[Milsurplus] U-2 and SR-71A

[mikea]

On Thu, Jan 30, 2003 at 11:04:42AM -0500, Richard Brunner wrote:
> Re:
> >     What happened to the F-104 was just like this. The pilot fired a
> > burst from either the .50s or the cannon, and then, for whatever
> > reason, most likely began a letdown. At any rate, the rounds that had
> > slowed down, and dropped,  impacted the aircraft. So yes, it is
> > possible to shoot oneself down. 73 es tnx de Greg WA3IVX
> > 
> Yes but:  If the plane and the bullets are going at approximately the same speed, 
> how could they do much more damage than scratching the paint?  Well, maybe 
> gyroscopic stability, but that would be mostly more scratched paint.
> 
> I really wanna know...
> 
> Richard Brunner, AA1P

Two ways. 

1: You FOD out an engine and wind up shelling out all the buckets
   into the rest of the A/C. With luck, you avoid fires and don't
   lose control authority, and can get home. 

2: Those slugs _will_ go downward, and after not all that long 
   they are going down at quite a clip. You run into one, and it
   knocks a hole in a wing or your canopy/windshield. If it hits
   a wing, you may lose some 'draulics and possibly some control
   authority. If it hits your windshield or canopy, you may be in
   a World of Hurt -- especially if it hits irreplaceable _you_.
   Think "bird strike", only worse.  

-- 
Mike Andrews
mikea@mikea.ath.cx
Tired old sysadmin since 1964