Quote:
Originally Posted by Al Schlageter
One has be careful with Soviet data. What was achieved under test conditions was not necessarily obtained with what came out the factory door to operational units.
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That could be said about any nation's air force. Bullet holes, patches, dust, dents, grass stuck in rivets, poor mainenance, bad gaskets, all of these things will cause a degradation in performance. I very much doubt that BOB-era spitfires and hurricanes were in the same polished condition as Supermarine's test aircraft were.
Everything I've read indicates Soviet workmanship problems were largely solved by mid-war, particularly when it came to fit and finish of the aircraft bodies.