239, denavalized version of the F2A-1 Buffalo, ordered by Finland in 1939 as a means of acquiring a modern fighter plane. Unlike the US Navy F2A-1, the plane was lighter and had better performance due to being stripped of arresting gear and all other equipment necessary for carrier landings, together with a more powerful Wright R-1820-G5 engine producing 10 hp more compared to the US Navy Buffalos. And the real kill rate in air combats was actually 32:1, if counted B-239s downed by AAA, it goes down to 26:1.
Title: Re: Interesting video - top 8 WWII fighters with highest Kill-to-loss ratio
Post by: JimmyD3 on October 01, 2023, 02:47:10 PM
No, no Buffalo F2A but B-239. It was never Buffalo in Finland but bodel 239, denavalized version of the F2A-1 Buffalo, ordered by Finland in 1939 as a means of acquiring a modern fighter plane. Unlike the US Navy F2A-1, the plane was lighter and had better performance due to being stripped of arresting gear and all other equipment necessary for carrier landings, together with a more powerful Wright R-1820-G5 engine producing 10 hp more compared to the US Navy Buffalos. And the real kill rate in air combats was actually 32:1, if counted B-239s downed by AAA, it goes down to 26:1.
Yeah I realized that later in the afternoon, I meant Brewster. :eek:
Title: Re: Interesting video - top 8 WWII fighters with highest Kill-to-loss ratio
Post by: oboe on October 01, 2023, 04:02:52 PM
Really have to hand it to the Finnish pilots. I imagine differences pilot skill/experience and tactics had a great deal to do with the kill ratio too.
Title: Re: Interesting video - top 8 WWII fighters with highest Kill-to-loss ratio
Post by: GasTeddy on October 02, 2023, 01:33:16 AM
Really have to hand it to the Finnish pilots. I imagine differences pilot skill/experience and tactics had a great deal to do with the kill ratio too.
Absolutely. Finns adopted German 4-finger and pair formations already before the Winter War, while Russians were still sticking in tight 3-plane or even bigger formations, where wingmen were just following the leader. And when he was killed, they didn't know what to do. Russian way, boss gives orders and initiative was punishable. They learned during the war, anyway.
Here (https://www.historynet.com/brewster-buffalo-finland/) is very good description of tactics used and B-239s in Finnish service.
Title: Re: Interesting video - top 8 WWII fighters with highest Kill-to-loss ratio
Post by: icepac on October 03, 2023, 12:02:01 PM
Finns seem to merge with machinery really well.
Title: Re: Interesting video - top 8 WWII fighters with highest Kill-to-loss ratio
Post by: Brooke on October 16, 2023, 11:01:28 PM
Interesting video. And I like the narrator's voice. :aok