Rich S. wrote:
"T o d d P a t t i s t" wrote in message
...
"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.

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

Perhaps I wasn't clear. Maybe I can diagram it.

Aiming
point
. ----- ME-109

B-17
|
V


In your text you said the gunner fies when the ME 109
is directly behind the B17. For orthogonal ground
tracks, he cannot hit the ME 109 if it is *anywhere* behind
the B17 no matter where he aims because the flight
paths of the ME 109 cannot intersect the path
the bullet takes to the ground.


In your illustration, the gunner fires straight back
before the Me-109 is directly behind the B17. He can hit
if he fires at precisely the moment his gun crosses the
flight path of the Me-109.

--

FF