[Milsurplus] U-2 and SR-71A

[Bob Wilder]

 From my memory here is what happened.  The aircraft makes a long 45-50 
degree approach
to the locomotive being used as a target.  The cannon was used if memory 
serves me right
and the rounds strike the surface of the locomotive and bounce back into 
the air at
some angle.  The aircraft continues through the run and pulls up only to 
enter the field
of departing rounds.  These rounds disable the aircraft forcing the pilot 
to eject and
causing the aircraft to crash on the firing range.

Many strange things have happened at the Eglin range over the years while 
testing
munitions.  Some may remember the B-52 which was fitted with bomb racks 
under the wings
and on the exterior of the aircraft.  The B-52 came across the range at 
about 35,000
feet and dropped the entire load at one time, that being both internal and
external ordanance.  The B-52 shot straight up when the excess weight was 
removed
and it ended up just above 55,000 feet with engine running full throttle.
This was in 1967.  They were trying to see how much the put on a B-52 and still
get it to the target.  In this experiment a little over 35 tons of 
ordanence was
used instead of the 43,000 pounds normal to the B-52.




At 11:04 AM 1/30/2003 -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
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>
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Bob Wilder, AF2HD/AFA2HD
6032 Idlemoore Court
Theodore, AL 36582-4117
251-653-5274
http://home.earthlink.net/~bwild
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