Posted on 07/19/2025 10:55:35 PM PDT by ransomnote
A jet against a Shahed or Geran, especially at night, and in weather, would be a challenge using the cannon. Those are moving about the stall speed of the jet and about 100 knots slower than their approach speed for landing.
Getting close enough in a similar speed airplane like a Yak or Sukhoi or whatever they might be using to fire on the drone with a gun could be dangerous if you were too close when it explodes.
Flying through the debris is very hazardous to plane, pilot and crew!
A-10s, attack helicopters and close air support/attack turboprops might be good against drones. Purpose built drones seem to be working well also for slower drones.
I was referring to the plane used in this thread, one with a propeller, and guy with shotgun sitting in an open seating area to be able to shot his gun at the drone.
He might have died from a heart attack. Pretty gutsy, for a guy any age. Or, maybe he was hit by shrapnel from the exploding drone. Whatever happened, it was enough to kill him.
You might not think so, but fighting drones is a dangerous thing to do, whether in WWII or over Ukraine. The Ukrainians have lost several planes and pilots fighting drones, including 1 or 2 of their F-16s.
Quite as hard as shooting down V1 rockets? … well, maybe so, if you’re shooting at one from the back of a small airplane with a shotgun, especially if you hit the wrong thing.
For example, have you ever heard of “tannerite”? It’s used to make reactive targets that explode when you hit them.
For fun, do a search for “tannerite videos” to see just how explosive small amounts of tannerite can be and how far away people are or should be when they shoot at it with rifles.
Now consider how close you have to be to shoot down a drone from the back of a small airplane with a shotgun while trying to hit a wing or the tail so that it can’t fly and then crashes.
You have to be pretty freaking close, right? … now, after having watched videos of people and fools shooting various amounts of tannerite, ponder what happens if you are that close and you accidentally hit a shahed drone’s 30–50 kilograms (66–110 lbs.) explosive payload.
BOOM! very up close and personal. Whether harder than shooting down V1s or not, it sounds like a hell of an adrenaline ride …well, other than the potential boom part, that is.
I guess the important factor is how much explosive weight and type these Russian drones are carrying. Once they are shooting with shotguns, I would guess the farther away they shoot from the more likelihood of hitting something that explodes. I am not sure how easy it is to pinpoint a target like a wing, tail, or more likely a propeller on a drone using a shotgun. I’ve only ever shot a 22 rifle, or a revolver.
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