MiloMorai

Came across this interesting fact. The painting of the camouflage pattern on the Spitfire was done using masks. http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?125868-Early-Spitfire-Camouflage http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/29585-british-camo-rubber-masks/page-4

These aircraft also carried rockets and bombs. Both of these were much more devastating when they hit armor. However that is the problem; they had to hit their target. Both bombs and rockets were utterly abysmal in terms of accuracy. A trial conducted by the RAF had fired 64 rockets from 4 Tiffies(2 flights) at a stationary Panther painted white. A total of 3 hits were recorded giving the rockets a 4.69% accuracy rating in the most perfect of circumstances. Near misses did no damage to the tank. In real combat the Panzers would have some some camouflage, some flak protection(which downed hundreds of Allied fighter-bombers over NW Europe and greatly reduced accuracy of bombs and rockets), and crews that would know to seek cover when they realize they are being shot at. Bombs were even worse in regards to accuracy. It had been concluded that overall it took 800 rockets or 3500 bombs to hit a tank sized target in battle conditions. http://ftr.wot-news.com/2014/04/04/ground-attack-aircraft-myth-of-the-tank-busters/

Historically were the WG21s every used by the Bf109K-4?

Only combat the Do335 saw was development a/c running from Allied airplanes. It had a big problem with the rear engine overheating. It has been said the the K-4 was chosen because of the wealth of data available so one has to question how much data is available for these oddball airplanes.

It wasn't a standard MK103 Solty. Iirc the designation was MK103M and it never operated properly on a test rig.

On Jan 1 1945 only 10.9% of the fighter force participating in Bodenplatte were K-4s. G-14s made up 30.2 %.

So William Green's mention in one of his books from back in the '50s still lives. That is the engine mounted MK103.

Mosquito NF XXX as well. (looking at the future)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Shilling%27s_orifice

Miss Tilley's Orfice and then injection carbs.

How much of a hit would this incur?

Or that Merlins were required for other a/c. The XIVs were manufactured at the Supermarine factory and the IX and XVI manufactured at Castle Bromwich factory. Initially the IX and XVI were built on the same assembly line as they were virtually identical.

During Bodenplatte 430 Sqd, 4 Mustang Is: AG628 CatB/E, AL966 Cat E, AG 544 Cat E and AP178 damaged

You guys do know about this web site don't you? http://www.airhistory.org.uk/spitfire/home.html Spitfire XIV serial numbers, MT847-MT858,MV246-MV273,MV286-MV320,MV347-MV386,NH637-NH661,NH685-NH720,NH741-NH759,NH775-NH813,NH831-NH846,NH857-NH871,NH873-NH875,NH892-NH929,NM814-NM823,RB140-RB189,RM615-RM625,RM648-RM656,RM670-RM713,RM726-RM770,RM783-RM825,RM839-RM887,RM901-RM943,RM957-RM999,RN113-RN160,RN173-RN221,SM812-SM842,SM876-SM899,SM913-SM938,TP236-TP240,TP256,TX974-TX998,TZ102-TZ149,TZ152-TZ176,TZ178-TZ199

The recon Spits would be XIs.

Well, the Spitfire was better. otto, what was the performance differences between the G-6 and G-14? Wasn't the /AS a high altitude a/c and more likely run into American P-38s, P-47s and P-51s escorting bombers?

What percentage of the Luftwaffe fighter force were those A-8s? Even if there was 200 odd K-4s, which there was not, it still was only ~10% of s/e fighters the Luftwaffe had and ~20% of all K-4s produced til end of Dec '44. A/c production numbers and onhand numbers look impressive til one looks at the serviceable a/c numbers which tell the real story. The JGs equipped with K-4s couldn't even maintain their establishment numbers at year end 1944, that is, they were under strength.

You mean like the Fw190A-8, Fw190D-9 and Bf109G-14 which comprised ~80% of the Luftwaffe fighters on the Western Front.

No audio. Some more, http://archiv-akh.de/filme?utf-8=%E2%9C%93&q=JG-2#2 http://archiv-akh.de/filme?utf-8=%E2%9C%93&q=JG-2#5 http://archiv-akh.de/filme?utf-8=%E2%9C%93&q=JG-2#7

How many K-4 claims of Spit XIVs from Jan to Sept 1944?

Known losses: RM856 (B), RM883 (E), RM833 (E), RM857 (B), RM848 (E) What were the other 5?

Just past half way rare footage of Hartmann begins. http://archiv-akh.de/filme?utf-8=%E2%9C%93&q=Hartmann#1

Out of the 240 claims by Tempests, 79 were Bf109s and 115 were Fw190s.

There was only 1 Bf109G-6/AS produced (Sept '44). All the other G-6/ASs were conversions from Bf109G-6s. The Bf109G-14/AS was produced from Sept '44 and there was less of them than the G-14 (1377 vs 2035 + 654 /U4)

Bf109G-14/AS a/c didn't begin coming off the production line til Sept '44. Neil, if the Spit 14 was only used for recon, however did they manage to shoot down V-1s?