תרחיש Catch 22 ציוותים לחיל האוויר האמריקאי (USAAF אדומים)

Robert S Johnson. USAAF in a P47C, encountered a new Mk IX Spitfire over England.

Disclaimer - This is a real life story and I'm not certain that the P47 is modelled accurately enough for this to work in IL2FB. The roll rate of a P47 feels too slow compared to this story. The important thing is to note how Johnson used his few advantages to give himself the chance to build an energy advantage in a diving extension and then zoom over and then down onto the Spitfire.

...."We flew together in formation and then I decided to see just what this aeroplane had to its credit.

I opened the throttle full and the Thunderbolt forged ahead. A moment later exhaust smoke poured from the Spit as the pilot came after me. He couldn't make it, the big Jug had a definite speed advantage. I grinned happily, I'd heard so much about this plane that I really wanted to show off the Thunderbolt to her pilot. The Jug kept pulling away from the Spitfire, suddenly I hauled back on the stick and lifted the nose. The Thunderbolt zoomed upward. I looked out and back, the Spit was straining to match me and barely able to hold his position.

But my advantage was only in the zoom - once in a steady climb the Spitfire shot past me as if I were standing still. Could that plane climb! He tore upward in a climb I couldn't match. Now it was his turn, the broad elliptical wings rolled, swung around and the Spit screamed in, hell-bent on chewing me up.

This was going to be fun. I knew that he could turn inside the heavy Thunderbolt and if I attempted to hold a tight turn the Spitfire would slip right inside me. I knew also that he could easily out climb me. I stayed out of those sucker traps. First rule in this kind of a fight: don't fight the way your opponent fights best. No sharp turns, don't climb, keep him at your level.

We were at 5000 feet, the Spitfire skidding around hard and coming in on my tail. No use turning - he'd whip right inside me as if I were a truck loaded with cement and snap out into a firing position. Well I had a few tricks too. The jug was faster and I threw it into a roll. right here I had him. The Jug could out roll any plane in the air, bar none. With my speed, roll was my only advantage and I made full use of the manner in which the Thunderbolt could whirl. I kicked the Jug into a wicked left roll, horizon spinning crazily once, twice and into a third. As he turned to the left to follow, I tramped down on the right rudder and banged the stick over to the right. Around and around we went, left, right, left, right. I could whip through better than two rolls before the Spitfire even completed his first. And this killed his ability to turn inside me. I just refused to turn. Every time he tried to follow me in a roll I flashed away to the other side, opening up the gap between our two planes.

Then I played the trump. The Spitfire was clawing wildly through the air trying to follow me in a roll, when I dropped the nose. The Thunderbolt howled and ran for earth. Barely had the Spitfire started to follow - and I was a long way ahead of him by now - when I jerked back on the stick and threw the Jug into a zoom climb. In a straight or turning climb the British plane had the advantage. But coming out of a dive there's not a British or German fighter that can come close to a Thunderbolt rushing upward in a zoom. Before the Spitfire pilot knew what had happened, I was high above him the Thunderbolt hammering around. And that was it - for in the next few moments the Spitfire pilot was amazed to see a less manoeuvrable, slower climbing Thunderbolt rushing straight at him, eight guns pointed ominously pointed at his cockpit."...