Correct.But my closing relative speed was not too much (wasnt diving) and that eas reason I was hit (stupid tactict on my part, but still..) Only explanation coming to my mind that bullet wasnt going throu armored glass and bounced somehow thru canopy "plastic" cover..You need to add your closing speed to the bullet speed. That increases kinetic energy drastically.
Spitfire Mk Is with the external armoured glass survived direct MGFF 20mm cannon strikes from head ons with 109Es during the BoB. So, thats a 400-600 mph closing bonus to the penetrating power of a relatively low velocity, thin wall shell with a blunt head.
A hit by a 7.62 AP round MIGHT penetrate, given sufficient closing velocity and a favourable striking angle, but I doubt it. The KE just doesn't seem high enough, despite the better profile and higher sectional density.
Tests with HE shells shouldnt tell you much, they are not designed to penetrate - the fuse would set off the shell instantly upon impact (esp. in the game engine) and blow up the projectile before it even has a chance to penetrate into the material. Thats what AP rounds are for - and no aircraft armor has any chance against 20mm, even from a relatively low velocity cannon like the Oerlikon MGFF.
As for the 7,92mm rounds go, AP has probably some chance to go through, as IIRC it would be good for around armored steel. The margin is pretty low though, IIRC the Russians reported that the 60mm armor glass on German planes would be penetrated at something like 100 meters. I wonder if theres a formula for how much armor glas worths how much thickness in steel. And I recall some Hurricane pilot reported an encounter with Do-17. The rear gunner hit him, and what he first saw is a hole appearing right in front of his face in the armored glass, somehow he turned lucky though, maybe it hit the gunsight.
So its possible, but the probability is rather low, more likely he got an angle shot where the rounds simply bypassed the rather small area the armor glass covers. It may also go under the armored glass frame.
Its worth to experient a bit with the "arcade mode" on setting, as I recall the PK shots Ive seen all "outmanouvered" the armor glass, while direct hits on the glass itself were ineffective in the sims DM engine.
An MkI spitfire? You're sure?
I googled and started a little recherche and read from some museum-site with a lot of statistics and historical information, that with the Spit XXI finally introduced a reinforced armored cockpit-front to withstand a 20mm hit.
According to that site, the only early allied plane with a windshield that strong was the IL2, which protected the pilot against 20mm several times.
Do you have a link for that information about the SpitI?
I also read the FW190 was one of the best armored fighter-planes, as they were used against B17s and they were said to be rather save against a pilot hit from the front. A FW190 pilot also stated so in a recent report I watched.
But well, the Panzerglas is obviously missing in this game, anyway -![]()
Are U sure on that? I got a pic of a Spitfire I windshield hit by a rifly calibre round from a LW-bomber. The windshield frame don't give the impresion to absorb any harder hits than that- it was bended that much. IIRC the 1944 standard on armored windshield on either LW and RAF was the ability to absorb maximum a 13.0mm rounds.Originally posted by ImpStarDuece:
Spitfire Mk Is with the external armoured glass survived direct MGFF 20mm cannon strikes from head ons with 109Es during the BoB. So, thats a 400-600 mph closing bonus to the penetrating power of a relatively low velocity, thin wall shell with a blunt head from straight ahead.