JFK Assassination Hearings - Larry Sturdivan (Part II)
JFK Assassination Hearings - Larry Sturdivan (Part II)
CHARLES MATHEWS asks LARRY M. STURDIVAN what happens to bullet when it passes through a more dense material than air - Sturdivan answers that it can cause the bullet's yaw or angle of spin to increase dramatically, as much as 270 degrees (10:03:18) Mathews wants a further explanation with exhibits that he introduces (10:04:30) (Sound goes fuzzy at exhibit easel with portable mic) Sturdivan explains the bullets' paths with exhibits of photographs of bullets passing through gelatin and how their yaw changes upon passage through the material (10:05:22) Someone interrupts to adjust Sturdivan's microphone and cuts off the fuzz (10:07:58) Sturdivan continues with new mic but fuzz returns, he explains more exhibits which also show bullets passing through gelatin and fragmenting and changing yaw (10:08:45) Sturdivan explains exhibit of tests done on bullets fired through gelatin from a Mannlicher-Carcano rifle, the first image shows a bullets path which shows almost no yaw and goes straight through 15 inches of gelatin after it had already gone through another 4 inch gelatin target - Sturdivan again makes mention that the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle had one of the stablest shots of any rifles he's ever tested (10:10:40) Sound issues emerge again, apparently the committee cannot hear Sturdivan (10:11:20) Host SANFORD UNGAR's voice comes over shot of committee to anounce they have pause because of the sound difficulties (10:11:55) Sturdivan decides to hold the mic up to his mouth to solve the problem (10:12:18) Mathews asks Sturdivan to explain the Mannlicher-Carcano test exhibits - Sturdivan explains they were conducted at the request of the Warren Commission and that they show the different possibilites of the bullet going straight or of it curving in path according to the plains that it encounters within the gelatin (10:12:20) Mathews asks if this exhibit supports the path of the single bullet theory to which Sturdivan answers that it depends on the stability of the bullet upon impact and the thickness of the materail it is passing through, he adds the Mannlicher-Carcano is very stable and its bullet could travel unaltered in course through 4 or 5 inches of material (10:14:10) Mathews asks why a bullet in another exhibit broke up in the gelatin - Sturdivan answers its the force and explains (10:15:11) A new exhibit is added comparing bullets fired from three different rifles through gelatin and Sturdivan explains the specifics, one is a bullet from a Mannlicher Carcano rifle and it is the only one that traveled in a straight path through (10:15:46) Mathews asks if Sturdivan is able to predict the drag force on a bullet - Sturdivan explains a drag force equation and after being asked by Mathews says that the velocity at which deformation would occurr in soft tissue is 2000 feet per second, the muzzle velocity of the Mannlicher-Carcano and bone for the same gun would be 1400 ft/s, and if the bullet turns sideways it will deform at an even lower velocity (10:18:30) A projector is set up to show films of bullet deformation and during this pause Ungar's voice comes in to sum up the testimony and explain the significance of the films and introduce them - DAVID LIFTON, a Warren Commision critic on the host panel corrects Ungar about the reason the films are being shown and criticizes the decision made by this committee not to conduct re-creation tests of the assassination with the rifle (10:23:00) Lights in hearing room turned off (10:26:57) Lights back on, committee remains in recess because there is a vote taking place on the house floor (10:27:17) Ungar introduces his panel David Lifton and Professor JACOB COHEN - shot turns to them and they discuss what these tests are supposed to show us (10:28:14) Committee comes back into session (10:31:57) Lights on, film image appears of gelatin block with ruler above it and Sturdivan explains the footage, it is of a military bullet being fired through the gelatin, first the film is shown at normal speed, then in slow-motion with Sturdivan explaining the bullet's effects and change of yaw frame by frame - a second block of gelatin is then shot with another bullet at a higher velocity which causes it to break up within the gelatin -both jello blocks exlode in gyrating waves upon impact (10:32:25) Lights back on, Sturdivan defines the difference between radial velocity and a shock wave for Mathews (10:40:05) New exhibits are introduced by Mathews, they are exibits from Dr. CYRIL H. WECHT's testimony and show positioning of JFK and CONNALLY in the car and an image of the various deformities suffered by Mannlicher-Carcano bullets fired in Warren Commission tests - Mathews asks Sturdivan as a scientist if he would say these exhibits are accurate or speculative ( a close up is shown the exhibit which depicts the men's positioning in the car and the v-hold temporarily goes bad followed by a fuzzy picture which continues) - Sturdivan says that the Zapruder film alone would not be enough determine the illustration positioning the men in the car and that in general Dr. Wecht did not produce enough evidence to allow a trust worthy recreation of the assassination - there are much more factors involved than he presented (10:41:24) Sturdivan addresses another of Wecht's exhibits, this one the image of the deformed bullets, explaining the bullets one by one he discounts Wecht's testimony that they proved the impossibility that bullet 399 could have done so much damage and emerged in as good condition as it did (10:46:05) Exhibits of stills of the Zapruder film are introduced and of JFK's skull, one an X-ray the other a recreation of the bullet's impact (10:48:15) Sturdivan in response to Mathews explains that regardless of the type of ammunition, frangible or full metal jacket, the head of JFK would be expected to explode as it did - Sturdivan, then analysing the X-ray contends that the skull's damage was characteristic of a jacketed bullet (10:49:50) Sturdivan provides his perception as to the bullets path through the skull, then explains for Mathews that skull exploded because of the radial velocity imparted by the bullet (10:53:20) Sturdivan introduces film of tests he helped conduct on request by the Warren Commission of skulls being fired upon and explains the test set up (10:55:35) Lights are dimmed and Ungar's voice comes over hearing room footage to introduce skull films (10:57:31) Another film, other than that of the skull must be played first, Sturdivan explains it is of a can of tomatos which is shot, it shows the effects of radial velocity and impact on exploding the target - the image is dark and black and white (10:58:00) The first skulll appears - the image is very dark and black and white, film cuts off before anything happens to it (10:59:57)