Moveable Gun-Mounts on Fighters

• Oct 8, 2018

• #1

Zipper730

Chief Master Sergeant

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Nov 9, 2015

I remember reading about two fighter-planes, the XP-54 and YFM-1 which had gun-mounts that were movable in flight.

The YFM-1 had 2 x 37mm cannon that could be pivoted by either the gunners or the pilot if I recall, and the XP-54 had 2 x 37mm that were mounted in fixed positions, but the 2 x 0.50" were mounted in movable mounts. I'm not sure if these variable position sights were mostly designed to simply adjust elevation, or both elevation and azimuth.

 

Last edited: Oct 10, 2018

• Oct 11, 2018

• #2

N

newst

Airman

90

49

Feb 18, 2010

I'm not sure what you are asking for but there were some more or less successful fighters produced with turrets. Boulton Paul Defiant, Fairey Fulmar, Me-410 and P-61 come to mind.

 

• Oct 11, 2018

• #3

W

wuzak

Captain

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Jun 5, 2011

Hobart Tasmania

The Fairey Fulmar did not have a turret.

The OP was not talking of turret fighters, but aircraft with some limited trainability of the guns.

The XP-54 used a (heavy) mechanism to change the elevation of 0.50" HMGs compared to the 2 37mm cannon, which were fixed. This was done to try to match the different trajectories of the two types of weapon so they hit at (roughly) the same point on the target.

 

• Oct 11, 2018

• #4

GreenKnight121

Senior Airman

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Mar 16, 2014

And the USN gave it a try post-war in a jet.

I give you the Emerson AERO X17A nose turret in F9F-3 Panther BuNo 122562:

{edit: this wouldn't post my pics, nor let me edit my post until I closed my browser then restarted it. Lets try the pics again. Success!}

 

Last edited: Oct 11, 2018

• Oct 11, 2018

• #5

GrauGeist

Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung

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Aug 29, 2008

Redding, California

www.netallurgy.com

The Boulton-Paul P.94 was intended to have the wing mounted MGs or Cannon adjustable from horizontal to a depressed attitude for ground-attack.

 

• Oct 11, 2018

• Thread starter
• #6

Zipper730

Chief Master Sergeant

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Nov 9, 2015

wuzak said:

The OP was not talking of turret fighters, but aircraft with some limited trainability of the guns.

Click to expand...

Correct

The XP-54 used a (heavy) mechanism to change the elevation of 0.50" HMGs compared to the 2 37mm cannon, which were fixed.

Click to expand...

Do you have any such image of this?

 

• Oct 27, 2018

• #7

G

Greyman

Tech Sergeant

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1,581

Jan 31, 2009

The Breguet 691 could lower its cannon and two machine guns for strafing. The Bre 693 did away with this functionality.