Physics question

You've made an irrelevant assumption here.


The answer is "It's all a matter of relativity"
With the correct lead, it does not matter what speed relative to the ground
the bullet is travelling, relative to the two aircraft is what is important.
remember the bullet is spinning so also maintains some gyroscopic stability.

All bullets fall to earth at 9.8 m/s^2 regardless of their path over the
surface of the earth.

With the correct lead the bullet and the ME-109 colide, at which point the
tragectory of the bullet is drasticaly altered such that it, and teh ME-109
all fall/fly to earth as one mass.

If the case is simplified such that the bullet is simply fired backwards but
at nothing, then it will accelarate to earth, only with a 0 lateral velocity
relative to the ground.


Rgds,

"Rich S." wrote in message
...
There is a (magic) B-17 flying along at 560 mph. The tail gunner is out of
.50 caliber ammo. He sees a Messerschmitt ME-109 crossing behind the B-17,
50 yards away.

He pulls out his trusty .45 Colt auto (muzzle velocity 820 fps) and fires
at the Hun when the ME-109 is directly behind the B-17. He leads the
Messerschmitt by exactly enough to hit the pilot (if he were firing from a
fixed position).

Does the bullet exit the muzzle and fall directly to earth?

Rich "Scratching my head" S.

Several people, most of whom have at least had physics, and at least one
with a degree in physics have stated that you are wrong and why. Suggest
you read the thread before you post.

Jim



"BRO" wrote in message
...




With the correct lead the bullet and the ME-109 colide, at which point the
tragectory of the bullet is drasticaly altered such that it, and teh
ME-109 all fall/fly to earth as one mass.

RST Engineering wrote:
Several people, most of whom have at least had physics, and at least one
with a degree in physics have stated that you are wrong and why. Suggest
you read the thread before you post.
...


"BRO" wrote in message
...




With the correct lead the bullet and the ME-109 colide, at which point the
tragectory of the bullet is drasticaly altered such that it, and teh
ME-109 all fall/fly to earth as one mass.


No. With the _correct_ lead he can hit.

The _correct_ lead is different from how he would lead if
he was firing from a fixed position.

The _correct_ lead is incompatible with firing when the ME-109 is
directly behind the B-17. He cannot correctly lead the Me-109
AND fire when the Me-109 is directly behind the B-17. But he
CAN correctly lead AND fire straight back.

In fact, he correct lead if the ME is at a range of 50 yards,
when the B17 crosses the flight path of the ME-109,
is to fire straight back. Then he will hit when the Me-109
is fifty yards behind the B-17.

The problem is not with what he said, but with what he did
not say. He didn't say what part of the original problem
he was changing in order to introduce his new condiditon,
_correctly_ leading he Me-109. Maybe he didn't realize
there was an incompatibility, or mybe he thought it
would be obvious which statement he was dropping.

Which just serves to demonstrate the conventional wisdom
about assumptions.

--

FF