Is shooting down a V-! better than shooting down an ME 109?

Guy Alcala wrote:

Mike Dargan wrote:

IBM wrote:

(ArtKramr) wrote in
:



A V-1 striking the heart of London can do far more damage than any
single ME-109. Should those who killed V-1's be held in higher
esteem?



Shooting or tipping a V-1 was a fairly hazardous activity.
Shooting could set off the warhead as evidenced by some of the
surviving gun camera footage and tipping the beast was essentially
a controlled mid-air collision.

Did the aircraft actually make physical contact? Or, did it lower it's
wing tip in front of the V-1 tip thereby disrupting the airflow and
causing the V-1's wing to drop?

Neither. The recommended procedure was for the fighter to fly parallel to the V-1 and
place the fighter's wingtip several inches to a couple of feet under the V-1's
wingtip. The airflow would cause the V-1 to roll AWAY from the fighter, tumbling the
gyro. It was sometimes necessary for the fighter to bank slightly away from the V-1 to
bring the wings into close enough proximity, but physical contact was not intended.

Guy

That sounds reasonable, Mike's 'method' sounds sort of
'self-defeating' (big time) to me.
--

-Gord.