Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncrlnk!ncrcae!hubcap!gatech!cwjcc!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!osu-cis!att!cbnews!howard@cos.com
From: howard@cos.com (Howard C. Berkowitz)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Rearward firing weapons
Message-ID: <3241@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 18 Jan 89 22:34:26 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Lines: 33
Approved: military@att.att.com

> 
> Perhaps because the missle would have to contend with a considerable
> velocity in the other direction?
> 
> I seem to recall, many years ago, a Navy jet that could launch a torpedo
> to the rear.  The torpedo tube exit was between the two engine exhausts,
> which in itself would make for some interesting engineering problems.
> Does anyone remember any more details about this plane?
> 
This reminds me of another story, from the WW II Luftwaffe, of German
experiments with rearward-firing cannon on fighters.  I believe Galland
discussed this in _The Last and the First_.  

An experimental Me-109 (I think -- could have been a Fw-190) was equipped
with a rearward-firing cannon, with the intention of luring Allied
aircraft to get on the German "six" and then be blown away.  That was
the theory; air combat training had not, however, taught German fighter
drivers to assist anyone in getting on their tail.

Eventually, the assignment was given to a top service test pilot, who
flew away muttering about being assigned a weapon equivalent to certain
bodily processes associated with excessive bean consumption.  After
several flights, he eventually shot down a British observation plane,
to the mutual amazement of both pilots (the bizarre maneuvers he had
taken _to get Allied planes on his tail_ caused Allied pilots to keep
their distance from an apparently deranged Nazi pilot).  The report
sent to Luftwaffe headquarters managed to end the project.

 
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