Methodology thread: Pilot efficiency

Attention score keepers: In Mike Spick's book about German WWII flyers, he states that the Germans did not call their pilots aces, but used the term Experten (Experts); and further that each pilot was rated by the ratio of sorties flown to the results produced. A more realistic table would show: Total days service

Billy

The only problem i can see is that the method could not be used to compare the early aces to the later ones, due to the lack of targets in the early days. Although having said that it would be interesting to see how Boelcke compared with MvR.

Just food for thought

Mark

[rammjaeger]

Mark
has already put the finger on the wound but it is not only a problem concerning the earlier and later air aces! If an ace like Baldamus is fighting on such a quiet front like the area of the German 3rd Army - he will never get the same treatment as von Richthofen fighting on a more active front. Baldamus was even hampering his own success because the enemy started to avoid air action in his sector.
How could we ever measure or consider that impact?

VBR

Hannes

[Barrett]

The only fair way to crunch these numbers is to divide confirmed kills by the number of firing encounters, and that requires detailed info. Otherwise, total days/sorties/whatever weighs the equation too heavily in favor of those who were fortunate (?) enough to experience a high engagement ratio. And that's largely a factor of luck more than ability.

[PeterL]

Is the problem here that statisticians require an unending supply of statistics? Having exhausted all the existing statistics, is there a clause in Parkinsons law which demands more are manufactured in order to justify the existence of statisticians?

research has shown that 87% of all statistics are made up on the spot

Peter L

Greetings Mark: Good point: that could be another heading: Estimate of targets available + Availability combat pilots. Wasn't the thing that made Boelcke and Immelman dangerous in the "Fokker Menace" the fact that they had Spandaus that could shoot through the blades? You could also mwake a heading to show type plane used + #MGs. Make it better. VBR, Billy H 11/20/996.

Greetings Hannes: See my reply to Mark. Efficiency is efficiency; if you consider that on any given day there were 5K Allied aircraft vs 3K German aircraft aloft (during flying weather) spread along the more than 400 mile front. The Statistics would average out. But this table would show a very important statistic: the number of flyers who spent time at the front in combat but who never scored, or got a confirmed victory. KRs, Billy H/11/20/99.

[Ira_Silverman]

Peter:

I'm reminded of the New York City politician (I believe it was during the Tweed era) who first coined the phrase, "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics!"

VBR,

Ira

Barrett-san: My system is open to more headings than I originally specified. Am I wrong in assuming that pilots were required to state how many rounds they fired on a particular patrol, and that there was a round-counter on each gun? The more parameters there are the better assessment of efficiency can be made. This brings up the ticklish notion of how many pilots were dedicated to making aggressive attacks every day of the week...Another parameter: How about a heading about aborted missions due to mechanical failure? Barrett, you still did not answer my query about Frank Tillman, First Fighter Group. Was he kin? Regards, Billy H/11`/21/99.

Nonstatistical Ira, Greetings: The question was asked of the Forum, by a young lady, as to who was the best ace, as a function of how many planes were downed. I did not think that was the way the measure efficiency and that other factors could be tabulated to give a more realistic idea of efficiency...War is a matter of statistics, isn't it? Isn't that how we measure these aces, by the numbers? I would like to hear from the girl who asked that question. Kindest regards, Billy H/11/21/99.