Evening star., 1940-12-08
u. S. Planes Lack Fire Power,
Thorough r. A. F. Tests Show
American Ships Deficient in Armament,
Too Complicated for Air Combat

| fire will be obsolete within a few
months. The new machines in pro-
duction will probably have IL ma
chine guns.
There are a number of other de-
ficiencies in the American machine
as fighting weapon, but this is the
principal one. A Messerschmitt 109
has only four machine guns. The
fact that the English pursuit ships
have eight is the reason why the
British won the battle of September
to Is, although the odds in num-
Der of ships were overwhelmingly
against them. The other faults with
the American pursuit ships as fight
ing machines are these:
They tend to- inadequately armor
the pilot The pilot should have ar
NOR at least under his seat and be-
hind his back-armor strong enough
to protect him from machine gun
fire. Some of the German planes
armor the top of their pilots head
and the back of his neck and the
calves of his legs also. There have
been occasions when as many as
three Spitfires emptied their full
loadS-24 machine guns in all-at
the back of a German pilot without
succeeding in killing him.
U. S. Planes Too Complicated.
The American pursuit planes are
definitely too complicated to fly off
the ground into combat. I have had
pursuit pilots estimate that it took
them as long as 20 minutes to ad-
just their American machines for
combat after taking off. Wheels
must come up Gasoline tanks must
be opened and closed. Manifold pres
sures and propeller pitches must be
regulated. In the cockpits of some
of the United States pursuit ships
there are lists of things to do taking
off and landing. facing the pilot
where he sits so that he won't for
get.
The Hurricane and the Spitfire
have few adjustments. Flaps and
wheels work automatically on the
pressure of buttons. There is SIM
pie, single booster (Supercharger)
control on the motor This differ
ence is enormously important for
two reasons.
First, the pursuit ship may have
to go into action within few min
utes after getting off the ground.
The Spitfires and the Hurricanes
had to in the early days of the war
when dive bombers came over Dover
But second and more important
complicated controls in pursuit cock
pits completely fail to understand
materiel with which the fighting is
done. The materiel is young man
in a hell of hurry. probably in a
highly emotional state. The materleI
is not a commercial pilot with a
long run ahead of him and gasoline
to conserve. with performance charts
to fill out and hand in to the opera
tions manager He only wants one
thing of his motor: All the power il
can give him as quickly as it car
give it.
Machines Can't Compete.
The above statements are care.
fully made after being on the field
I spent day at the experimental
station where all kinds and variP
ties of ships are tried out. did moi
see the American Airacobra, which
had not reached the field But die
see the Brewster CBufalo) fighter
and others.
The most elementary check was
completely convincing: These ma.
chimes cannot compete with either
the existing English or German
fighters. CThe English experimental
field had Messerschmitts there a;
wel) If they cannot compete with
the existing fighting machines, what
chance have they in the spring when