Physics question

[Alpo]

Let's suppose you have an airplane. Mounted on the horizontal stabilizer is a rifle. The rifle fires a bullet with a muzzle velocity of 900 feet per second.

 

The airplane is flying 600 miles an hour. That converts to 880 feet per second.

 

If a bullet was fired from the rifle, could you see the bullet go past the window?

 

It seems like you should be able to. The bullet is only going 20 ft per second faster than you are.

 

Does anyone know?

 

If not, why not?

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

It’s all relative, like Albert said.  The bullet leaves the rifle’s muzzle at 900fps relative to the rifle, thus 1780 FPS relative to whatever the plane’s velocity was relative to. Air speed? Ground speed?

[Sedalia Dave]

+Bullet leaves the muzzle at its velocity plus the speed of the aircraft. After that aerodynamic drag will start to affect the bullet and slow it down. In theory you could catch up to the bullet as it is slowed by air resistance.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

It looks like there are three documented cases of planes catching up to their own bullets.

[Widder, SASS #59054]

deleted.

 

..........Widder

 

 

 

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

6 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

+Bullet leaves the muzzle at its velocity plus the speed of the aircraft. After that aerodynamic drag will start to affect the bullet and slow it down. In theory you could catch up to the bullet as it is slowed by air resistance.

What Dave said.  This is a common question used in beginning aerodynamics classes.

[Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428]

If you could arrange for a plane to fly past a fellow standing on the ground with a rifle, and if you were flying at the same speed as the bullet the guy on the ground fired, then yes you would be able to see the bullet apparently standing still outside your window.  You could in theory simply reach out and grab it (if sticking your arm out the window didnt rip your arm off and suck you out of the plane).  Again, everything is relative.

[irish ike, SASS #43615]

I seem to remember one of the issues with the first jet fighter aircraft was issues with machine gun bullets not getting out past the plane??????

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

The problem with very fast Jet fighters was the weapons folks trying to "reach" too far.  Adjusting the arc of trajectory to give 0 deflection at too long of range.  Supersonic aircraft caught their own fired bullets.  Did not go well.  Adjustments were made.

 

Ike:  The bullets were well able to "get away" from the Airplane.  Just didn't stay "out there."  The bullets dropped back into the same fight path of airplane and the airplane ran into 'em.

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wearethemighty.com/f11f-shot-itself-down-2640878028.amp.html