Читаю книгу: Fighter Pilot. The Firts American Ace of WWII, William R. Dunn.
Книга довольно интересная - автор является первым Американским асом подбив 6 самолетов противника в 1941. Путь автора начался с Канадской армии где его приняли в 1939 году в виде исключения (поскольку граждан США туда брать не разрешалось) Затем атвор участвует в Битве За Британию в качестве зенитчика одного из аэродромов где умудряется подбить две "штуки" на выходе изпике . И наконец к концу Битвы За Британию его переводят (по его желанию) в Eagle Squadron - специальную эскадрилью для Американских добровольцев....
В книге можно найти большое количество интересных подробностей детальные описания техники, воздушных поединков, солдатской жизни и разнообразных смешных армейских историй..
Вот уникальный случай как из взорвавшегося самолета выпрыгивает пилот:
"The attacking Huns have come straight down on us, hoping to break through the escort and get to the bombers. It was the leader of the first section of four 109s that had taken a quick squirt at me as he dove past.
Over on the right side of the formation I see a long trail of white smoke. One of our Spitfires is in a fast, steep dive with glycol streaming out behind it. He has been hit in the radiator or engine coolant system and is making for the French coast and home with his damaged aircraft. Hope he makes it before his engine seizes. Getting shot up in the first few seconds of an attack sometimes happens; somebody must be unlucky and get clobbered first.
Another section of four Huns comes hurtling down to join in the scrap. The bluish-white bellies of their aircraft flash in the morning sun. I can clearly see the black crosses, bordered with white, painted on their stubby, square-tipped wings. All the Messerschmitts' noses are painted in bright yellow. We know this German unit - we've met in battle before - as the "Abbeville Kids" Most of the Hun kites are Me-109Es, with a few of the newer Me-109Fs.
A Spitfire from A Flight - Flight Lieutenant George Brown, I think - climbs up to engage the four newcomers. I watched his eight machine guns send a long burts of .303s into the belly of the thirs 109. The enemy aircraft's fuselage is blown in half just in front of the tail section. Then the port wing explodes and rips off as the ammunition tray for 20-mm cannon in it is hit. Another second and Messer's hoods jettisons off. Out comes the enemy pilot from his cockpit. I momentarily watch the body falling through the air untill his parachute snaps open far below the flight. How he was able to get out of that 109 alive, I'll never now. The lucky SOB."
А вот ощущения автора во время атаки:
"...I climb fast behind and above the two Huns. I'm about 1500 feet above them now, and I have the sun at my back. I give my engine full throttle and dive on the rearmost enemy aircraft. The German leader of two sees me coming and quickly half-rolls onto his back, diving away from me. The second 109, my target, does a climbing turn to the left. I close the range to about 150 yards, line the Hun up in my gun-sight, then I press the gun-firing button. My aircraft shudders as I hear the sharp chatter of its eight machine guns. Acrid fumes of burned gunpowder fill my cockpit and sting my nostrils. I like this odor. It seems to stiffen my spine, tighten my muscles, make my blood race. It makes myscalp tingle, and I want to laugh.."
Здесь про использование закрылков в бою:
" The German's traces, glowing like a little ball of fire, flash past my cockpit. I yank back the throttle, give my prop full fine pitch, jam the flaps down, and violently skid my aircraft out of his gunsight. He is now closing too fast. I have greately decreased my speed by changing prop pitch and by dumping flaps - luckily the flaps didn't blow off. He overshoots me, skimming not more then ten feet above my head"
Все вышеописанные детали когда автор летал на Spitfire Mk II A.
Ответить с цитированием
Печатал прямо из книги..
If you got into a flat spin or tumble with the damned thing - and it was easily done if you weren't very careful - there was nothing to do but bail out of it.(My kid brother, who trained on P-39s in the class of 43G, bailed out of three of them -two flat spins and one tumble). As an example, if you were practicing firing at a ground target and pulled up sharply after your pass, the tail plane would stall without warning and the rear end of the P-39 would fall out from under you with a frightening snap. If you were too low, there wasn't a chance of recovering - you went in with the kite. Trying to trim the Aircobra, even in level flight, was like sitting on the head of a pin, where you could fall off any direction at any time.
Особенно последняя фраза! 
