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no problem here, if the target itself were visible at a distance, but it isn't and some teams, thrown off their timing, were therefore at a disadvantage. Another factor which lowered meet scores was the difference in speeds at which the target was towed. By modern standards, the targets are not towed at very high speeds, but here again some teams, with limited equipment available to them, had been accustomed to shooting at a target moving at one speed and found at Las Vegas, a target moving at a different speed. This, naturally threw off their timing sufficiently to affect their scores.

From these observations, Air Force officials plan to standardize the refinements of aerial gunnery in all squadrons. Shortly, each fighter group will send its best people to the Gunnery Instructors' School at Las Vegas where they will formulate a definitive memorandum on fighter gunnery. If the proper equipment can then be made available to all fighter groups in the near future, next year's meet should see the average score nearly doubled, Air Force officials estimate. This is especially so in the case of the newer model jets. Although there is no question about the fact that the jet is a far better gunnery platform than the conventional fighter, most pilots have not yet had sufficient training in them to use the plane to its fullest advantage.

The meet was divided into two parts, with jets competing against jets and the conventional fighters competing against each other. All types of fighter offensive techniques were tested, including skip bombing, dive bombing, strafing, rocketry and aerial gunnery at 12,000 and 20,000 foot altitudes. Rocketry was confined to the propeller planes.

In the jet class, top team honors went to the 4th Fighter Group with a score of 490.18 out of a possible 1,000 points; the Research and Development squadron at Las Vegas was second with 422.444 and 1st Fighter Group third at 346.02. They nosed out the 20th Fighter Group by less than a point

First in the conventional class competition was 332nd Fighter Squadron with a score of 536.88 points out of a possible 1200. The 82nd Fighter Group took second with 515.01 and third place went to 27th Fighter Group with 475.3.

Top individual honors went to jet pilot Lt. Calvin K. Ellis from the 4th Fighter Group with a score of 517.493 points out of a possible 1,000 and F-47 pilot Lt. William Crawford, 82nd Fighter Group who scored 601.246 points.

The meet was witnessed by many high Air Force officials, including Maj. Gen. Robert Harper, Commanding General of the Air Training Command and Brig. Gen. Robert Landry, Air Force Aide to President Truman.

out of strafing run. Pic was taken on infra-red film in the morning.
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Winning team in jet class (above) came from 4th Fighter Group. From left: Capt. Vermont Garrison, 1st Lt. James Roberts, 1st Lt. Calvin Ellis. In conventional class, first honors went to 332nd Fighter Group (soon to be deactivated) and the pilots below. From left: Capt. Alva Temple, 1st Lt. Harry Stewart, and 1st Lt. James Harvey.
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