for the Beaufighter pilots, the sturdy construction meant that it could remain airborne even after a great deal of punishment, but if the going got too tough, the two escape hatches in the belly were designed so that on opening, airflow was directed downward and created a pocket of still air for the pilot and observer to jump through, in theory allowing them to get clear of the aircraft structure. If on the other hand the aircraft had landed on its belly, the crew could leave using counterpart hatches in the roof.

The Beaufighter was adapted to a number of purposes, and went through a great number of marks, with the Mark. X being the most numerous of them, numbering 2,205 of the 5,562 Beaufighters constructed in the UK.ATLANTA—Enough with the talk. The Final Four is under way at the Georgia Dome.

Top overall seed Louisville, with injured Kevin Ware cheering from the bench, has tipped off with surprising Wichita State in the first of two semifinal games. The nightcap features Michigan against Syracuse, a matchup of No. 4 seeds that are two wins away from winning it all.

This is the third time in 12 seasons that college basketball's signature event has been held in Atlanta's 70,000-seat stadium, which is normally home to the NFL Falcons. It will likely be the last, as the Georgia Dome is scheduled to be replaced a new retractable-roof stadium by 2017.

NCAA Finals Watch follows the Final Four games and all the activities surrounding the event as seen by journalists from The