A turreted fighter promised a 360-degree, or nearly 360-degree, field of fire instead of weapons fixed along the aircraft's direction of travel. The arrangement separated flying from shooting. The pilot could maneuver or evade while a gunner concentrated on the target. That division of labor is compared to an early fire-and-forget weapon, with the pilot placing the aircraft and the gunner conducting the engagement. The analogy explains why air forces could take the concept seriously even though the resulting fighters performed poorly.
Chapter · 0:14-1:41
Turreted fighter 360-degree fire idea
A nearly all-around gun turret promised to let the pilot evade while a gunner fought the target, giving the idea more tactical logic than its reputation suggests.