06.05.2009, 04:48
What is forgotten here is that the .303 round was a standard ammunition inherited by the RAF from the edwardian era, during which the Lee-Enfiields became the standard infantry rifle and the MG's using that round did so for logistical reasons.
Weight of fire is the essential issue here. A burst of gunfire delivers a certain number of bullets of a given energy. The bullets do not fly straight. Wind, gravity, the motion of the firing aeroplane (have I forgotten anything else?) all affect the course the bullet takes.
Now there's a couple of posts above where it's suggested that you focus your weight of fire for 100-200m. Thats ok, it will work, provided you get close, otherwise your weight of fire is spread out just like everyone elses. Now ace pilots often said that a fighter pilot should get in close bwefore opening fire. One german WW2 pilot suggested you should 'smell' your enemy (He meant burnt oil!) before firing. Again, this is true, it is more effective to fire close up with guns focused at that range.
Not everyone can get that close. The range suggested by the RAF (400m) was chosen for a reason. They thought that was the average distance a fighter pilot opens fire at, or at least a compensation factor for the inevitable 'weakening' of fire at longer ranges as bullets diverge. In other words, they were attempting to make the effect of their guns equal over all the ranges the pilots were likely to shoot at.
Therefore the harmonisation at 100-200m is very effective but only effective at that range. It's a specialisation, a perfect setting, which isn't as adaptable for the simple reason a pilot must close to that range or suffer weak fire as a result. The RAF weren't concerned with individual preferences. As with any military organisation, it did tend to dictate what was best to its pilots. This is something that our virtual pilots don't realise - just hiow spoiled they are. All their aircraft are flying exactly the same as another of that type, they can set which armament and harmonisatiion they want, and fly missions as they please.
What we don't see is variety of aircraft performance and handling, something that comes across from period accounts as very important. We don't read of pilots setting their guns to whatever focus they thought was best. Of course they didn't. The mechanics set that if they had the time. usually, an RAF pilot was too busy to worry about technical details. He had a mission to fly, an aircraft assigned, and let's just hope the mechanics have done a good job.
Weight of fire is the essential issue here. A burst of gunfire delivers a certain number of bullets of a given energy. The bullets do not fly straight. Wind, gravity, the motion of the firing aeroplane (have I forgotten anything else?) all affect the course the bullet takes.
Now there's a couple of posts above where it's suggested that you focus your weight of fire for 100-200m. Thats ok, it will work, provided you get close, otherwise your weight of fire is spread out just like everyone elses. Now ace pilots often said that a fighter pilot should get in close bwefore opening fire. One german WW2 pilot suggested you should 'smell' your enemy (He meant burnt oil!) before firing. Again, this is true, it is more effective to fire close up with guns focused at that range.
Not everyone can get that close. The range suggested by the RAF (400m) was chosen for a reason. They thought that was the average distance a fighter pilot opens fire at, or at least a compensation factor for the inevitable 'weakening' of fire at longer ranges as bullets diverge. In other words, they were attempting to make the effect of their guns equal over all the ranges the pilots were likely to shoot at.
Therefore the harmonisation at 100-200m is very effective but only effective at that range. It's a specialisation, a perfect setting, which isn't as adaptable for the simple reason a pilot must close to that range or suffer weak fire as a result. The RAF weren't concerned with individual preferences. As with any military organisation, it did tend to dictate what was best to its pilots. This is something that our virtual pilots don't realise - just hiow spoiled they are. All their aircraft are flying exactly the same as another of that type, they can set which armament and harmonisatiion they want, and fly missions as they please.
What we don't see is variety of aircraft performance and handling, something that comes across from period accounts as very important. We don't read of pilots setting their guns to whatever focus they thought was best. Of course they didn't. The mechanics set that if they had the time. usually, an RAF pilot was too busy to worry about technical details. He had a mission to fly, an aircraft assigned, and let's just hope the mechanics have done a good job.