Garage Years: Surely the impact that occurred with AF447 would be a good model for an intact aircraft hitting the ocean at relative high vertical speed?
The comparative issues of 8501 forward and vertical impact speeds are very much current conjecture. Despite the extreme depth of 447 wreckage, drift during descent still resulted in a debris field that was not gigantic. The degree of fragmentation of AF447 both by map and underwater photos compared to what little we know of 8501 debris
at this early stage of recovery, and based on much conjecture, suggests relatively similar impacts might result in much different debris characteristics. The large area of 8501 tail section skin is about our only clue at present that suggests impact differences, but its large area is persuasive toward some causes.
AF447: Map of the debris field - Flight International