A snip from

http://yarchive.net/mil/p38.html

"Although the Spitfire could execute a tighter turning
circle than the P-38, Lowell was able to use the P-38's excellent stall
characteristics to repeatedly pull inside the Spit's turn radius and ride
the stall, then back off outside the Spit's turn, pick up speed and cut
back in again in what he called a "cloverleaf" maneuver."

This is not your 'traditional' description of a cloverleaf as taught in
pilot training. That is a climb (with decreasing airspeed) followed with
bank angle slowly increasing so that the nose will fall thru the horizon
while inverted. From there you perform (more or less) a split S. You
should now be heading 90 deg to your original heading. Then repeat. You
can do four of these in a row and ta da you get your cloverleaf!!!!

But I don't think that's what he's talking about here...

The Lowell description is more akin to flying in "lag" to pick up airspeed
then pulling your nose to "lead" (with resulting loss of energy aka
airspeed/altitude). I guess after doing a couple of these, you could
picture a cloverleaf if looking down from above the turn

Mark

"Stephen Harding" wrote in message
...
In a description of an alledged fight between American
pilot named Lawrence in a P-38 versus Adolf Galland in
a Ta-152 (or was that an FW 190D??), Lawrence mentions
a "cloverleaf" maneuver that apparently positioned him
well against Galland.

From the context of the story, I gather it was something
a P-38 was especially good at because of it's twin engine
control. Galland was apparently surprised by the maneuver.

Anyone know what this maneuver actually was, and if a P-38
was especially good at it?

CC, I think the story came from you! Care to comment?

Don't know why it's taken me so long to ask, but I just
gotta know now!


SMH