Lost Birds of WW2

[Ozark]

WOW...Isn't the Tigercat too cool!
I love that aircraft!

<edit>

BTW: Great Photo!!! Mind if I grab it?
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332nd Flying Mongrels

[This message has been edited by Ozark (edited 04-03-2000).]

[eskimo]

 

[Minotaur]

Ozark;

Not at all. LOOK HERE and use it all you want.    

Mino's other ride
 

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

[This message has been edited by Minotaur (edited 04-03-2000).]

[Ozark]

Mino: Thanks!! Great Web Site too! Did you take all the photos?

Eskimo: I really like your idea that each squad get a bright orange A/C for training.   Texan would be cool too.  

Wraith: Thanks for starting this. <S>

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332nd Flying Mongrels

[Sundog]

Based on what I have read, the P-39 could turn a full 360 degrees by the time a zero turned 180 degrees due to the nimbleness of the P-39 since it had its engine near the CG. The two main reasons the US didn't use them as fighters (Based on what I have read..not saying these are the only reasons    )

1. No Supercharger (As mentioned), therefore they didn't have alt capability to escort the Bombers.

2. The Terrible spin characteristics due to the Engine being located near the CG. I remember reading (Not sure where) about Soviet P-39 Aces, and they said the main thing the pilots had to beware of was stalling at the top of a loop and entering an inverted flat spin.

However, it seems the more I read about the P-39, the more it just recieved a bad rap. Granted, I can also understand that it was probably a handful to fly if you didn't pay attention (e.g. that flat spin) and the USAAF wanted planes that had more benign stall characteristics.

Can we add the J7W1 or McDonnell XP-67 just because they look cool?   I'll settle for a Tigercat though!

[funked]

Sundog, all P-39's had a supercharger.

I've read quite a few war stories by P-39 pilots in the Pacific, and they all say they had no chance of turning with a Zeke.  Generally they used their dive and level speed ability to stay alive.

Also the spin characteristics were dicey, but only when nose gun ammo was depleted.

<S>

funkhead

[This message has been edited by funked (edited 04-04-2000).]

[Minotaur]

As I recall, in alot of a respects the P-39 was an airplane built around a gun.  The gun worked OK, but the ROF was too low to effective.

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Mino
The Wrecking Crew

[This message has been edited by Minotaur (edited 04-04-2000).]

[Westy]

If you read Saburo Sakia's book he does give mention to a couple of unknown but very notworthy P-39 pilots. One in particular who was dog fighting Saburo's wingman while the rest of Saburo's flight CAP'd the action. Saburo said that P-39 pilot and his wingman were whirling about the sky like dirvishes and his wingman in the Zero could not get an upper edge till the P-39 pilot ran out of altitude to maneuver. Then he died.
 The early war Japanses pilots, imo, were superior in a  one-on-one to ANY nations pilots. That's not how you win battles and wars though.

 Sharkbait! Good to 'see' you.    I taped the whole dinner/banquet speaches by BB, Arnold and JAck and if you'd like I'll make you a copy.
 But you captured Jack's feel for the P-39 very well      
 I just wish those guys had a good color picture of one of thie P-39's or even the P-47-D so I could bribe HTC with pizza's to do the artwork in thier colors.  

  -Westy.