Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Wars and ConflictsΒ  permalink

What makes a good fighter ace?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by TonyG (U1830405) on Monday, 5th December 2005

  What is it that makes some pilots stand out from the others? Von Richthofen was a mediocre pilot by his own admission, so flying ability was not essential. Adolf Galland had to cheat to get through an eyesight test and Saburo Sakai famously flew on after losing one eye, so good eyesight wasn't esential.
  
  Some, like Rickenbacker, Pat Pattle and Galland were ordinary men who were well liked by their fellows, so ruthlessness was not essential.
  
  Was it as simple as good marksmanship? That does seem to be one common factor.
  
  It seems, though, that all sorts could become fighter aces. WW1 threw up characters as diverse as Albert Ball, Werner Voss, Frank Luke Jr, Raoul Lufbery. Mick Mannock and James McCudden. What did they have in common that gave them the edge?

  Link to this forum: What makes a good fighter ace?

  Report message1

• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by icedbread (U2153378) on Monday, 5th December 2005

  What is it that makes some pilots stand out from the others? Von Richthofen was a mediocre pilot by his own admission, so flying ability was not essential. Adolf Galland had to cheat to get through an eyesight test and Saburo Sakai famously flew on after losing one eye, so good eyesight wasn't esential.
  
  Some, like Rickenbacker, Pat Pattle and Galland were ordinary men who were well liked by their fellows, so ruthlessness was not essential.
  
  Was it as simple as good marksmanship? That does seem to be one common factor.
  
  It seems, though, that all sorts could become fighter aces. WW1 threw up characters as diverse as Albert Ball, Werner Voss, Frank Luke Jr, Raoul Lufbery. Mick Mannock and James McCudden. What did they have in common that gave them the edge? Β 

  Link to this forum: What makes a good fighter ace?

  Report message2

• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by icedbread (U2153378) on Monday, 5th December 2005

  i think thay had that almost youthfull excitment
  in them that made them razor sharp on those occations that would make most of us go running for our mums the total faith in there buddies and faith in what thay fly.....being ouite insain helped

  Link to this forum: What makes a good fighter ace?

  Report message3

• Message 4

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by arnaldalmaric (U1756653) on Monday, 5th December 2005

  TonyG,
  
  I'm speaking a bit off the top of my head here but one thing that stands out is that they all flew very good aircraft in comparison to the opposition at the time of their success.
  
  Richthofen had the pick of his circus, Galland (BF109E) and Sakai (Zero), Rickenbacker Spad 13, Pattle (Gladiator, oops my theory may be falling apart but look what he was up against), Voss (okay the Albatros CIII and Pfaldz DIII were dogs, but the triplane, Albatros DI and DIII were mean machines in their day), Ball, (once he got out of the Be2C), Nieuport 17 and SE5a, Frank Luke Jr, Spad 13, Lufbery Nieuport 17?, Mannock Se5a, McCudden Se5a.
  
  The other thing that stands out is that most of them didn't survive. Perhaps they all also went on too long and became combat weary.
  
  Aside from that marksmanship does seem to have been more important in WW1 than flying ability.
  
  Cheers AA.

  Link to this forum: What makes a good fighter ace?

  Report message4

• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by colonelblimp (U1705702) on Tuesday, 6th December 2005

  I remember reading somewhere that one of the crucial factors that makes an ace is "situational awareness". As I understand it,that means the ability constantly to keep track of friendly and hostile aircraft in your vicinity, and their changing position relative to yourself. Plus the ability to predict where they're going, so you can avoid colliding with them and take aim at your opponents. Marksmanship was certainly a common denominator during the World Wars but, although it's obviously a Good Thing, it's maybe not an absolute essential in the era of the "missile ace" (for example, IIRC, the USN Vietnam aces Cunningham and Driscoll flew exclusively in F-4 Phantoms which didn't even have a gun).
  
  Richtofen's situational awareness slipped during his last flight, when he was unaware of Roy Brown manoeuvring onto his tail (irrespective of whether it was actually Brown who shot him down).

  Link to this forum: What makes a good fighter ace?

  Report message5

• Message 6

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by expat32 (U2025313) on Tuesday, 6th December 2005

  Hi Tony,
  I read an interesting item a few years back concerning a study done by the USAF. It turns out one thing many American aces had in common was that they were very experienced shotgun hunters and skeet(clay pigeon) shooters.
  This I should think would only be relevant to marksmanship. If a fighter pilot was fortunate enough to get a few successful missions worth of experience without mishap, would also one of several factors that would bring success.
  
  Cheerz.

  Link to this forum: What makes a good fighter ace?

  Report message6

• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by TonyG (U1830405) on Tuesday, 6th December 2005

  Thanks for all your comments. I think, AA, you has a very good point on the aircraft. You are correct that the quality must be relative to the quality of the opposition's aircraft. However, while they may have started out flying superior craft, they did not necessarily end up doing so, but I expect that the experience they had gained by them compensated to some degree. Sakai was still flying a Zero at the end of the war against Hellcats and Corsairs which were a lot faster than the Zero as his own account confirms. Erich Hartmann was still flying a Bf 109 when it was well past its sell by date (OK against the Russians, but the later Yaks were pretty good).
  
  Lanoe Hawker could have been the greatest ever, but only had the DH2, the famous "Spinning Incinerator", and had to fly against the Albatros. Sooner or later his luck was going to run out. Can you imagine what would have happened if he had been flying a Sopwith Triplane when he met von Richthofen? Good bye Manfred.
  
  I'm not convinced about the issue of survival. Yes, some of those I mentioned did die (not Galland, Sakai or Rickenbacker), but others such as Udet, Bishop and Collishaw survived.
  
  I think the spacial awareness has something in it, too. We see similar things regarding first class sportsmen. What mark sout the really good one sis that they always seem to have time to do whatthey want to do, and to know what is goin gonaround them.
  
  Interesting point from expat on gunnery. I agree that marksmanship has a lot to do with it. However, it has to be skill at deflection shooting, which is supported by the skeet shooting aspect. Straight target shooting has little relevance to air combat.

  Link to this forum: What makes a good fighter ace?

  Report message7

Back to top