To survive close pursuits, the E.381 was designed with the narrowest frontal cross section possible:, or approximately a quarter of the cross section of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, requiring the pilot to lie in a prone position.
To survive close pursuits, the E.381 was designed with the narrowest frontal cross section possible in order to increase its chances of surviving shots from the front. The cross-section was, or approximately a quarter of the cross section of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, requiring the pilot to lie in a prone position.