Quote:
Originally Posted by AKA Knut
IRL .30 cal AP penetration is quite impressive, even .30 cal ball ammo easily penetrates pretty thick steel plate. I suspect for air-to-air, over penetration may have been a problem, unless something critical is hit like the pilot (or his "armored" back rest), engine block, control cables, etc. Otherwise rifle bullets are just punching neat little holes in the structure.
~S~
AKA Knutsac
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What are you basing this on? American .30 is not the same as British .303. Problem is in reality armor plating is rarely the first thing the bullet hits. See the following from:
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/BoB.htm
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Tests by the RAF indicated that both the .303 and 7.92mm AP bullets had some problems penetrating the structure of the relatively small and light Blenheim bomber. Both guns were fired at a range of 200 yards (180m) through the rear fuselage at the 4 mm armour plate protecting the rear gunner, which was angled at 60ยบ to the line of fire. The results were poor; only 33% of the .303" rounds reached the armour (the rest being deflected or absorbed by the structure) and 6% penetrated it. In contrast,only 23% of the 7.92 mm bullets reached the armour, and just 1% penetrated.
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