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Short, maybe it's just we didn't expect those cowling guns. At any rate, what advantage would you see those giving that aircraft? I'd think primarily they'd be advantageous for close-range bursts.
Short, maybe it's just we didn't expect those cowling guns. At any rate, what advantage would you see those giving that aircraft? I'd think primarily they'd be advantageous for close-range bursts.
Thanks, I didn't think of that.I've read that they where use (sometimes) for determining range (angle)....then the 20mm where used to close the deal. Also I've read that they where used (alot) for ground attack. I think that these where (sort of) pilots choice, for use of the cowl guns.
I don't see why you're thinking cowling guns were in any way unusual. Most fighters up till that time had cowling guns all the way back to WW1, wings guns were a more modern inovation, but the Zero hardly broke new ground there either.
Let the record reflect, I concede the point. I think the baffling aspect rather related to the cannons on that paper-weight aircraft. But as proton45 pointed out, there was a dual-use for that aircraft, and the land-use is where those cowling guns most plausibly figured in. That makes sense.As has been noted MOST fighters up until WW II had cowl guns or guns mounted on/in the fuselage sides, for the US this includes ALL biplane fighter since WW I, Curtiss and Boeing. The P-26, Consolidated P-30, Seversky P-35, Curtiss P-36, Early Curtiss P-40s, P-39s, P-38s with guns in the nose? Republic P-43s. First US Army fighter WITHOUT cowl guns was the P-40D/E.