Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

[Paynts]

Which aircraft would come out on top? Come on guys, some of you must have an opinion?

[Gibbs]

Re: Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

From what I understand, it surely might become very close:

Bearcat is one ton lighter than Sea Fury (empty), but the British fighter has more power and topspeed (better aerodynamics, thinner wing with laminar air foil).

If Bearcat is allowed to use its ADI (that means approximately plus 200 HP), I think dogfight become very very close….

Gibbs

[morss]

Re: Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

from an equal start the bearcat wins every time
dave

[deepsky]

Re: Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

Bearcat hands down!

[Paynts]

Re: Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

Bearcat hands down!

Not quite........ I've been trying to find a way of downloading an article onto this website about a simulated dogfight between a bearcat and sea fury, but the files which are scanned PDFs are too big....

The article was written by Stephen Gray who runs the fighter collection at Duxford(UK) and owns an F8F 2P.

The article was published in the 2010 flying legends show programme.

Quite a few years ago he was challenged by Ray Hanna to a contest to see which plane was better in a dogfight. Ray was flying his own ex Iraqi Fury FB10 which he bought off David Tallichet. They both took off side by side, the Bearcat won the sprint of course, but what happened next was not what Mr Grey had planned. Suffice to say that although the Bearcat has an awesome rate of climb and is very nimble the Sea Fury has a more developed airframe and controls. The contest ended in a draw, and for those who reckon the guy flying the Bearcat must be a novice and not a top quality pilot Stephen Grey is neither..... Of course Ray Hanna was an ex squadron leader of the British red Arrows display team, which must have some bearing in the result......

[ignomini]

Re: Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

I think John Boyd would have argued the best combat pilot isn't necessarily a good formation flyer. Different disciplines.

What I would like to know is does either have an advantage in the turn or when diving? We know the Bearcat can climb like a SoB, that's what it was designed for.

As with most WWII combat, tactics are the likely deciding factor in this matchup.

[Leo]

Re: Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

Tactics would be the deciding factor. The two aircraft have much different abilities and each would have to use it's own to it's advantage.
Think P-38 vs. Zero...

[Paynts]

Re: Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

I think John Boyd would have argued the best combat pilot isn't necessarily a good formation flyer. Different disciplines.

What I would like to know is does either have an advantage in the turn or when diving? We know the Bearcat can climb like a SoB, that's what it was designed for.

As with most WWII combat, tactics are the likely deciding factor in this matchup.

At the end of the article Steven Grey wrote this disadvantages and advantages of bearcat against the S.F

1 lack of ailerons at high speed. Book limitations are "No full deflection at high speed or in high G turns" the Sea Fury ailerons are permitted full deflection at all speeds, they are also very powerful and precise.

2 the independant prop and throttle levers have to be carefully handled on the Bearcat to avoid over boosting the engine. In the Sea Fury both controls are linked in automatic.

3 the Sea fury can easily run away from the bearcat going downhill and it's zoom climb can neutralise the Bearcats climbing advantage providing its a yo yo style fight

4 the Bearcat is more nimble in a pinch than the longer and heavier Sea Fury

Mr Grey wrote at the end of the article " Later Ray and I refined this contest into an airshow act which was often a thoroughly interesting but taxing knife fight".
" please don't tell anyone else but my private take on the so called technical comparison between the 2 aircraft is that the better aircraft if the 2 is the one which is being flown by the better pilot"

[Leo]

Re: Bearcat Vs Sea Fury in a dogfight

There used to be (and I still have) a series of board games called "Air Force" and "Dauntless" which were fairly sophisticated war games, plane to plane combat.
It used to be fun to fight two disparate types just to see what happened. A Mustang, Focke Wulf or such against a Gloster Gladiator was a favorite. The Gloster would lose if the other craft got even one decent shot at it but that shot was so hard to get that sometimes the twisting, turning, Gloster would just pick away as the other went by and eventually shoot it down or render it impotent.