BRITISH PLANES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1940, Page 5

BRITISH PLANES

SUPERIORITY OVER GERMAN MACHINES SPITFIRE’S GREAT PERFORMANCE. MESSERSCHMITT'S SERIOUS SHORTCOMINGS. Experience of the wAr has confirmed the belief, based on information which has been obtained previously, that the Spitfire, Britain's standard fighter, has a better all-round performance than the German standard single-seater fighter, the Messerschmitt 109 (states a report issued by the publicity branch of the British Air Ministry). According to statements from Norwegian, Swiss and Spanish pilots who had flown the Messerschmitt before the war, the aircraft, though extremely fast, lacks manoeuvrability, and stalls very easily. The lack of manoeuvrability has been displayed in numerous combats, and no doubt accounts for the Messerschmitt being outclassed by the French Curtiss as well as by the Spitfire.

The superiority of the Curtiss was emphasised on November 6, in two “dog-fights” which occurred on the Western Front, in each case between nine Messerschmitts and seven Curtiss. The net result was that four Messerschmitts were destroyed, while all the French aircraft returned to their aerodromes.

Mock combats between the French Curtiss and the British Hurricane Fighter in France have demonstrated, that the latter can outmanoeuvre the former. And the Hurricane is Britain's second-best fighter. As regards the Messerschmitt's liability to stall.* there is good reason to believe that the German pilots are afraid to fly it at night and it is known that very few of these aircraft have, in fact, been flown at night in the present conflict.

The Spitfire has proved to be satisfactory in every way; not only is it the best fighter on its side in the present war, but experience has proved that any type of German bomber which comes with effective range of its eight machine-guns stands little chance of survival.