The Aviators Thread

Gmt master forever.

I hope rolex reconsiders someday.

Now that's a great toy : scale model of the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier CVN-65 on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show"

From a time when the US Navy had started to convert straight deck aircraft carriers to angled deck carriers ! #USnavy #USmarinecorps
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Looks like fun. It would have been perfect if they could make the plane land in the "right" direction.

Illustration from a WW2 German air gunnery manual. Needless to say, this wouldn't pass muster in this day and age! Image and text courtesy of a guy called "Kamran" on Facebook:


This image comes from a WWII-era Luftwaffe gunnery training manual (around 1943–44). It uses a bit of risqué humor to help air gunners remember the principle of "Vorhalten" - deflection shooting, or how much to “lead” a moving target so that your bullets intersect with its future position rather than where it currently appears.

Here’s a breakdown of the humor and instructional value combined:

“Viel vorhalten” - Lead a lot: the target is crossing quickly, so aim far ahead (the woman is mostly covered).

“Weniger vorhalten” - Lead less: target crossing more slowly, reduce lead (less fabric).

“Noch weniger” - Even less lead: target nearly on your line of sight (very little fabric left).

“Draufhalten!” - Aim directly: target coming straight at or away - no lead needed (no fabric at all).

The small line beneath humorously adds:

(“...the fighter pilot always finds most beautiful the position where the lead disappears.”)

So, while playful, the diagram served a genuine pedagogical function: turning a technical ballistic principle into something easily remembered under combat stress - a classic example of wartime instructional creativity blending humor, psychology, and practical training.
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#fblifestyle