Why would an RAF pilot become a USAAC co-pilot?

"Keith Willshaw" wrote:


"Eunometic" wrote in message
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"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
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"Ed Majden" wrote in message
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The US daylight bombers required a co-pilot for the physically and
mentally fatiquing task of close formation flying upon which their
defensive boxes were based. Lancasters just bumbelled along in bomber
streams at night presumably on auto-pilot much of the way.


Incorrect. That would have been an excellent way of committing
suicide. One of the reasons that Lancasters flew in such loose formations
was that they were constantly weaving to uncover blind spots and spoil
the aim of any fighter.

Moreover the standard tactic on spotting an enemy fighter was NOT
to return fire but to enter a series of violent evasive manoeveurs
called a corkscrew.

Keith

I thought it was called 'Jink' or 'jinking' wasn't it?...I know
that there was that selection on the Lanc autopilot. We never
tried it, we had been scared because there was a rumour that it
produced violent random maneuvers.
--

-Gord.