Luftwaffe Cannons and Machineguns topic.

[CharlesBronson]

Yea, that is a better book, the only advantage of the Monogram close up series is that they are cheaper.

Cleaning up the barrel of Me-109`s Mauser MG 151/20,. The knurled section is for easier handling when extracting it, it was a quick change one obviously.

[CharlesBronson]

Some great shots of the rear MG 151/20 armed turret of Heinkel He-177 found in the german federal archives.

[Civettone]

I love that last pic. It even looks a bit futuristic


Kris

[CharlesBronson]

True, kind of starwarish look ( is not like I am a fan of the series)

Here an officer is using some special optical device, I am not sure if is for alignment of the Mauser gun or maybe checking the rifling wear.

[Civettone]

Yeah I was also thinking of Star Wars!

That is a strange device. I don't know how he can look inside at the barrel without light going through...

Kris

[tomo pauk]

Originally Posted by CharlesBronson

...

Here an officer is using some special optical device, I am not sure if is for alignment of the Mauser gun or maybe checking the rifling wear.

Checking the alignment.
Back in 1990/91 we've used the similar instrument for our Praga 30mm SP AAA pieces.

[CharlesBronson]

That is a strange device. I don't know how he can look inside at the barrel without light going through

Maybe the thing has a tiny light inside like the device used by doctors to check inside a patient ears.

Checking the alignment.
Back in 1990/91 we've used the similar instrument for our Praga 30mm SP AAA pieces.

Thanks Tomo P. I was 50 % accurate. Nice monster the czech 30x210 guns, you should got some muscle from the days of moving by hand those heavy 50 round magazines.

Filling up 60 round magazines for the Ikaria Werke MG-FF 20mm gun. ( airfield in the France Campaign, 1940)

[Crimea_River]

How about a target/reflector in the breech end. The device on the muzzle end has cross hairs and you look thru the barrel at the target in the breech end. If perfectly centered in the muzzle device's cross hairs, you can verify straightess of the barrel.

Pure conjecture on my part.....

[Civettone]

makes perfect sense !

Btw, do you guys know anything about belly guns for single-engined Luftwaffe aircraft? So far I have read about the Bf 109G-4 with the 20mm belly gun which was not adopted due to different priming. Anything else?
Kris

[Tony Williams]

I recall something about a Fw 190 being fitted with a single belly MK 103 for ground attack, but I don't know whether this happened or was just a paper project. I believe it was abandoned because of concerns about the reliability of synchronisation with the big cartridge and the consequences if it failed. Two underwing guns were tried instead, but were also unsuccessful.

[CharlesBronson]

Quote to self, page 6:

Originally Posted by CharlesBronson

MK 103 in FW 190:

This gun was installed in two containers below the wings. Two types of containers ( Waffenbehalter) were developed, one for the FW-190A-5 and other for the Fw-190A-8 and F-8. In both cases the gun in this emplacement was feed by a metallic belts of 32 cartrigdes. It seems that the recoil forces and vibration were too much to the Focke Wulf ( despite the strong fabrication of the Wurger wings) and just few aircraft were armed in this way.

FW-190A-8/R3 .



Teorically the electric ignition in this weapon allow to shoot through the propellers, however test with an underbelly MK was a complete failure since the variation in rate of fire caused some "hang" shots, with the predictable consecuences.

Aparently the hang shots were not caused by a mechanical unreability of the MK but for the large grain of its propellant.

How about a target/reflector in the breech end. The device on the muzzle end has cross hairs and you look thru the barrel at the target in the breech end. If perfectly centered in the muzzle device's cross hairs, you can verify straightess of the barrel.

Pure conjecture on my part.....

It could be, I need to search more information about that apparatus.

[razor1uk]

About the optical viewing device, there was probably someone in the 'pit' with a torch/light shinging into the open breech (the cannons reciever & body was located between the pilots legs ahead of the flight stick.
As for the cross hairs and such, persons with heavy weapons inspection knowledge might be able to advise; I suspect the thoughts posted are close to the truth.

I have a book by Uwe Fest, the 'Me 109' and for that pic, it (if my memory is working) 'Checking the Engine mounted MG15/20 cannon with a borescope on a unsuaslly painted Bf109F-... somewhere on the Eastern Front(I forget the subtype number).'

[tomo pauk]

Let me add/clarify the issue about 'aligning the barrell'.
It was the sight that was actually aligned against the gun barrel and not vice-versa, since it was hardly possible to adjust alignment for a motor cannon.

[Crimea_River]

Yeah. I wasn't talking about boresighting. I was talking about checking whether the barrel itself was true and straight.

[Civettone]

Originally Posted by tomo pauk

Let me add/clarify the issue about 'aligning the barrell'.
It was the sight that was actually aligned against the gun barrel and not vice-versa, since it was hardly possible to adjust alignment for a motor cannon.

Tomo, you never cease to amaze me!


Kris