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We talk about the F-4, the F-15E, the F-16, F-18 and a few more but the first Mulitrole Fighter was the P-38. It was used even for a Hospital Emergency Ambulance and much much more. Here is what the pilots had to say about it.
We talk about the F-4, the F-15E, the F-16, F-18 and a few more but the first Mulitrole Fighter was the P-38. It was used even for a Hospital Emergency Ambulance and much much more. Here is what the pilots had to say about it.
How did it compare with the British Mosquito?
My dad went to Burbank High School, near the Lockheed factory where the P-38s were built. He and some other students watched a new one take off on its initial test flight. One kid had a Brownie camera and was taking pictures of it....then the tail booms broke off and the plane crashed. The kid got it on film. A short time later, a car stopped in front of the schoolyard and a guy asked if anyone had seen what happened. Camera Kid said, "Yeah, I got pictures!" The man said, "Can I see your camera, son?" Kid handed it over. The man opened up the back and pulled all the film out. "That's a nice camera, son."
My dad was too tall for a P-38, so he flew a B-17 instead. Got shot up over Wilhelmshaven in 1943 but recovered to complete 33 missions.
BF-109 of course.
Even the first Bf-109 could carry small bombs and they were used as light bombers, reconnaissance, night fighter, fighter, cas and interceptor.BF-109 of course.
As long as it didn't require any range or payload or ........ The BF or ME109 was one thing and one thing only. It was the best pure fighter just before and at the beginning of WWII. It takes a lot to be a multi role fighter and be mentioned in the same category as the P-38, F-4, and just a handful of others. Today, almost all fighters are forced to be Multi role fighters.
It's wings were so thin it could not carry any useful load or any extra fuel. It's like calling a Vette a dump truck. Pure Fighters could be used for light duty other things but when a true multi roled fighter shows up like the P-38 even the P-51 goes back to being a fighter.Even the first Bf-109 could carry small bombs and they were used as light bombers, reconnaissance, night fighter, fighter, cas and interceptor.BF-109 of course.
As long as it didn't require any range or payload or ........ The BF or ME109 was one thing and one thing only. It was the best pure fighter just before and at the beginning of WWII. It takes a lot to be a multi role fighter and be mentioned in the same category as the P-38, F-4, and just a handful of others. Today, almost all fighters are forced to be Multi role fighters.
The 109 was the best plane in whatever war era and since 1936. The 190 was heavily armed but not as agile. It was used to attack bombers while the 109 dealt with the escort. Range and payload don´t have anything to do with range of operations. The 109 can perform any task given, that´s the point.It's wings were so thin it could not carry any useful load or any extra fuel. It's like calling a Vette a dump truck. Pure Fighters could be used for light duty other things but when a true multi roled fighter shows up like the P-38 even the P-51 goes back to being a fighter.Even the first Bf-109 could carry small bombs and they were used as light bombers, reconnaissance, night fighter, fighter, cas and interceptor.BF-109 of course.
As long as it didn't require any range or payload or ........ The BF or ME109 was one thing and one thing only. It was the best pure fighter just before and at the beginning of WWII. It takes a lot to be a multi role fighter and be mentioned in the same category as the P-38, F-4, and just a handful of others. Today, almost all fighters are forced to be Multi role fighters.
For instance, the P-38 could carry 6 500 lb bombs and still have a 750 mile range. The 109 could carry, maybe 2 250 lb bombs and have less than 300 mile range. The 38 could carry 2 1000 lb bombs and fly over 1000 miles or one 2000 lb bomb and a 310 gal drop tank and do over 1200 miles. The 109 couldn't even get off the ground with that type of load even if it had the ability (which it didn't) to carry such a load. And that was on the inner hard points.
The 109 had no outter hard points. while the 38 had 2 The 38 could carry either 2 additional 250 lb bombs or 10 Hi Velocity Rockets. While the 109 could carry only 2 Rockets on fuselage hard points. The 109 used them to attack bombers. The 38 used them to attack anything that moved both in the air and on the ground.
As a camera fighter, there were only 2 worth mentioning and that would be the P-38 and the Mossie. The 109 makes a poor choice because it vibrates like a cheap motels quarter slot bed.
When you bring up the 109, you really need to confine your praise for 1940 to 1943 as a defense fighter and leave the multi roled fighters that went on to win the war alone. BTW, the 190 was a better fighter and closer to a multirole but it still lacked the range.
The 109 was the best plane in whatever war era and since 1936. The 190 was heavily armed but not as agile. It was used to attack bombers while the 109 dealt with the escort. Range and payload don´t have anything to do with range of operations. The 109 can perform any task given, that´s the point.It's wings were so thin it could not carry any useful load or any extra fuel. It's like calling a Vette a dump truck. Pure Fighters could be used for light duty other things but when a true multi roled fighter shows up like the P-38 even the P-51 goes back to being a fighter.Even the first Bf-109 could carry small bombs and they were used as light bombers, reconnaissance, night fighter, fighter, cas and interceptor.BF-109 of course.
As long as it didn't require any range or payload or ........ The BF or ME109 was one thing and one thing only. It was the best pure fighter just before and at the beginning of WWII. It takes a lot to be a multi role fighter and be mentioned in the same category as the P-38, F-4, and just a handful of others. Today, almost all fighters are forced to be Multi role fighters.
For instance, the P-38 could carry 6 500 lb bombs and still have a 750 mile range. The 109 could carry, maybe 2 250 lb bombs and have less than 300 mile range. The 38 could carry 2 1000 lb bombs and fly over 1000 miles or one 2000 lb bomb and a 310 gal drop tank and do over 1200 miles. The 109 couldn't even get off the ground with that type of load even if it had the ability (which it didn't) to carry such a load. And that was on the inner hard points.
The 109 had no outter hard points. while the 38 had 2 The 38 could carry either 2 additional 250 lb bombs or 10 Hi Velocity Rockets. While the 109 could carry only 2 Rockets on fuselage hard points. The 109 used them to attack bombers. The 38 used them to attack anything that moved both in the air and on the ground.
As a camera fighter, there were only 2 worth mentioning and that would be the P-38 and the Mossie. The 109 makes a poor choice because it vibrates like a cheap motels quarter slot bed.
When you bring up the 109, you really need to confine your praise for 1940 to 1943 as a defense fighter and leave the multi roled fighters that went on to win the war alone. BTW, the 190 was a better fighter and closer to a multirole but it still lacked the range.
Of course, more specialized planes can do better as the 109 but not in any fighter role. And, due to capacity limits, only few of the many German models were build in significant numbers. 36000 109 were made and were often the available planes.
We talk about the F-4, the F-15E, the F-16, F-18 and a few more but the first Mulitrole Fighter was the P-38. It was used even for a Hospital Emergency Ambulance and much much more. Here is what the pilots had to say about it.
How did it compare with the British Mosquito?
In most things, they were about equal as multirole. But as a pure bomber, the nod goes to the Mossie. But was you lean towards the fighter, the P-38 gets the nod. The Mossie had the advantage of being able to carry it's bombs internally so the drag wasn't there. The P-38 had to carry it external so it got slowed down depending on the load. Both were used as Night Fighters. The Mossie had room in the nose while the P-38 got a pod. Both were used as pathfinders and again, the Mossie got it internal and the P-38 got a pod. Both were used..... The list is quite extensive on both.
But the Mossie got the headlines while the P-38 didn't. But in the Pacific, the P-38 was superior because it could start on one mission and do a completely different mission during or after another one that was completely different. For instance, after skip bombing and strafing shipping, it would go after another area and go for Fighter and Bomber Interception all on the same mission when it peeled away from the B-25s and B-24s. But as a light bomber, the Mossie had a slightly better range and speed. Until the P-38 cleaned up. The early P-38Fs and Gs, the Mossie had a edge on in many things but by the time the P-38J-25 and L hit the skies and the other models were reconfigured, the Mossie no longer had that advantage except as a light bomber. Both of them could carry the same bomb load, a whopping 4000lbs which was equal to a B-17 but both could not carry that many small bombs like the 17 could. Carrying that heavy a load, the 38 had a very short range because he had to give up both drop tanks and the drag was bad. Let's face it, the Mossie had more internal fuel and didn't have the drag of the external bombs. On many mixed missions, the P-38 carried one 1000lb bomb and one drop tank and used his drop tank for the first half of the mission for his fuel.
Which was better? Depends on the mission, the year, the model, a lot of things. It also meant how much training the new pilots got when they first showed up. The early P-38 pilots, many hadn't even flown anything other than a single engine trainer in the states before they were plunked into the seat of a P-38 and sent off into battle. The Mossie Pilots were seasoned pilots.
They did not even dare to switch to the Me 262. The decision was made in 1942. And no, the 190 was not superior, it was different.The 109 was the best plane in whatever war era and since 1936. The 190 was heavily armed but not as agile. It was used to attack bombers while the 109 dealt with the escort. Range and payload don´t have anything to do with range of operations. The 109 can perform any task given, that´s the point.It's wings were so thin it could not carry any useful load or any extra fuel. It's like calling a Vette a dump truck. Pure Fighters could be used for light duty other things but when a true multi roled fighter shows up like the P-38 even the P-51 goes back to being a fighter.Even the first Bf-109 could carry small bombs and they were used as light bombers, reconnaissance, night fighter, fighter, cas and interceptor.BF-109 of course.
As long as it didn't require any range or payload or ........ The BF or ME109 was one thing and one thing only. It was the best pure fighter just before and at the beginning of WWII. It takes a lot to be a multi role fighter and be mentioned in the same category as the P-38, F-4, and just a handful of others. Today, almost all fighters are forced to be Multi role fighters.
For instance, the P-38 could carry 6 500 lb bombs and still have a 750 mile range. The 109 could carry, maybe 2 250 lb bombs and have less than 300 mile range. The 38 could carry 2 1000 lb bombs and fly over 1000 miles or one 2000 lb bomb and a 310 gal drop tank and do over 1200 miles. The 109 couldn't even get off the ground with that type of load even if it had the ability (which it didn't) to carry such a load. And that was on the inner hard points.
The 109 had no outter hard points. while the 38 had 2 The 38 could carry either 2 additional 250 lb bombs or 10 Hi Velocity Rockets. While the 109 could carry only 2 Rockets on fuselage hard points. The 109 used them to attack bombers. The 38 used them to attack anything that moved both in the air and on the ground.
As a camera fighter, there were only 2 worth mentioning and that would be the P-38 and the Mossie. The 109 makes a poor choice because it vibrates like a cheap motels quarter slot bed.
When you bring up the 109, you really need to confine your praise for 1940 to 1943 as a defense fighter and leave the multi roled fighters that went on to win the war alone. BTW, the 190 was a better fighter and closer to a multirole but it still lacked the range.
Of course, more specialized planes can do better as the 109 but not in any fighter role. And, due to capacity limits, only few of the many German models were build in significant numbers. 36000 109 were made and were often the available planes.
The reason why they made that many was because the German war industry was so inept they couldn't afford to take the time to halt production to change over to the FW-190 which was a far superior aircraft. The only reason why the '109 did as well as it did was the superb pilots who flew it, and the inept Russians that they preyed upon. Gunther Rall was a good friend of mine and he loved the '109 because it fit him like a glove, but he also said, that the 190 was superior, he just preferred to keep flying the 109 because he knew all of its quirks.
