@Not_the_Bee@TheronKeller Didn’t see your reply until just now - thanks.
Respectfully, I didn’t miss your point. Yes, F=MA, and so with a greater mass, you get a greater force.
But at this angle and relative velocity, this is closer to a fighter charging the boom than a T-Bone. It’s why they survived.
@Not_the_Bee@TheronKeller I’m sorry, but no. If the relative motion is similar, then the forces *aren’t* necessarily high. Which is why the accident progressed the way it did, with relatively low damage to the fuselages (not hulls) at impact. Everything else I agree with.
@JoelWBerry Hi Joel, I was a fighter pilot in the 90s/00s. Friend/foe identification was better than the 60s, but not as good as today.
It could be difficult, if not impossible to discern the flag, and ship shape may or may not be familiar to the pilot. So you’re right.