R-i-i-i-i-g-g-g-g-h-h-h-h-t.....

[Wiley]

Birds aren't ballistic, nor are they made of metal, and they can ruin your day if they hit an engine.  What if circumstances conspired (scarily unlikely circumstances, like winning the powerball while being struck by lightning unlikely, but we're already in that realm) such that he was pulling up again after the bullet went up, then came down, and he happened to be closing with the bullet?

Wiley.

[Vraciu]

Nope. The bullet must be intercepted while it is still ballistic and able to do damage. If you look at the ballistic table linked above even at 3000 feet the 50 cal drop is only 28 feet vertically. And at 3000 feet the bullet speed drops to ~1000fps, and relative to the P-38 around 500fps.  I would wage in any scenario where the bullet intersects the plane again it has to go non-ballistic and dropping at terminal velocity only.

You keep ignoring the fact the bullet has to do damage when it hits, thus still needs be travelling fast relative to the P-38. (ie your cricket ball is not going to damage a P38)

Now, about the bridge you want to buy from me.

Ever poked around a radiator much

Doesn't take a lot to jam a hole through it.   

[FESS67]

So Vulcan, if the bullet was just hanging there in mid air and the P38 was doing 350 MPH and the 2 met your summary is that it could do no damage?

Not sure I would want to walk across any bridge bearing your name.

[rabbidrabbit]

Going up the escalator would substantially increase to impact velocity.

[Meatwad]

What would be the possibility of a misfire/slug leaving the aircraft at a severely reduced velocity and ultimately ending up in the engine to cause the damage

[Vulcan]

So Vulcan, if the bullet was just hanging there in mid air and the P38 was doing 350 MPH and the 2 met your summary is that it could do no damage?

Not sure I would want to walk across any bridge bearing your name.

Well if you going to change the physical laws of the universe and have bullets randomly hovering in front of aircraft I guess it could happen... at terminal velocity at 50 cal round is going to have about 110-120 foot/pounds of energy - close to a subsonic 22lr but being a bigger round it would depend how it hit (ie side on or pointy end on).

[Vraciu]

What would be the possibility of a misfire/slug leaving the aircraft at a severely reduced velocity and ultimately ending up in the engine to cause the damage

.......

Yeah or a semi-squib round, etc..

The author’s description/implication leaves much to be desired, but...

[pembquist]

Well here is the damage a subsonic 2x4 can do:https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew8.gif

[Vraciu]

Well here is the damage a subsonic 2x4 can do:https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gifs/1992andrew8.gif

[perdue3]

I personally love Bill Yenne and have read many of his books. Oddly enough, my favorite of his is his military biography of Alexander. He is a good researcher.

[FBKampfer]

Theoretically possible, but beyond incredibly unlikely. Like into the "guy accidentally drops his old black powder carbine and it discharges and hits bullseye 1200m away".

Yeah, it's possible, sure. But you're going to wait years before you see it again.