I just joined the “Battle of Britain Site” on Facebook and received a warm welcome from the Admins there. One of them, Paul Davies, just posted an interesting overview on the relative combat performances of the fighter adversaries. Some of the site’s members contested the discussion of the 110 by referencing anecdotal comments by some RAF pilots that they were “easy pickings”. However, I think the discussion below very closely mirrors the BLITZ experience we share every day on the ATAG Server thanks to Team Fusion Simulations!
By Paul Davies:
Discuss the Fighters:The Messerschmitt BF110 and BF109E fighters had advantages over the Spitfires and Hurricanes during the Battle of Britain. The Messerschmitt BF110 was faster than a Hurricane, not too much slower than a Spitfire, and at certain heights as fast. It could dive away in a bunt, negative G dive leaving a following fighter standing initially. The Messerschmitt BF109E could dive away more rapidly even than the BF110 and was away across most of the Channel before a following Spitfire could catch it, again due to the initial dive rate due to the Negative G Bunt.
The BF109E could also be faster than a Spitfire at certain heights and not much slower at medium altitudes also. It climbed better and at a different angle, it had a higher top ceiling and was better armed with cannon and machine guns than the Spitfire and Hurricane 8 machine guns. The BF109E could reach speeds in some models of 354 MPH and the Spitfire Ia could reach 355 MPH Some earlier Mark I Spitfires could reach 362 or above but most of these were converted to Mark Ia and were heavier and slower later. The Hurricane was slower than the other three main Battle of Britain fighters at between 305 and 315 MPH in actual flying tests taken of several.
The Hurricane turned tighter than the Spitfire and both Messerschmitts although on paper the BF109E was the tightest turning circle of all the 1940 fighters but dare not get too slow in a turning fight as the slats opened asymmetrically in the leading edge of the wings. Designed to extend the stall speed further, these snatched and caused often a spin which at low levels a BF109 pilot dare not risk, so in reality a Spitfire and a Hurricane could out turn the BF109E in 1940. There were pilots who out turned Hurricanes and Spitfires however, it all came down to the pilots.
The DB601 engines used on the BF110 and BF109E were more powerful in horsepower and direct fuel injection meant faster acceleration and a negative G combat performance also. It also performed better at heights as an engine for both Messerschmitt fighters. The Merlin III engines of the RAF fighters had 1030 HP and the DB601 had 1175 HP.
For a Spitfire or Hurricane to bunt over into a negative G Dive, the engine would starve of fuel and the BF109E was away and gone in a negative Split S dive and away. The Spitfire and Hurricane pilots employed the half roll, pull through to inverted keeping the fuel flowing into the carburettors and then roll the way right way up to follow the 109, however, by then, these were too far away unless a sustained high speed dive was maintained and this took the chase often to over the Channel with waiting 109s or AA fire to contend with.
The diagram shows the different technique for a dive and follow chase by a Spitfire or Hurricane in 1940 before a washer was put into the Carburettor by a Miss Schilling to help restrict the fuel flowing away, but this was a temporary measure until the engine feed was altered in later models.
Paul Davies
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