Spit/109 sea level speed comparisons in 1.08 beta patch

[Kurfürst]

Originally Posted by Glider

Also lighter is a factor but a bigger one is drag which is where the 109 loses out.

Actually drag is the factor where the 109 may win out at high speeds. Parasitic drag is much lower on the 109 than on the Spitfire, and parasitic drag is what dominates total drag at higher speeds. The Spitfire turns better at low speeds because it has lower induced drag, and induced drag is what dominates total drag at low speeds.

Sustained turn is just the maximum g-load at which drag = thrust. Maximum sustained turn (i.e. the number usually quoted for turn times) is always achieved at lower speeds, but that doesn't mean the trends continue to high speeds and may be reversed. I am not sure if there is much to it - it can be well true that both aircraft can only turn so slowly in a sustained fashion that there is no tactical point in it.

Bottom line, a faster aircraft will always outturn a slower aircraft at high speeds, the question is not really wheter this happens or not, but: by how much?