T o d d P a t t i s t wrote:
"RST Engineering" wrote:

No, the ME-109 has zero relative velocity in the B-17s flight path...he said
CROSSING 50 yards behind the aircraft.

True, he said "crossing," but he also said he's leading the
ME-109, and I specified that he fires straight back, i.e.,
he leads the ME-109 so that he's aiming at the point where
the ME-109 crosses the B-17s flight path.

There is "leading" and there is "leading correctly". It makes
no sense to state the former without implying the latter so
the question reduces to whether or not it is *possible*
to hit, since if the gunner leads *correctly* he will
hit by the definition of *leading*.


The bullet drops straight down (relative to the ground).
The ME-109 flies into it before it drops significantly.

If by crossing we mean the ground tracks are orthogonal and
if it was already behind the B17 when the shot was fired
then without a velocity component parallel to the
flight path of the B17 the Me-109 will always cross the
flight path of the B17 *behind* the point where the shot
was fired. The gunner cannot hit the ME 109 in those
circumstances.

The gunner has to fire (and I got this wrong a minute ago)
at the moment the flight path of the B17 (actually at the
moment the muzzle of his gun) crosses the flight
path of the ME 109 ahead of the Me 109, and at the correct
elevation angle to compensate for differences in altitude,
and rate of climb of the Me-109 relative to the B17, keeping
in mind that the changes in elevation angle will also affect
the horizontal compenants of the bullet's velocity.

--

FF