Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: janetjanet998

From that angle it looks like the bomber was in the smaller plane’s blind spot, the same way you can’t see the road directly under your car, the pilot couldn’t see the bomber through the floor of his cockpit.


24 posted on 11/12/2022 12:27:49 PM PST by null and void (Cujo would have been a very short story if the family owned a gun!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies ]


To: null and void
...the pilot couldn’t see the bomber through the floor of his cockpit...

The P-51 came from a lower altitude, giving grand visibility. Not only that, the P-51 has an easy view of everything in front of it. It was designed specifically for intercept, which is what you saw happen.

40 posted on 11/12/2022 12:40:18 PM PST by GingisK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies ]

To: null and void

You are correct... The Bell P-63 King Cobra (it was NOT a P-51 Mustang), suffered poor visibility, and was in a left banking maneuver (in this case, aka turning final, to be aligned for a pass down the runway) that caused the pilot to be unable to see the B-17 until the last second when the tip of the bomber’s left wing tip became visible through the front windshield of the P-63. By the time the P-63 pilot was able to see that wingtip, there no time to react. Very sad situation, and I doubt very seriously that is was intentional or a suicide. Prayers go up for the families of the 5 crewmembers of the B-17, as well as the family of the pilot of the P-63...


141 posted on 11/12/2022 4:08:08 PM PST by Raven6 (Psalm 144:1 and Proverbs 22:3 YH TV)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson