In article .com,
wrote:

Quick question: what does a plane have that a bullet lacks?


Answer: an engine to maintain its speed.


Bullets start slowing down the moment they leave the muzzle (alright,
just slightly *after* they leave the muzzle), while the aircraft that
fired them can maintain its speed.

But in this case there is no air friction to "slow" the bullet.
It leaves the gun into still air, and so if the bomber is accelerated a
bit by the gun's recoil, its muzzle velocity is a bit less than the
airplane's velocity and so will move "forward" a little as it falls.


Dan

Read the question I answered...

A related question: Haven't there been cases of supersonic
fighters shooting themselves down when they caught up to the shells
they'd fired forward?

Dan

I was hoping someone would answer that. I recall seeing/hearing/reading
somewhat the same thing back when. Best I can recall it involved an
F-86 or equivalent (not supersonic) and happened by firing and then
going into a dive thus flying into the bullet stream. Are 50 cal
bullets supersonic?
If so, the plane would also have to be.


--
Alan Baker
Vancouver, British Columbia
"If you raise the ceiling 4 feet, move the fireplace from that wall
to that wall, you'll still only get the full stereophonic effect
if you sit in the bottom of that cupboard."