Comment on The Ace Maker by markkarvon
was it the hellcat, I was thinking about something else, a fighter bomber, fat body. different.
Fat bodied fighter bomber with thick wings and can bank a turn the Zero cannot keep up with?
Fat bodied fighter bomber with thick wings and can bank a turn the Zero cannot keep up with?
WILDcat, my friend. F4F Wildcat. The predecessor to the Hellcat. Smaller engine. Slower.
Over 180-240 mph, on the deck, the Wildcat would easily out maneuver a zero. Couldn't climb, not turn with one below 180mph. But over 180, and down low, Wildcats had a superior turn radius. The Zero had awful problems turning at high speeds above 180mph. Wildcats (like the M4 Sherman) are truly underrated fighters.
it could outbank a zero though but only a few pilots at the time knew that, I saw it somewhere, don't remember where?
Amen.