Which plane had the most machine guns for attack?

[Lunatic]

Originally Posted by Magister

Lunatic said, "There was a version of the A-26 that carried 20 x .50's, I believe 18 of them could be aimed to the front for ground attack. As far as I know this was the most guns for strafing of any WWII plane."

It was 16 .50's. Eight packed into the nose, six in the wings (three in each wing) and two in the top turret that could be locked forward and fired by the pilot.

Pretty devastating.

There was another variant that had 8 guns mounted in underwing pods, 8 in the nose, and the top turret could be locked forward - which is 18. The version you describe was a later superior variant with the wing guns internalized.

[Magister]

Don't think so. The variant you are referring to had only six forwrad firing guns as opposed to the eight on the A-26B-50-DL and later series so adding two more under the wings still gives you just 16. You said 18 could be brought to bear on a target.

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevo...us/a26-03.html
"A new all-purpose nose was installed beginning with the A-26B-10-DL. Initially, the USAAF was undecided about what armament this version should carry. As originally planned, it was expected that the A-26B would be fitted with a variety of alternate solid nose sections, and that one deemed to be the best would be selected. Options that were tested on early A-26Bs included one 75-mm cannon to starboard and two 0.50-inch machine guns to port; one 75-mm cannon to starboard and one 37-mm cannon to port; two 37-mm cannon with one on each side of the nose; one 37-mm cannon to starboard and two 0.50-inch machine guns to port; four 0.50-inch guns starboard and one 37-mm cannon to port; or four 0.50-inch guns to starboard and two 0.50-in guns to port. Eventually at the end of 1944, the USAAF finally made up its mind and decided that the solid-nosed A-26B would have six machine guns with 400 rounds per gun. The guns in the two turrets had 500 rounds each.

Beginning with the A-26B-15, the forward-firing armament could be supplemented by eight 0.50-inch guns mounted in four twin packages underneath the outer wing panels.

[Magister]

Anyway you cut it, the A-26 was fearsome.

Specification of Douglas A-26B-15-DL Invader:

Powerplant:
Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-27 or -71 air-cooled radials, each rated at 2000 hp for takeoff and 1600 hp at 13,500 feet.
Performance:
Maximum speed 355 mph at 15,000 feet. Cruising speed 284 mph. An altitude of 10,000 feet could be attained in 8.1 minutes. Service ceiling 22,100 feet. Normal range 1400 miles, maximum range 3200 miles.
Dimensions:
Wingspan 70 feet 0 inches, length 50 feet 0 inches, height 18 feet 6 inches, wing area 540 square feet.
Weights:
22,370 pounds empty, 27,600 pounds loaded, 35,000 pounds maximum.
Armament:
Six forward-firing 0.50-inch machine guns in nose. Forward-firing armament could be supplemented by eight 0.50-inch guns mounted in four-gun twin packages mounted underneath the outer wing panels. Two 0.50-inch machine guns in remotely-controlled dorsal turret. Two 0.50-inch machine guns in remotely-controlled ventral turret. An internal bomb load of 4000 pounds could be carried. Maximum total bomb load of 6000 pounds.

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Specification of Douglas A-26B-60-DL Invader:

Powerplant:
Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-79 air-cooled radials, each rated at 2000 hp for takeoff, 2350 hp with water injection.
Performance:
Maximum speed 355 mph at 15,000 feet. Cruising speed 284 mph. An altitude of 10,000 feet could be attained in 8.1 minutes. Service ceiling 22,100 feet. Normal range 1400 miles, maximum range 3200 miles.
Dimensions:
Wingspan 70 feet 0 inches, length 50 feet 8 inches, height 18 feet 6 inches, wing area 540 square feet.
Weights:
22,362 pounds empty, 26,000 pounds loaded, 41,800 pounds maximum.
Armament:
Eight forward-firing 0.50-inch machine guns in nose. Three 0.50-inch machine guns mounted in each of the outer wing panels. Two 0.50-inch machine guns in remotely-controlled dorsal turret. Two 0.50-inch machine guns in remotely-controlled ventral turret. An internal bomb load of 4000 pounds could be carried. Maximum total bomb load of 6000 pounds.

[Magister]

You can see the eight nose mounted guns and the three guns mounted in the right wing. You will not find any pictures of an eight gun nose mounting along with two dual .50 packs under each wing. With the dorsal trurret locked forward, that's 16 guns on target.

At a cyclic rate of 750rpm, that's 200 rounds per second! If you were in a barge or small cargo vessel, you would literally be shredded.

[Lunatic]

You appear to be correct. I'd not realized the 8 gun nose was never paired with the quad gun packs. Serves me right for not looking it up.

One point - cyclic rate of fire for the .50 M2 Lightweight Aircraft gun was 750-850 rpm, with 800 being typical. 750 is usually the quoted figure, but if you check the rps figures for various planes, you will find the 6 gun fighters are rated at 80 rps = 4800 rpm / six guns = 800 rpm per gun. The only plane I've ever seen rps figures for which come to 750 rpm is the P-47 which is rated at 100 rps.

Assumedly the RoF of the P-47 was tuned down because it had more guns, so this might apply to the A26. But my guess is that in the field they were all tuned the same (which involves the headspacing adjustment) so 800 rpm is the proper figure.

=S=

Lunatic

[Gnomey]

Good stuff, here is another view of the front of the A-26B clearly showing the 8 guns in the nose and the 3 in each wing.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Ive always liked the A-26. To me she was fierce and sexy. Good plane overall.

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i agree she's a good plane but i don't really like the american attack/mediums like that...ugly ****ers.........

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

And you comparing them to what?

[the lancaster kicks ass]

all british planes........

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Ha Ha Ha!

[the lancaster kicks ass]

well you gotta admit we do make the world's best looking aircraft

[Aggie08]

Why didn't the US experiment with 20mm on the b-25 and a-20? Pack a bigger punch and less are needed. Gotta say though, it would be hard to turn down so many oodles of .50s....

[Aggie08]

Haha lanc alot of people would agree that those medium bombers/attack are some of the best looking planes. I think so, anyways. Seriously what looks better than a fully loaded b-25 bristling with more .50's than 5 mustangs?

[the lancaster kicks ass]

i think that for strafing soft targets, which you're gonna get more of in the pacific (apart from ships, obviously) the weight of fire provided by all the .50s was more worthwile.........