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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1393.PDF
FLIGHT JULY igm, 1945 FORWARD HEMISPHERE OF AIRCRAFT WEATHER CONDITIONSAFFECTING RANGE OF VISION DUE TOAIRCRAFT STRUCTURE Fig. 1. Projection of blind area contours of fighter aircraft for two altitudes, together with spheres of visibility. Pilot's View Limitations of Field Imposed by Aircr/Cft Structure : A Yardstick of Measurement Fig. 2. Diagrammatic illustration of visibility factors affect- ing interception of enemy aircraft in the English Channel area. By R. DYRGALLA (Fit. Lt., Polish Air Force) THE first precept in operational fighter flying is tospot the enemy as early as pq^silble./ "To seefirst" is one of the most essential! factors in air fighting as it prevents beuxgjte&en by surprise as well as giving other tactical advantages. But spotting from a fighter aircraft is hampered by so many factors, probably the most important of which is that the pilot cannot see in every direction. His aircraft has enormous areas under the wings and fuselage which are completely blind, and the magnitude of the blind ^ AT I4OOO' AT 3.5OO X MILES- PILOTS LINES OF SIGHT OBSCUREDWINC Fig. 3. Ground area obstructed by aircraft structure, andscales for reading ground distances according to flight altitude. Fig. 4. By sighting across critical points of wing contour a safe distance from gun defences may be measured accordingto height. area increases proportionally with increase of altitude.^ This, together with pdfjr weather conditions, presses for a greater need of vigilance on the part of the pilot as a surprise attack may be made from any direction. The accompanying diagrams, J?igs. 1 and* 2, give an idea of how large a field of vision is obstructed by the aircraft structure. This unfortunate hindrance to view can, however, be put to good use, and the following suggestion is given of a simple yet essentially practical method of determining the relative position of the aircraft directly from the pilot's field of view. By training the line of sight across given stations around the wing plan contour, figures in graticules painted on the wing at the critical stations will correspond, at giyen heights, to distances on the gpdund. This is shown diagramatically in Fig. 3, the figures in the top squares of the 1
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