Has nothing to do with physics, but it is possible for a helicopter to shoot
himself down in several different ways. Fire a pair of 2.75" rockets at the
same time with proximity fuses while doing running fire and it could get
ugly.

Running fire while shooting the gun (or rockets) at close ranges could
easily produce ricochets that could hit the helicopter. I have seen the 50
caliber machine gun on an OH-58D blow out the copilot chin bubble before.

Another good way to shoot yourself down is for one helicopter to remote
LASER designate for another helicopter firing a Hellfire missile while you
are inside a certain fan in front of the firing helicopter. The Hellfire
can lock on to the laser designating source rather than the target.

Jeff
recently retired Army CW4 Master Army Aviator

"Smitty Two" wrote in message
news
If you guys aren't tired of arithmetic, I'm wondering if any fighter
pilots have shot themselves down. Probably not, but imagine you're
flying straight and level at 1000 mph and fire a 500 mph projectile at
an enemy that's directly ahead but at a higher altitude. You miss him;
the bullet follows a parabolic path, returning to your altitude just as
you overtake it. Discounting air friction, at what angle was the bullet
fired?

(extra credit question -- how many rivets could you have installed in
the time you wasted thinking about this question?)