Jerry W. Loper
Airman 1st Class
- 121
- Oct 2, 2007
Did the Grumman F6F Hellcat and Republic P-47 Thunderbolt have any gun armament apart from six .50-caliber guns (F6F) or eight .50-caliber guns (P-47)?
F6F and P-47 armament question
- Thread starter Jerry W. Loper
- Start date
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fubar57
General
This F6F-3 was tested with 2-20mm cannon and 4-.5 machine guns, used on many F6F-5N night fighters...
Geo
Geo
It's a reflection of what they were shooting at.
The USN itself estimated that a 20mm cannon (Hispano) was three times as effective as a .50 calibre M2 machine gun. The only saving grace was that US aircraft were big enough and powerful enough to mount 6 or 8 HMGs. Still the four 20mm cannon carried by a typical late war RAF fighter had twice the destructive power of six .50 calibre machine guns carried by a USAAF P-51 for example.
There were well documented reliability problems with the US produced Hispano cannon. The M2 heavy machine gun on the other hand was made in vast quantities and was reliable and adequate for the job it had to do. It didn't stop the US moving quickly to cannon armament post war.
Cheers
Steve
The USN itself estimated that a 20mm cannon (Hispano) was three times as effective as a .50 calibre M2 machine gun. The only saving grace was that US aircraft were big enough and powerful enough to mount 6 or 8 HMGs. Still the four 20mm cannon carried by a typical late war RAF fighter had twice the destructive power of six .50 calibre machine guns carried by a USAAF P-51 for example.
There were well documented reliability problems with the US produced Hispano cannon. The M2 heavy machine gun on the other hand was made in vast quantities and was reliable and adequate for the job it had to do. It didn't stop the US moving quickly to cannon armament post war.
Cheers
Steve
Shortround6
Major General
US Navy moved a lot quicker than the US Army after the war even with much faster firing .50 cal guns coming in at the end of the war.
The P-47 only carried .50 cal guns and while there are many references to weights and loadings with 6 guns instead of 8 to lighten the plane up I don't know how common that was in the field.
The P-47 only carried .50 cal guns and while there are many references to weights and loadings with 6 guns instead of 8 to lighten the plane up I don't know how common that was in the field.
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
There may have been more, but I've only ever seen evidence of one P-47 Group of the 9th AF, removing some guns (from memory, I think two per side), and also removing the blast tubes from the remaining weapons, leaving the barrels exposed.
I have a picture of a P-47 modified with rocket launchers IN the wings.
You can't leave us hanging on that .
Tomorrow...
fubar57
General
Fine then....tomorrow....
Geo
Geo
Is that the photo, dated May 1944 from a "publicity function" showing them fitted to a 358thFG aircraft? The M10 tubes were at least being experimented with in the ETO by this time (pre-D Day) but evidence for their operational use is hard to come by. There's another photo I know of showing 'Mickey' (350th FG I think) equipped with the tubes and bombs.
The 9th AF wasn't keen on rockets of any type, preferring bombs, napalm and its machine guns.
Cheers
Steve
The 9th AF wasn't keen on rockets of any type, preferring bombs, napalm and its machine guns.
Cheers
Steve
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fubar57
General
C'mon Jim, it's tomorrow today.
Geo
Geo
fubar57
General
Hey Jim, today is tomorrow yesterday.
Geo
Geo
I know, I know...I'm still looking. The rocket tubes where in the wing leading edge. I hope I'm not thinking of the A-1 Skyraider.
davparlr
Senior Master Sergeant
The Navy switched right away to the 20mm cannon after the war. The AF did not switch to 20mm cannon until a more rapid fire cannon, the M39, became available around 1952.
If I remember correctly each side had a 5 rocket magazine...
fastmongrel
1st Sergeant
There was no technical reason why it couldnt be done the Japanese Army Ho5 was a 20mm version of the Browning M2 firing a 20x94mm round that was based on a shortened Hispano 20x110mm round.
http://www.lonesentry.com/ordnance/20-mm-aircraft-cannon-ho-5-browning-principle.html
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