Quote:
Originally Posted by zapatista
brittish pilots that were about to engage enemy bomber formations had adequate time to place their goggles back over their face (eye's) before engaging aircraft they had spotted earlier (or were being vectored to by ground control). as you can see from many photo's and historical video, often they had the goggles over their forehead and not over their faces while patrolling or on the way to a target. it wouldnt take them more then 3 or 5 sec to do so.
many pilots on combat patrol, or before engaging the enemy, did not always have their goggles over their face because it did reduce peripheral vision somewhat (partic early model goggles) and it also slightly blurred the vision forward. so unless at very high altitude (cold !) many pilots/aircrew did not permanently have their goggles placed over their eye's.
i suspect that during takeoff and landings it was also a good idea to put them back over you'r eye's, because of the higher risk of crashes and incidents over that period of the flight
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Well, seeing as though I have such a set and have tried this out first hand, I can say that it's not as easy as you say. I have played Il-2, and for fun tested what you just said, and the goggles kick up in my face and block out half my vision. The celluloid lenses don't help, and any surface scratches create shadows that look like far-away planes. With the mark IV goggles, they are easier to put in place, but for me require the strap to be tightened which is a bitch to do with one hand (too much force and you may risk snapping the strap)
I can see why they might have done what you have written about, but it's not as easy as you make it sound.
The 'sunglasses' part you mention is a flipshield. If you look at the goggles the pilot is wearing in the update, you may notice they are mark IV's:
Have a look here:
http://www.historicflyingclothing.co...=12088&phqu=10
The flipshields were really brittle though, and broke off easily.
Note the picture of Bob Tuck. He is wearing a pair of mark IVa or b goggles, with shortened ear-loops. The helmet is a modified b-type NOT a c-type as you may think it is. It's a very interesting set, as all aspects of his headgear have been personally modified (notice the strap on his d-type oxygen mask)