Dutch F-16 flies into its own bullets, scores self-inflicted hits. Fighter lands OK.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: The Fletcher Memorial Home
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I recall doing a see-in for a singe seat OCU Jag back in 1984, after shutting down the pilot came round the nose and walked down the side of the aircraft. As I was helping the tanker driver get the hose on he suddenly appeared again and said "you may want to leave that just now, I almost shot myself down over the range and it went through the engine door...."
Sure enough, there was a nice little hole through the outer skin of the starboard engine, if it had gone through the inner skin it would have mangled the fuel management system
Sure enough, there was a nice little hole through the outer skin of the starboard engine, if it had gone through the inner skin it would have mangled the fuel management system
All this chat about firing range, dive angle, speed etc is all well and good but in my experience there is always the unknown factor that can cause ricochet damage! It’s a dangerous business and things happen that can’t be explained even by the sharpest QWI!
So, all we have been talking about is ricochet damage. Would it be theoretically possible, or has it ever happened, that you meet your own bullets in the air? You fire your gun and the rounds have your velocity plus muzzle velocity but they are slowing down and dropping. If the firing aircraft dives and accelerates would it be possible, if extremely unlucky, to get back together with your own rounds?
So, all we have been talking about is ricochet damage. Would it be theoretically possible, or has it ever happened, that you meet your own bullets in the air? You fire your gun and the rounds have your velocity plus muzzle velocity but they are slowing down and dropping. If the firing aircraft dives and accelerates would it be possible, if extremely unlucky, to get back together with your own rounds?
Yes it is possible. Rounds leaving the barrel begin decelerating immediately. An aircraft can accelerate and manoeuvre. But, you would have to be trying quite hard.
There was comment up thread about it being a risk for the F-14.
Timelord.
Yes it can, as referenced by Fallmonk in post#30.
On 21 Sept 1956 a Grumman test pilot Thomas W Attridge Jnr managed to do it in a Grumman Tiger ( Bu no 138620 ). He was flying over Long Island Sound, when, at 20,000ft he fired a 4 second burst from his 4 x 20mm cannon. He maintained heading, selected reheat, and descended to 7000ft before firing a second burst. He was then hit by several spent rounds which shattered the windshield and damaged the engine. He attempted to return to Long Island airfield, but the engine failed on short finals and he crashed in woods short of the runway and was severely injured. He returned to flying 6 months later.
The F14 incident was on 20 June 1973 when another Grumman test pilot, Pete Purvis, was flying with WSO William Sherman from Point Mugu in California. They fired an AIM 7E Sparrow, which pitched up after launch and hit a fuel tank. Both ejected safely.
Yes it can, as referenced by Fallmonk in post#30.
On 21 Sept 1956 a Grumman test pilot Thomas W Attridge Jnr managed to do it in a Grumman Tiger ( Bu no 138620 ). He was flying over Long Island Sound, when, at 20,000ft he fired a 4 second burst from his 4 x 20mm cannon. He maintained heading, selected reheat, and descended to 7000ft before firing a second burst. He was then hit by several spent rounds which shattered the windshield and damaged the engine. He attempted to return to Long Island airfield, but the engine failed on short finals and he crashed in woods short of the runway and was severely injured. He returned to flying 6 months later.
The F14 incident was on 20 June 1973 when another Grumman test pilot, Pete Purvis, was flying with WSO William Sherman from Point Mugu in California. They fired an AIM 7E Sparrow, which pitched up after launch and hit a fuel tank. Both ejected safely.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could