What is a deflection shot?

[bizjet800]

I am reading a book about two WW2 P-38 fighter pilots and they were doing deflection shots, what is that?

 

[kf4amu]

shooting in front of an aircraft to allow it to fly into the bullets.

 

[Mud Eagle]

Simply a gun shot from a high-aspect position which requires a LOT of leading the target.

 

[Dizel8]

Not that I fly fighters, but.......

Like someone else, it simply means shoot where the airplane is going to be, not where it is. Imagine, use your hands, if you are both in say a turn, you chasing the plane in front. If you shoot directly at him, your bullets would fall behind the target, so you need to lead your target. Or if you are flying straight and level and he is turning in front of you, if you aim straight at the target, by the time the bullets reaches that area, the target would again have passed, so you aim where the target will be when the bullets get there.

 

[ExAF]

Not that I fly fighters, but.......

Like someone else, it simply means shoot where the airplane is going to be, not where it is. Imagine, use your hands, if you are both in say a turn, you chasing the plane in front. If you shoot directly at him, your bullets would fall behind the target, so you need to lead your target. Or if you are flying straight and level and he is turning in front of you, if you aim straight at the target, by the time the bullets reaches that area, the target would again have passed, so you aim where the target will be when the bullets get there.

Wow...you said in a paragraph what post #2 said in 14 words! Talk about department of redundancy department! LOL. :laugh:

 

[say again]

Wow...you said in a paragraph what post #2 said in 14 words! Talk about department of redundancy department! LOL. :laugh:

:laugh::laugh:

 

[bizjet800]

Thanks guys! I thought it was some sort of leading/turning shot, but I wasn't sure. In case anyone is wondering, the book is about Dick Bong (40 kills) and Thomas Mcguire (38 kills) called Aces High, by Bill Yenne. They flew P-38s in the Pacific Theatre. I've read many books on WW2--this one is great stuff!!

 

[bagasticks]

Thanks guys! I thought it was some sort of leading/turning shot, but I wasn't sure. In case anyone is wondering, the book is about Dick Bong (40 kills) and Thomas Mcguire (38 kills) called Aces High, by Bill Yenne. They flew P-38s in the Pacific Theatre. I've read many books on WW2--this one is great stuff!!

just picked that book up and cannot wait to dig in. .

 

[jetjock6]

Looks like we all shop from the closeout table at Books-A-Million. I just started the same book yesterday.

 

[say again]

Thanks guys! I thought it was some sort of leading/turning shot, but I wasn't sure. In case anyone is wondering, the book is about Dick Bong (40 kills) and Thomas Mcguire (38 kills) called Aces High, by Bill Yenne. They flew P-38s in the Pacific Theatre. I've read many books on WW2--this one is great stuff!!

Gonna go grab a copy. Enjoy reading books on WW2 aviators.

 

[Dizel8]

Wow...you said in a paragraph what post #2 said in 14 words! Talk about department of redundancy department! LOL. :laugh:

Hey, whats wrong with creating an AF manual for a simple concept!

In case you forgot how that worked, here ya go:

http://asuwlink.uwyo.edu/~jimkirk/guidance.wav

 

[bizjet800]

Looks like we all shop from the closeout table at Books-A-Million. I just started the same book yesterday.

Yep, we're all cheap! LOL!

Is a deflection shot particularly difficult? It seems like these two aces we're exceptionally good at it. One of the guys was an avid hunter, no doubt this skill carried over.

 

[SDF2BUF2MCO]

A "timed pass" throwing to a spot when the receiver is not looking.....

 

[ExAF]

Hey, whats wrong with creating an AF manual for a simple concept!

In case you forgot how that worked, here ya go:

http://asuwlink.uwyo.edu/~jimkirk/guidance.wav

OMG!!! That sounded just like the last DAL training video!

 

[tomgoodman]

e-books

Thanks guys! I thought it was some sort of leading/turning shot, but I wasn't sure. In case anyone is wondering, the book is about Dick Bong (40 kills) and Thomas Mcguire (38 kills) called Aces High, by Bill Yenne. They flew P-38s in the Pacific Theatre. I've read many books on WW2--this one is great stuff!!

Thanks for the tip, bizjet. Just downloaded it to my B&N "Nook" -- $9.99
Also available for Amazon's "Kindle".

 

[bizjet800]

Thanks for the tip, bizjet. Just downloaded it to my B&N "Nook" -- $9.99
Also available for Amazon's "Kindle".

No problem! Another favorite was Flags of our Fathers, I think the author's name is Bradley, one of the sons of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima. Great book, not-so-great movie.

 

[JungleJett]

If you want more reading on "dog fighting" I would recommend " Fighter Combat; Tactics and Maneuvering" by Robert Shaw. Good book but can be more than a bit technical at times.

What I find amazing is that in WWII, these guys were able to rack up a huge amount of kills with nothing more than a fixed gun site (until later when the K-14 site came out..earning the name "ace maker") They did not have all the fancy crap that fighters have on them now.

It is true that those numbers were directly contributed to by the sheer numbers of airplanes occupying the same space, the lack of quality combat training, and the frequency in which they met. These men did wonders over the skies of the all theaters in WWII. Most did not have much more than a high school education (flying anything today should not require a college degree), and the first time many of these men sat in an airplane was pilot training.

These guys were fighter pilots..not just because they flew fighters. Big difference in my book.

Some other suggested reading:

The Blond Knight of Germany: Biography of Erich Hartmann (worlds leading ace with 352 kills)

The First and the Last: Adolf Galland (good look into his life but also the politics of the war time Luftwaffe)

I Flew for the Furher: Heinz Knoke

When I get home, I will list some great books by American, British, Canadian and Polish pilots.

Robin Olds book is out too!
Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds ( I am honored to have known Robin and called him a friend. He was THE fighter pilots fighter pilot.)

 

[bizjet800]

Thanks Jungle Jet!

 

[SIG600]

Robin Olds book is out too!
Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds ( I am honored to have known Robin and called him a friend. He was THE fighter pilots fighter pilot.)

Should be mandatory reading for Officers. Ranks right up there with Bob Hoovers book as one of my favs.

 

[414Flyer]

Robin Olds book is out too!
Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds ( I am honored to have known Robin and called him a friend. He was THE fighter pilots fighter pilot.)

Ed Rasimus is an acquaintance of mine. We exchange emails now and then. He has a story about finishing 100 missions in an F-105 over N Vietnam at the age of 23. When he got back to the US, he was too young to rent a car at the airport.

Another friend of mine (Bandit 287 (R.G.) for those who know their F-117s) was a cadet at USAFA when Olds was commandant. Told the story about when Olds was told to lose his mustache, well the next day the entire student body did morning formation with grease paint mustaches in honor of him