Which was the ARR's deadliest opponent in 1944?

Transavia,
Again, I have no idea what is the purpose of that wall of text. Comparing the Mustang to other planes is like comparing an apple to an orange to figure out which is the best banana.

No one denied the importance of the wing on the Merlin Mustang. All I said was that the Allison Mustang, with the same wing, was not a successful design. This is not "me" saying it, it is accepted knowledge. So, you are not arguing with "me", you are arguing with history. You do not have to take my word for it, research it.

Honestly, if your aim was to prove that you "know stuff about aircraft" you succeded in proving the opposite.

I repeat, this is OOT and serves no purpose here.

Radu

Interesting article:
http://www.virtualarad.net/orizont_aviatic...4/articol_4.htm
Of course some things could be written better, but I trust the main fact mentioned by the eyewitness.

What I understand from that article is that you can not easy indentify what fighter planes were dueling in romanian sky in april '44.
I can not trust ground eyewitness (regarding planes I.D.) as long as even pilots ( US or romanians alike) made wrong I.D.

The eyewitness could not mistake the IAR 80 type because of the radial engine ( the FW 190 unit SG2 was not fighting at Ploesti in april) but regarding Meserschmitts and Mustangs (both with inline engines ) hard not to mistake them.

This post has been edited by Cantacuzino on January 24, 2013 08:21 am

My late father, who eye witnessed the air battle over Szaszrégen/Reghin on 31 August 1944 described the Bf 109s and Mustangs as the black and shiny aircraft.

Gen. Dénes

The "eyewitness" insists that on 21 April 1944, I.A.R.80-C No. 284 was shot down by four German Messerschmitts and crashed near Crivina railway station.

This does not match operational records.

I.A.R.80-C No. 284 was not flyable in April 1944. At that time it was in ASAM Cotroceni where it was undergoing repairs. It did not fly in May. On 1 June 1944 it joined Esc. 49Vt/Flt.3Vt (Galati). In August it was transferred to Esc. 45 (Rosiori de Vede). In September 1944 it provided air cover in the area of "Munitii Apuseni" with no victory claims. This plane never fought the Americans. There is absolutely no way that it was "destroyed" in April 1944 "by four Messerschmitts" because it survived the war and was scrapped in 1947 in Popesti-Leordeni (after it was damaged while landing on 31 May 1946 by Adj.Av. C. Georgescu).

I.A.R.81-C No. 354 crashed near Crivina railway station on 21 April 1944 while flown by Slt.Av. Aurel Totoi.

HTH
Radu

This post has been edited by Radub on January 24, 2013 12:40 pm

And Mustangs arrived for the first time over romania on that day ( 21 April) so the "eyewitness" could easy mistake Mustangs with Messerschmitts.