Author Topic: take a look at pilot wounds, please (Read 433 times)

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **on:** September 07, 2004, 09:35:24 PM »

The constantly recurring pilot wounds are getting VERY old. Seems about 70% of attacks on bombers from any direction result in pilot wounds. Same holds true for attacks against ships and AAA installations.

It'd be nice if someone from HTC would take a look at this problem.

Thanks.

Urchin · « **Reply #1 on:** September 07, 2004, 10:35:34 PM »

You can get a pilot wound in a manned ack? How's that work?

Oh wait.. I misread the question.

Sorry.

Ok, here is my take on it.

Lets say you are attacking a bomber from its 10 oclock. You see a profile view, you can run your guns down it from nose to tail.

What does the bomber see? A fighter, flying right at it.

Whats the biggest part of a plane flying right at you? The fuselage. So where do people aim? The fuselage. Now.. whats in the front of the fuselage? The engine... and the pilot. So if you shoot at the front of a plane.. you are going to hit one of two things, either the engine.. or the pilot.

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **Reply #2 on:** September 09, 2004, 05:26:22 PM »

Figure out what percentage of the plane, and for that matter just the fuselage, the cockpit is. Then figure out what percentage of that the pilot occupies. Then take into account the armor etc. in and around the cockpit, including the glass in the front which is often "armored". Also, look at the difference between pilot wound percentages now in AH II, especially considering the increase in difficulty of gunnery, and what it was in AH I.

I'm just thinking I'm seeing WAY too many pilot wounds now compared to what it was before, especially considering how much harder gunnery is for most.

Kweassa · « **Reply #3 on:** September 10, 2004, 02:39:24 AM »

*
Put some more factors into it Cap'n.

* How much of the frontal area of the plane, does the cockpit/fuselage/engine area take up?

* What are the penetration chances of a (usually) .50 round against a mere 3~5mm "armoured" sheet around the cockpit?

* How much punishment can a mere glass, armoured as it is, take against a HMG round?

* How many .50 machine guns does a single plane face when approaching at a certain angle to the bomber?

* How high does the impact energy rise when you are travelling against a bullet coming towards you at 300mph?

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **Reply #4 on:** September 10, 2004, 07:27:05 AM »

Well, gee whiz, I never thought of any of those.

Flayed1 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 10, 2004, 08:54:06 AM »

Maybe I'm just a lucky guy but I fly bombers alot and I can think of only 1 time where I've had a pilot wound. But like I said maybe I'm just lucky.

Karnak · « **Reply #6 on:** September 10, 2004, 10:49:28 AM »

Pilot wounds are a very serious issue for the twin engined fighters. They are pretty much assured in any sort of anti-GV work and very common against bombers or base attacks.

I agree that they seem suspiciously common. Especially against the 7.92mm on the PnZ IV H and Tiger I.