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IMO France was the only nation with a better fighter weapon during 1939 to 1940. And even that is debatable since the MG FF fired a much more destructive projectile then the HS.404 cannon.
Popular histories often bad mouth the 20MM MG FF cannon. But was it really that bad during 1939 to 1941, when it was superceded by the superior MG151/20?
MG FF.
26 kg.
60 round drum magazine. Later a 90 round drum magazine.
540 rounds per minute.
700 mps velocity for 20mm mine shell.
The MG151/20 projectile was only 105 meters per second faster. How much does that matter when the target is less then 200 meters away?
a) The Time of flight is the MG 151/20 projectile is lesser so any manouvering target would be easier to hit.
b) The kinetic energy transfered to the target is far superior...how much with 105 mps more ? a lot more imagine being hit in the chest by a tenis ball at 50 meters per second, then being hit by a tenis ball at 205 meters per second....you will noticed the difference believe me.
It is not that bad but kinetic energy does change with the square of the speed so roughly 59X59= 3841 compared to 770 = 4900 for about a 27% increase in kinetic energy.
You need to do that anyway until gryo stabilized gunsights become standard equipment during the last year of the war.Gyro gunsights were a completely inexistent item in German fighters with teh sole exception of a dozen of Me-262 and Ta-152s.
Assuming that kinetic energy is the measure of merit. Williams and Gustin make an extensive analysis showing that momentum actually determine impact lethality, modified by explosive content. If kinetic energy is the determining factor, the German adoption of the MK108 is insane. You'd also expect some incredible differences in shootdowns that aren't supported by the evidence.It is not that bad but kinetic energy does change with the square of the speed so roughly 59X59= 3841 compared to 770 = 4900 for about a 27% increase in kinetic energy.
Assuming that kinetic energy is the measure of merit. Williams and Gustin make an extensive analysis showing that momentum actually determine impact lethality, modified by explosive content. If kinetic energy is the determining factor, the German adoption of the MK108 is insane. You'd also expect some incredible differences in shootdowns that aren't supported by the evidence.