Quote:
Originally Posted by Kwiatek
Thx All for these intetesting post.
So in hand of experience pilot it could do better then Albatros but with novice pilot it could make more problems in handling, turn and combat situation?
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From what I know, that is an accurate statement. But I would clarify that it was a case of the Pfalz D-IIIA was a more capable weapon overall, but it took a better pilot to get the best out of it because it was less forgiving.
Pfalzes were excellent divers. And I wonder just how hard they were to get out of spins, because that was such a common tactic for Pfalz pilots in a hot spot, and such a tactic would not be so common if it was real risky. Albatros pilots were far less willing to "drop out of control." Even if the Pfalz were less likely to break up at high speeds, if you were lucky to get it back under control, it is not a tactic the pilot would try a second time. And that tactic did not seem to be limited to experienced pilots.
My own books on Pfalzes describe them as having excellent dive characteristics and good high-speed handling (which you need in a dive) and good spin characteristics. The D-IIIA, with its improved tail, was better at pulling out than the D-III. However, they could be tricky at very low speeds and you had to be very alert to land one. One Squadron/Signal book mentioned high landing speed that was especially bad with the D-XII.
A lot of Pfalzes were claimed as kills that flew home just fine too.
Mogadeet