[stansdds]

Real pilots did not always bail out when their crate was on fire. I was reading about an experience Ken Walsh had while on his tour with the 124 in the Solomons. During the escort mission of 12 August, 1943, his F4U-1 was hit badly and the cockpit was filled with smoke and the Corsair was on fire. He was over enemy territory and knew that bailing out meant capture. He opened the canopy at somewhere between 300 and 400 KIAS and the rush of air cleared the cockpit of smoke and blew out the fire. He pulled up under a B-24 for protection and flew back to the emergency strip at Segi. He had to lower the gear by using the CO2 bottles and crashed upon landing, but he avoided capture.