http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/episodes/dogfight-over-guadalcanal/240/ Part detective story, part true-life drama, SECRETS OF THE DEAD unearths evidence from around the world, challenging prevailing ideas and throwing fresh light on unexplained events. Using the most up-to-date science in the laboratory and in the field, scientists and researchers examine the missing pieces of each puzzle, completing the picture of what had been merely an assemblage of suppositions. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:08:25 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/episodes/dogfight-over-guadalcanal/240/#comment-1837 Dave Calhoun Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:00:39 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=240#comment-1837 Answer to your question: no, it wouldn't. The high g-forces involved in the dogfight may have caused the others to jam, however. This was a problem on the early P-51's as well, until North American added power-assisted feed mechanisms. Answer to your question: no, it wouldn’t. The high g-forces involved in the dogfight may have caused the others to jam, however. This was a problem on the early P-51’s as well, until North American added power-assisted feed mechanisms.

]]> http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/episodes/dogfight-over-guadalcanal/240/#comment-1836 Dave Calhoun Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:53:01 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=240#comment-1836 At 44:24, the narrator refers to the round being investigated by our archaeologist as a 50 millimeter round. This is incorrect; it is .50 caliber, having a bullet diameter of about half n inch. 50 millimeter would more like 2 inches, even larger than the 20-millimeter rounds carried by the Zero. At 44:24, the narrator refers to the round being investigated by our archaeologist as a 50 millimeter round. This is incorrect; it is .50 caliber, having a bullet diameter of about half n inch. 50 millimeter would more like 2 inches, even larger than the 20-millimeter rounds carried by the Zero.

]]> http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/episodes/dogfight-over-guadalcanal/240/#comment-1819 Robert Winn Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:43:32 +0000 http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/?p=240#comment-1819 Question to my mind: would the malfunction of a single M2 in either wing of the Hellcat cause the entire bank, both wings, to malfunction as well? This appears to be some fairly poor engineering on our part. Question to my mind: would the malfunction of a single M2 in either wing of the Hellcat cause the entire bank, both wings, to malfunction as well? This appears to be some fairly poor engineering on our part.

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