Favorite gun armament of WWII aircraft

[Fokker D21]

After playing numerous flight simulators I noticed that bigger guns on aircraft usually are not that much more powerful modelled than smaller ones. So I decided to read more about the subject. The best book I read about this is: Flying Guns of World War II. One of the most interesting things in this book is a formula for calculating gun strength.

The authors base their formula on momentum instead of kinetic and chemical energy because kinetic energy overstates the speed of the projectile and chemical energy is to complex to be compared with kinetic energy.

I took the challenge to make my own formula. See my website:

My question to the other forum members is:
1) Do you think my and/or Williams/Gustin formula approaches historical accuracy?
2) What is your favorite gun armament of WWII and why?

 

[HoHun]

Hi Fokker,

>See my website: Back to my homepage

Looks good!

I'd like to see a table comparing the individual guns, if possible sorted by efficiency. I'd also include the mass of rounds plus drums/belts into the efficiency comparison, as that will give a better impression of the entire weapons system.

For my comparison, I have simply used total energy. The additional factors you introduce are entirely arbitary - a solid round piercing through aircraft skind wastes a proportion of its energy just like an explosive round, and I don't think it's possible to tell generically which type of loss is higher.

Oh, and I noticed you used the term "effective range" - what's your definition of that term?

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

 

[comiso90]

Favorite gun armament of WWII aircraft..

Depends on the mission and theater.

If your hunting 4 engine bombers... gotta have cannons.
If your going after fighters... .50 is my choice
If I'm shredding Japanese aircraft, I may even want 10 or 12 .303 brownings..

 

[joy17782]

comiso i have too agree with you there on your picks , maybe a few more 303 lol !!!!!!

 

[Micdrow]

Read this link on aircraft guns also. Lot of info in there provided by Hohun.

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/weapons-systems-tech/centerline-guns-configurations-11037.html

 

[toffigd]

"If I'm shredding Japanese aircraft, I may even want 10 or 12 .303 brownings"

Where would you put theme? You'd need at least biplane Spitfire Mk.I with double A wing - 16x.303!

 

[ToughOmbre]

Like the P-38 armament, a 20mm and four .50s in the nose.

TO

 

[Glider]

I prefer the Whirlwind, 4 x 20mm in the nose, nasty

 

[comiso90]

"If I'm shredding Japanese aircraft, I may even want 10 or 12 .303 brownings"

Where would you put theme? You'd need at least biplane Spitfire Mk.I with double A wing - 16x.303!

Hurricane XII
Canadian-built variant. Single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber. Powered by a 1,300 hp (969 kW) Packard Merlin 29. Initially armed with 12 0.303 inch (7.7 mm) machine guns, but this was later changed to four 20 mm cannon

Hawker Hurricane - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[SoD Stitch]

Gimme a Sturmbock Fw 190 A-8/R2; I'll take 2 30mm Mk 108's, 2 20mm MG 151/20's, and two MG 17's any day.

 

[lesofprimus]

Same here Stich, unless I was going up top to handle P-51's, then lose the 30mms and stay with the 4x20mm and 2xMG17s...

 

[Kurfürst]

My question to the other forum members is:
1) Do you think my and/or Williams/Gustin formula approaches historical accuracy?

Tony`s formula is one approach to a very complex problem, and he readily admits that it has weaknesses; IMHO the greatest weakness is that it bases the projectiles 'destructive power' (for the lack of a better word) on Kinetic energy, and ie. HE shells only get their KE multiplied to represent Chemical Energy, and the two has little to do with each other. To illustrate with an example, a hand granade kills you all the same wheter it explodes sitting on the ground, flying in the air or hits you in the stomach after thrown and then explodes. There is no connection.

But as said, it`s an extremely complex subject, depending on where the projectile hits (ie. if the bullet passes through the wingtip, the same amount of KE will be transferred, ie. the one needed to penetrate through, wheter we speak of a high velocity or low velocity round of similiar calibre), what it hits etc.

I fear its simply impossible to give back the effect with a single number.

2) What is your favorite gun armament of WWII and why?

Late La 7 and Yak 3 with the pair or triple 20mm cannons. Its an excellent, light, compact cannon with high rate of fire and high velocity, the 20mm is simply the best all around armament and all of it is centered in the nose.

Its a sexy combination of a neat and deadly package. Of course there were some monstrosities, but I prefer the reasonable package.

 

[magnocain]

How about 6x50 cal.s and 2x 30mm cannons.

 

[syscom3]

Why shred a Japanese airplane with .30's?

Go with the 10 .50's!!!!!

Plus you can also shred Japanese ships with the 50 cals.

 

[rochie]

Gimme a Sturmbock Fw 190 A-8/R2; I'll take 2 30mm Mk 108's, 2 20mm MG 151/20's, and two MG 17's any day.

i'll agree with that much better to be sat behind that lot than in front looking down the barrels

 

[comiso90]

Why shred a Japanese airplane with .30's?

Go with the 10 .50's!!!!!

Plus you can also shred Japanese ships with the 50 cals.

Ok... I know the Hurricaine was outfitted with up to 12 .303's..

which fighter had 10 .50's?

 

[syscom3]

Ok... I know the Hurricaine was outfitted with up to 12 .303's..

which fighter had 10 .50's?

B25 Gunships.

Plus the P47 had 8 .50's.

 

[ccheese]

Didn't someone on the forum have a siggy that said: "Eight .50's kick ass !"

Fighter to fighter, eight .50's should do the trick. If your going after
bombers, cannon would help. Depends on whose bombers you're after.

Charles

 

[comiso90]

B25 Gunships.

Plus the P47 had 8 .50's.

yeahh..

i was thinking fighters.. i didnt want to get into gunships

I'd like to know if any fighter had 10 .50s

 

[ToughOmbre]

Also the P-61.

4 20mm
4 .50s

TO