Originally posted by gofaster
Yeah, it would be awesome if the pilot could get decapitated by a 20mm and then we could see his head rolling around in the cockpit!
I always liked that scene in "Midway" where Heston's son bursts into flames and has to grab a fire extinguisher to put himself out and the whole time he's screaming and his skin is cracking and breaking like carmelized apple crisp. I think all F4F, FM2, and F6F pilots should burst into flames when the cockpit gets hit. That would be awesome!
I really have no knowledge of the effects of a 20mm hitting someones head. But a US Browning M2 50 cal bullet, which is a high speed 750 grain (about an ounce and a half) a slug which does not explode, that would nearly blow the head off an NVA soldier. My Gunnery Sgt, described a 50 cal hitting an NVA as being; "Like a truck hitting a puppy." Marine Gunny's aren't known for their tact or diplomacy.
When a high speed bullet hits a water filled body, the water, which cannot be compressed, shoots off in highly destructive jets of water (water will cut rock). This is called hydro static shock. Take a look at the imfamous John Kennedy shooting to see what a rather low powered rifle caliber bullet will do when it hits a human head.
The larger, slower cannons should be about equally devestating, because of larger frontal area, even though at the relatively slower speeds the hydro static shock would be less. However, my understanding of the German 20mm's was that they were set to go off at the wing surface, causing large holes to be blown in the wings of bombers, the winds over the wings move much faster than the speed of the fusalage to create lift. These winds would them make huge pieces of the aluminum rip off. Certainly they would also do damage to spars, etc.
If a 20mm blew up in a pilots head, it would probably dissapear.
There would be no "heads rolling around in the cockpit, just large splashes of blood, brains, hair, teeth, and other gore.
Basically you really wouldn't want to see what a bullet does to a human head.
Besides, this is just a game. If it were real, I wouldn't play it. Neither real killing or dying apeals to me.
