Why fly the Spitfire?

[Danelov]

Well , the point to remember and take in count always is : Spitfire fight better in the horizontal, turn better and close , 109 in the vertical, hit and run. Both planes weakest point is the radiator system, a good placed bullet in the radiator and the plane is on the way to go down. Also for the 109 ,the landing gear is very weakest. Some estimations speak of ca 20 % of the 109 production loss in landing accidents after the fragil landing gear. Messerschmitt was very skilled for gliders and so but the nightmare with the landing gear was always a great problem for him, and shortly later the disaster struck in full him with the failure of the Me 210, also with landing gear problems(and many others).