Vicious Lagg's

[Anw.StG2_Tyke]

Late 109 variants were heavier and used more powerful engines and the pilot training was lacking quite a bit later in the war. Those were the main causes for the take-off crashes.

 

I don't think that the F-4 in BoS is too easy to take-off with, but i'm expecting the G-2 to be a little bit trickier in this regard.

That's not true.

In fact the 109 E Series encountered from 1939 to 1940 more than 1.536 Take Off Incidents which sometimes caused dead.

[Matt]

Can you post the source for that claim and also specify "sometimes".

 

Thanks.

[Anw.StG2_Tyke]

Can you post the source for that claim and also specify "sometimes".

 

Thanks.

Sure, well in German there are several statements about that. One Source states the Gereralzeugmeister der Luftwaffe gave the information.

Anyway, here is the link to the german site.

http://www.fliegerweb.com/geschichte/flugzeuge/lexikon.php?show=lexikon-574

 

Here is one example of a known take-off crash:

"Sonntag, 30. März 1941 Am Fpl. Vlissingen kommt es zu einem Startunfall der Bf 109 E-3 Werknr. 1187 vom Gruppenstab. Der Flugzeug*führer bleibt unverletzt, der Schaden wird mit 50% angegeben."

Here more:

23.04.43 4./J.G.5 F Alakurtti flyplass Take off accident Bf 109G-2 Uffz. Herbert Lorenz (F) Killed

03.05.43 II./J.G.5 F Alakurtti flyplass Take off accident Bf 109G-2 Fw. Gerhard Teinhod (F) Wounded

 

 

But I made some research and If you have time, you can read here about it:

http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/articles/109myths/#takeoff

and here

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/bf-109-aka-me-109-landing-gear-myth-research-thread-29605.html

 

Furthermore, Even Günther Rall and some other aces stated this problem with the 109. There is some Interviews with them on youtube.

[MarcoRossolini]

I have read that all this WW1 parachutes thing is an urban legend. Parachutes during WW1 do exist since many years, but were heavy and huge. No pilote wanted to carry such a cumbersome and heavy thing aboard their small plane.

 

 

 

 

 

 

True for the Entente but by the later stages of the war many German pilots used them to great effect.

[ShamrockOneFive]

Remember folks... the LaGG-3's reputation was cemented fairly early on. The Series 29 and Series 35 that came later were somewhat better built, lighter and with more powerful engines and refined aerodynamics. While the Series 29 isn't going to be cream of the crop...

 

I see the LaGG-3 in much in the same way that the P-40 is often regarded: Good enough and available in enough numbers to matter until something better came along.