I tested pilot kills against a B-17 from a 90-degree side attack.
The test was performed in a custom mission, with the B-17’s defensive guns disabled in order to focus on the aiming and firing window itself.
In practice, this was quite difficult. The video includes both successful and failed attempts.
The effective firing window is less than one second, and precise cockpit hits require very accurate timing and aim.
In an actual battle, the attacker would also have to deal with defensive fire and a maneuvering target, so successfully landing this kind of shot would require both skill and some luck.
See also, head on Cockpit Kill Test as follow,
