good boom & zoom aircrafts

[Gallo Rojo]

Cheers!
my friends an I are trying to 'improve' an old house rule about boom&zoom

Question here is, Am I right if I say some aircraft were better boom&zoom-ers than others?

Example: I would say that SPADs series, SE5a, Fokker D.VII, Pfalz D.III and D.XII were good at it... while Fokker Dr.I, Sopwith Camel, Nieuport Seires, Hanriot HD.1 not so much...

Am I right?

if I recall correctly all was about the fighter's ability to store kinetic energy from a dive and transform it into speed for a climb

again, Am I right?

What planes would you guys say that were better at it and which ones were worst? In order, I mean. My guess is, from better to worst: SPAD XIII and VII, Pfalz D.XII, probably were excellent... while Fokker D.VII and SE5a, Pfalz D.III were good ... and Albatros DV, Camels, Nieuports, HD.1, Dr.I were bad at it -- I'm guessing a good dive speed and strong constitution were important factors for boom&zoom. Am I right?

[Naharaht]

Early Nieuports and Albatrosses tended to shed their top wings in steep dives.

[gully_raker]

I actually believe that the SE5a was the best of the Dive & Zoom aircraft with the Fok D.VII & the Sopwith Dolphin close behind. The Spad XIII was faster but not so good at the Dive/Zoom.
Pfalz D.III could dive without the wings coming off but did not zoom so well.

[Watchdog]

The Austro-Hungarian Albatros D.III (Oeffag) scouts were greatly improved compared to the original German model and the problem with the struts not being able to hold the wings together was generally solved.

[Kaiser]

Early Nieuports and Albatrosses tended to shed their top wings in steep dives.

Actually it was the lower wing which itself wouldn't be THAT fatal if the steerring cables wheren't also located there.

[Flying Officer Kyte]

I'll take the good old SE5a every time for the zoom and boom manouver.
Kyte.

[Black Bishop]

it seems Shopwith Triplane excelled at it

[Jager]

Well, he's got the "BOOM" part of it down; Zoom...not so much
Karl

[Gallo Rojo]

can anyone please point me to a good article/paper/book (better if on-line available) that describes the dynamic and physics of this maneuver and compares different aircrafts in relation to it?

[Flying Officer Kyte]

Well, he's got the "BOOM" part of it down; Zoom...not so much
Karl

And that me Lud concludes the case for the prosecution.
Rob.

[Gallo Rojo]

well, if the 'boom' part of the b&z is a steep-dive (which is an over-dive in game terms if I got it right), no plane with structural problems should be able to boo&zoom. And that would include not only the Sopwith Triplane but also the Fokker Dr.I, Albatros DIII and maybe DV due to their low wing weakness and tendency to break in steep dives, and the Nieuports (as David stated above).

If the 'zoom' part was a sort of steep-climb (taking advantage of kinetic energy earned during the dive) then only planes with good clim rates (or those that could 'storage' kinetic energy) could do the 'zoom'

so that brings me to my fist post:
SE5a, Fokker D.VII, and D.XII were good for B&Z... the rest, not so much, but not only because they were good in turning battles (Turn&Burn), but also because they were not so good for B&Z (except for the Fokker D.VII which seems was good to everything, the only think to be complaining about the D.VII seems to be that it didn't included a good expresso machine to enjoy a latte during dawn-patrols).

Bak to the SPAD-XIII: with its new climb rate of 2 (in game terms) it seems it should be a good B&Z... however the data I'm getting from other sources is contradictory: guys who play (I know it's only a game) Rise of Flying seems to agree about that (at least in game terms) the SPAD is a great for Boom&Zooming, but according to others, it was not such a good climber so the actual tactic for actual SPAD pilots was Boom and RUN (instead of Zoom) -- looks like that was the tactic preferred by AVG's P-40 too.

any feedback will be welcomed!

[gully_raker]

well, if the 'boom' part of the b&z is a steep-dive (which is an over-dive in game terms if I got it right), no plane with structural problems should be able to boo&zoom. And that would include not only the Sopwith Triplane but also the Fokker Dr.I, Albatros DIII and maybe DV due to their low wing weakness and tendency to break in steep dives, and the Nieuports (as David stated above).

If the 'zoom' part was a sort of steep-climb (taking advantage of kinetic energy earned during the dive) then only planes with good clim rates (or those that could 'storage' kinetic energy) could do the 'zoom'

so that brings me to my fist post:
SE5a, Fokker D.VII, and D.XII were good for B&Z... the rest, not so much, but not only because they were good in turning battles (Turn&Burn), but also because they were not so good for B&Z (except for the Fokker D.VII which seems was good to everything, the only think to be complaining about the D.VII seems to be that it didn't included a good expresso machine to enjoy a latte during dawn-patrols).

Bak to the SPAD-XIII: with its new climb rate of 2 (in game terms) it seems it should be a good B&Z... however the data I'm getting from other sources is contradictory: guys who play (I know it's only a game) Rise of Flying seems to agree about that (at least in game terms) the SPAD is a great for Boom&Zooming, but according to others, it was not such a good climber so the actual tactic for actual SPAD pilots was Boom and RUN (instead of Zoom) -- looks like that was the tactic preferred by AVG's P-40 too.

any feedback will be welcomed!

I reckon you have that just right Ezekiel!

[Kaiser]

AFAIK the SPAD and P40 where relatively heavy and because of this very good divers.

[Jager]

AFAIK the SPAD and P40 where relatively heavy and because of this very good divers.

Strong too.
Karl