DECEMBER 21,

1939

IP
BrowningF.N. 7.9 mm. 955 606 9 Kadsen Madsen Vickett 6.5-8 mm. 11.35 mm. 1,000-1,100 478-591 9 60 1,000-1,100 1,280 750 10.5 80 900 825 0.5 in. 1,143 762 23.6 168 700 792

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Armament of

Single-seaters
American Armament Corporation Type " F " 37 mm.

APPROXIMATE DATA FOR REPRESENTATIVE AIRCRAFT SUNS Gun ... V letters' "K" 0.303 in.

Browning- HispanoF.N. Suiza 13.2 mm. 1,415 914 24 20 mm.

Madten

Gerlikon "FF" 20 mm. 1, 400 780

Gerlikon " FFL " 20 mm. 1,820 1,200

Gerlikon " FFS " 20 mm. 2,100 1,400

Madsen

Calibre Length of gun (mm.)... Length of barrel (mm.) Weight of gun (kg.) ... Weight of recoil (kg.) Rate of fire (rounds per min.) Initial velocity (m./sec.)

20 mm. 1,824 1,200

23 mm. 2,000 1,200 55 180 360-400 730

508 8.8

48

1,850 200 771 90 823

950-1,200 731

1,300

1000 800-900

300 835

300 730

210 550 600

500 750

470 900

complications, it is quite possible to a r m a fighter with a variety of g u n combinations, t h e n u m b e r a n d calibre of t h e weapons depending on requirements. F o r example, a c o m b i n a t i o n of t w o of t h e new 13.2-mm. B r o w n i n g - F . N . g u n s , a n d four rifle-calibre guns, immediately suggests itself for machines like the H u r r i c a n e a n d Spitfire. The " m i x i n g " of calibres is not, of course, n e w ; I t a l y a n d America h a v e for a n u m b e r of years fitted guns of riflecalibre alongside weapons of approximately half-inch bore. The 13.2-mm. g u n s might b e replaced b y 20- or 23-mm. shell-firing weapons, with a n increase in loading a n d a decrease in t h e a m o u n t of a m m u n i t i o n carried. These also will p r o b a b l y b e m o u n t e d in c o m p a n y with small-bore weapons. T h e a d v a n t a g e s of larger bore are only obtaineble a t t h e expense of n u m b e r of guns, rate of fire a n d t h e a m o u n t of a m m u n i t i o n carried, e.g., for a weight of approximately 150 l b . it is possible to fit two rifle-calibre guns with 800 r o u n d s (400 each), or one 0.5m. g u n with rather more t h a n 200 r o u n d s , or a 20-mm. shell-gun (with t h e comparatively short barrel a n d low muzzle velocity) with 50 r o u n d s . T h e weight will include a m m u n i t i o n containers a n d chutes, fire control a n d h e a t i n g devices. T h a t interchangeability of a r m a m e n t loads is possible with t h e twin-engined as well as t h e single-engined fighter is indicated b y t h e fact t h a t t h e F o k k e r G I can t a k e any of t h e following fixed-gun c o m b i n a t i o n s : 1. E i g h t small-bore m a c h i n e g u n s (7-8 m m . ) with 500 r o u n d s per g u n 2. F o u r 13.2-mm. large-bore machine guns with 250 r o u n d s per g u n (explosive a m m u n i t i o n ) . 3. T w o 20- or 23-mm. shell-guns with 60 a n d 100 rounds per gun respectively, plus t w o small-bore machine g u n s with 450 r o u n d s each ; or 4. F o u r 20-mm. shell-guns with 60 rounds per gun. Now t h a t aircraft a r m a m e n t is, so to speak, in t h e melting pot, it m a y be instructive t o review t h e various types of weapons being installed on fixed-gun fighter aircraft. F o r convenience these guns can b e classified according to

whether they use ball a m m u n i t i o n or a r e able to fire explosive shells. T h e former class we shall t e r m " m a c h i n e guns '' a n d t h e latter '' shell-guns,'' t h o u g h it m u s t b e borne in m i n d t h a t t h e majority of m o d e r n shell-guns a r e little more t h a n large-bore machine guns firing explosive a m m u n i t i o n . T h e term " c a n n o n , " or canon, h a s been discarded b y Flight as it savours of Crecy a n d W a t e r l o o a n d is a p t to give a wrong impression. I n fixed installations a m m u n i t i o n m a y be fed either from belts or d r u m s . I n t h e former case t h e belts a r e usually of the metal disintegrating t y p e , t h e cartridges being held in position b y t h e links themselves, these being ejected one b y one as each round is fired. Contrary t o w h a t m i g h t be expected it is possible to twist t h e belts on their w a y t o the g u n s ; this fact is utilised in the design of certain modern installations, notably on the F o k k e r D 2 3 . I n t h e normal fixed installation t h e belts are fed from boxes, t h e empties a n d belt links being collected in a container o r discharged t h r o u g h chutes. I t h a s been found t h a t when belt-fed guns a r e installed on fast fighters t h e feed a r r a n g e m e n t s m a y be affected b y " g" d u r i n g violent manoeuvres. Drum-fed guns, a l t h o u g h c o m m o n l y ' ' free '' weapons, a r e accordingly favoured i n some instances t h o u g h t h e great majority of fixed g u n s are belt fed. T h e r e is one serious difficulty w h e n belt-fed guns are used in fixed installations. T h e size of t h e d r u m magazine m u s t be increased to hold some h u n d r e d s of rounds, for whereas a g u n n e r firing from a t u r r e t o r freemounting can readily change d r u m s , it would b e impossible for t h e pilot of a modern fighter t o perform this operation. T h e dimensions of t h e d r u m can be increased either in diameter or depth, a n d five or six h u n d r e d r o u n d s can b e accommodated.

ALTERNATIVE LOADS

Two alternatives in the arming of a twinengined fighter. On the left the nose is shown with two 23 mm. Madsen shell-guns and two Madsen rifle-calibre machine guns, while above is the installation in " line-abreast " of eight rifle-calibre Brownings. Actually the machine is the Fokker G.I.