Recent discussions regarding the sniper (possibly awkwardly) standing versus sitting or kneeling for an early shot taken about 9 seconds before Z133 (Z124H) prompted me to use my 3D model to test a sitting positon similar to my Z223 model. I found that a slight rotation at the waist of about 5 degrees along with head, neck and arm adjustments allows a smooth transisiton through Z124H to Z223 and Z313 positions. Attached are four views from Z124H - Z223 including the models point of view from his left eye.
I am a fan of modeling and simulation so really like what you, Charles, and Tom are trying to do to further understand the shooting dynamics.
I have not done anything along the line of the rifle handling so can’t help any, but I did find a Carcano M91/38 (without scope) at an estate auction. Perhaps some day I can experiment with representative handling positions and shooting logistics at a low nook window here at home.
On thing I had thought about, and maybe you guys can comment on, is try to envision what Oswald might be doing leading right up to when the shooting started.
Putting myself in his place I envisioned that, although he knew the motorcade route would come by the depository, he may not have known what the motorcade arrangement was. In that I mean at the time the limo turned onto Houston, he might not have known for sure, exactly what the limo looked like, what vehicle it was to be in line i.e. where positioned in the precession, or where JFK would be seated in that vehicle.
Perhaps it took him a short while, maybe halfway down Houston, to discern all this and locate exactly where his target was, and how JFK was positioned in whatever seat. I have wondered if a time delay for this could contribute to not shooting earlier on Houston which is what many people often ask about.
Now if Oswald was seated on a box at this time, it seems like he would have to lean forward quite a bit to look around the east vertical window casing to examine the motorcade coming down Houston. Alternately, if he stood up from that seated position his body might naturally tend to lean forward a bit giving him a better view of the motorcade coming down Houston in order to make his determinations. I guess either would work, but it seems examining the motorcade would be easier if he was initially standing.
If so, the question then for the first shot is when would he have made a decision to stay mostly standing at that early point, crouch down, or be reseated? I would think that about the time the limo started to turn on Elm, JFK was quite close and the adrenalin would really be kicking in and that might be when he made a decision on an early first shot and how he would proceed, mostly standing, crouching down some in transition to sitting, or sitting.
Perhaps the work you guys are doing will further help determine this.
Also in the Hughes film where motion was seen in the sniper's window, do you guys recall if the motion observed was left/right, up/down, or just some generic motion, and if Oswald was standing at that point given widow sizes would his head have been positioned in the upper window pane as seen from street level?
Thanks for the effort you guys are putting forth here.
