I wonder what that meeting was like when someone proposed installing a howitzer on a cargo plane?

[beer]

It's, what, a 102 mm howitzer with like a sustained fire rate every ten seconds or something? Did anyone realitically think this would be a good idea when it was designed?

 

[Chaotic42]

The AC-130?

I guess they did think it would be good since they made it and use it.

 

[tnitsuj]

It wasn't a new idea. It was just a bigger gun and different airframe than had been used before.

 

[beer]

Well it ended up being a good idea. But did anyone think it would realistically work at first? You ever seen an Abrams tank fire a round and recoil? When you're in air you can 't push against anything....

 

[Bootprint]

Remember they started off with the C-47 gunship, with 3 gattling guns. So move up to a bigger airframe, change guns.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: beer
Well it ended up being a good idea. But did anyone think it would realistically work at first? You ever seen an Abrams tank fire a round and recoil? When you're in air you can 't push against anything....

Here's a really ugly site that may help It's about another plane, but I think the recoil system is similar.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: beer
Well it ended up being a good idea. But did anyone think it would realistically work at first? You ever seen an Abrams tank fire a round and recoil? When you're in air you can 't push against anything....

Here's a really ugly site that may help It's about another plane, but I think the recoil system is similar.

Notes: The AC-260 comes armed with:
2 ARES Victory Auto-Cannons with 2500 Rounds Each
2 ARES Vigilant Auto-Cannons with 2500 Rounds Each
2 ARES Vanquisher HMG's with 5000 Ex Explosive Rounds
The Internal Missle Bay and Mount 3 Missles at a time, launching 1 at a time. And is reloaded by 2 Airmen in the cargo area who do it manually. It is fired by the Weapon Systems Officer. Usual Load is between 20 and 30 missiles/Rockets depending upon mission parameters.
The Crew: A pilot, Co-Pilot, Eletronic Systems Operator, Weapon Systems Officer, Communications/Navigations Officer, Two Weapon System Operators and 2 Loadmasters. All but the Loadmasters are Rigged into the vehicle, but save the Pilot/Co-Pilot all only given access to their specific area of the vehicle so they don't get in each others way.

No howitzer!!

 

[Deleted member 4644]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: beer
Well it ended up being a good idea. But did anyone think it would realistically work at first? You ever seen an Abrams tank fire a round and recoil? When you're in air you can 't push against anything....

Here's a really ugly site that may help It's about another plane, but I think the recoil system is similar.

hahahahahhahaa

wtf?

 

[Kilgor]

Originally posted by: Bootprint
Remember they started off with the C-47 gunship, with 3 gattling guns. So move up to a bigger airframe, change guns.

I think the concept of the first gunship was the A-26 Invader during WW2. It was armed with 14 50 cals, a 75mm cannon in the nose and rocket launchers. I saw some footage on the Discovery Channel back when they used to have the show wings on of the 75mm cannon firing and the plane would dam near stop in the air when it was fired.

Picture of it firing it's 14 50 cals at once.
neat

 

[Kadarin]

They must have thought it was a great idea, once they solve the recoil problem. It's an excellent way to concentrate tons of firepower on one ground target (flying cirlces overhead w/howitzer and other guns aimed at a central spot) for long periods of time.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

How did they solve the recoil problem?