was it actually possible to look up and over below or around the nose/cowl of your plane in WWII? I mean geezz wasn't a pilot strapped in? or did he fly with his canopy open so he could stand in his seat and look over the cowl to get that deflection shot?
always found this looking over and/or around the cowl/nose a bit gamey.......bout same as marking your monitor with a dot for your crosshairs/gunsight
YMMV