Sakai made plane back while wounded, very famost story. Will be nice to have possibility to "making it home" while wounded even from a very big distances.
I remember a story about a Polish flier who joined the RAF and subsequently served with the 56th Fighter Group flying P47s.
One, flying a Hurricane in a ding-dong battle against 3 109's, he shot down two of them, ran out of ammunition and intentionally rammed the third. Badly wounded, he set course back for England and fainted in the cockpit.
The Hurricane continued its gentle glide back to Britain, with the unconscious pilot at the controls, making an almost perfect ditched landing only 200 yds from the front door of a local hospital.
Hmmm, now what was his name.... Michael Gladych?
------------------
C.O. Phoenix Squadron
http://www.users.bigpond.com/afinlayson/index.htm'feel the heat .......'