What is deflection?

When you're following straight behind your target plane, you can shoot straight at them, and all you have to allow for is the bullet drop. However, if they're not flying straight away from you, but are crossing your line of flight, then if you shoot when their plane is in your sights, by the time your bullets get out to where their plane was when you fired, their plane will have moved on. So, in order to get your bullets to intersect their plane, you have to fire _ahead_ of where they are -- to 'lead' your target -- so that your bullets will pass through the space that their plane will be occupying. One of the measurements of the amount of lead is degrees of deflection -- the angle by which your line of fire is deflected from the line to the target. For most WWII fighters, there wasn't any hard and fast set of numbers; deflection shooting was something that you had to learn by doing until you got the feel for it.

In simple non-expert terms......

Their plane is moving, your plane is moving, your bullets are moving basically in the direction the barell was pointing when you fired. Throw in some gravity, ballistics, and range calculations.......

Deflection is basically making firing adjustments for where you are, where they are, and the point you hope their aircraft and your bullets meet.

As far as I know, a deflection shot is a shot fired at a target that is not moving directly away or towards the shooting plane. This makes it very difficult to judge where the target is going to be by the time the bullets arrive, and specifically means the shooter can't line up the target in his sights, but has to aim for the point in space where he expects the target to be in the immediate future.

Rob

Most of the Western uses of the term are pretty straightforward; e.g. 45 degree angle of deflection means you are approaching the target from 45 degrees either side of the direction of movement of the target and therefore have to aim in front of the target in order to hit it. "Predictor" gunsights take this into account and all you do is get the sight recticle ("pipper") on the target and the electronics take care of the rest.

The Soviets/Russians use aspect numbers. 0/4 means dead astern and 4/4 is dead abeam, with 1/4, 2/4 and 3/4 being intermediate angles.

Cookie Sewell AMPS .

It's when you have your stuff shipped to your job instead of home so your wife won't see you're ordering more models.

Bill

And the best way to learn it is to go clay target shooting.

Was used by many air forces for WW1 and WW2. Many people in those times also shot birds as game, and the wealthy had the advantage of being able to afford beaters to send game up for you.

Hope this helps, Peter

I thought that is Misdirection? or Self Preservation? or Cowardice? or Intelligence? Nope it isn't deflection! Deflection is when you go home with the box and hold it up in front of you to prevent flying objects from hitting you. The bigger the box, the better protection it offers.The smaller the box the less likely the need for deflection or detection.

Rick

How true - hence the way Trumpeter has made such a big...um....impact ;)

Chek

All thats been said is true. Funny thing though, door gunners, waist whatever, in WWII had to also learn that in many cases they had to shoot at a point behind their target. Their ride, ie airplane, is traveling at 180 mph or better. So is the round they just fired. Though it looks simple, it ain't.

There is definitely a connection between some of history's famous aces and a background in hunting / shooting. The Richtofen, Goring and Joe Foss come to mind right off hand.

Bill

I thought deflection is when you kneel down in church. :p

.....The models still reach their target.