The World's Worst Weapons - book I got for Christmas

[pmulcahy11b]

I don't know this book or author, but...

The X-3 Stilletto: It never lived up to its potential or it's test goals due to being way underpowered. It was designed for research into jet-powered flight in the Mach 3 area, but never flew any faster (IIRC) than 908 mph. And, it looked ridiculous -- fine if you're trying to spear clothes off of clotheslines as you pass by, but I think they went WAY overboard on that nose.

But, I'll agree with you -- the X-3 was a research tool, and never meant to be a combat aircraft.

Stuka: Great attack aircraft in its prime, but that prime was in the Spanish Civil War. It was slow in anything but a dive, and it's only reprieve was in the invasion of Poland where Poland's entire military was inadequate. They got shot down regularly even while Dunkirk was going on, and the Battle of Britain convinced even the Germans that continuing to use the Stuka in any but very limited roles was a good way to kill off a pilot you don't like -- plus many you DID like.

The AK-47??? I've fired it, and the recoil is heavy but not uncomfortable, unless you go to automatic; then you're going to fight an increasingly-losing fight to control the muzzle climb. (Short bursts only!) Accuracy is the AK-47's weak point.