Tempest max speed

[mondo]

Originally Posted by *Buzzsaw*

Never heard that one. Maybe you could provide a quote? All the Tempest pilots I have read or talked to said it was a superb plane. If Clostermann thought the Tempest was a deathtrap, he must have had a deathwish, because he sure spent a lot of time in one shooting down Germans.

In the same way the Corsair was the 'ensign eliminator' the Tempests characteristics made it a plane for seasoned pilots. It was considered harder to fly because of its high speed controls and setup. It had a high landing speed compared to other aircraft of its time, a high stall speed, just about adequate low speed controls, an engine that if not cared for correctly could break easily. Its not that it was a death trap, it just was very capable at being a flying coffin very quickly unless you were an experienced pilot, unlike the Spitfire.

All together is was quite unlike any plane Tempest pilots would have previously flown and low level flying also required some considerable experiance.