The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-04-30
American Pilots Say They
Could Do Better Il Combat
Equipment More Efficient
BY vERN HAUcLAND

OfCA tnC 0UiHinu1llstS IL tH6y 1au
better equipment, says air expert
James H. Jimmy Doolittle.
That's the newest development
In the long-standing debate over
which is the better air weapon
the Russian-built MIG or the Amer.
lean F-S6 Sabre Jet.
| Famed flier Doolittle, special as.
sistant on technical matters to Gen.
Hoyt S. vandenberg, Air Force
chief of staff, recently conferred
with IL combat pilots newly re-
turned from Korea.
"They were pleased with their
11-to-1 victory record in MIG AL
ley, but they were critical of the
equipment they were flying" says
DoolittIe.
"They felt that with better
equipment they could make the
score 20 to |. They all wanted
higher performance and greater
simplicity.
1--WE discussed armament, radar
computing sights, armor plate, self
sealing tanks, election seats. in
tegral starters. duplicate controls,
emergency ystems and parking
brakes.
"But when we considered their
elimination in the interests of
lighter weight and greater SIM
plicity, only the removal of the
parking brakes and some armor
plate were unanimously agreed
upon. These are relatively minor
items"
Doolittle says it Is undeniable
that Air Force equipment is be-
coming costlier, heavier and more
complex. But he deplores the fact
that the public often is told that
this Is bad, that it increases the
tax burden, pampers the air crews
and even handicaps pilots in COM
bat.
Actually, the enemy determines
how complex our equipment must
| be-" Doolittle says. cit must be
better than his. Much Of it must
be able to operate in any part Of
the world, at any time, under any
and all weather conditions.
An airplane must be complete
enough to accomplish its mission
and bring the crew safely home. !"
The same complaints THAT
American planes are unnecessarily
c0mplex-were heard in World War
II. American fighter pilots found
they we're being outflown b. the
lighter, swifter. more maneuver-
able German Messerschmitts and
Japanese Zeros. But the American
fighters, built to bomb and strafo
ground targets as well as TO inter
cept the enemy and equipped for
comparatively long range. were
not outgunned or outfought. The
victory payoff proved that.
It's the same story over again
in Korea. The F-s6 pilots say the
MIG is lighter and faster. 1t can
outclimb and outmaneuver the Sa-
hre Jet at high attitudes. It's can.
non pack a heavier wailop than
the Sabre's machine guns.
But the F-S6 battle score con.
tinues 70 rise.
Vandenberg comedies that the
| MIG-15:
| Has a slight advantage over the
F-S6 in rate Of climb at all alti.
tudes:
Is somewhat faster than the F-ss
above 5000 feet:
Being lighter. has q higher serv-
ice ceiling. The top fighting level
for the F-s8 is lover 5000 feet
(the exact ceiling is classified.
''The MIG has certain advmt-
ages built into it," says vsnden.
berg. SIT Is LIGHTER. The rs has
certain advantages built into 1t. II
Is heavier.
The MIG has q larger proiectIls
and q slower rate Of fire. The F.ss
a smaller proiectile and q larger
rate Of fire.
II Is undispused that The F-ss Is
superior 10 the MIC.ls in range
At all attitudes. lip 10 Is 600 feet Il
! Is just as fast 81 the MIG handles
better. and can ost-dNe The Rus.
sian built fighter.
The F.ss is d better Gun plat
form. says Vandenbsrg III S
more stable than the MIG. It has
> better gunxight
The F-8s has six - ealiber ma.
chine guns and can carry iva 200
pound bombs. with Is five Enrh
/ rockets under the wfina. It's maxi
mum weight Is 1900 p0andz. corn
/ pared with 1900 inr tha MIC Is
which ID armed with twa- xsmm.
ard COR 80 nsrn. eannon. TIE 60
xins thrust ia ne MIG IS Is KrsAter
tran The 10 pmaad thrust suaae
a. the Fs2A and & mo1el5
Many pilets. wnsehlnx to nsga
lnx AcnFeboara IN KnFea ssg peg
hzps eannsa anenl tast
Ger set combat Theg s4y he gas.
fAsasi sigeSn s. Ere fTeas masaiax
aazs-- i1se Feznss i msazse 81
aeeoasi tx sha Sabre Tets egsr
i0r battle persrgmanes * fery
speeds. They eEzsmsse sAas IL =
single eomhzt EWeeg 4 MIG has