Author Topic: P51B with 4 20mms? (Read 1187 times)

Kweassa · « **Reply #15 on:** June 21, 2004, 07:19:12 AM »

Useless in real life.

Obviously not in a game environment where there's no "issues" with it as in real life.

Red Tail 444 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 21, 2004, 11:14:40 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Puke ver. 2
Just because it wasn't utilized in actual combat doesn't seem like a reason to exclude it from Aces High.

Yes it does. If you open the door for one A/C that never saw combat pretty soon every kid with a hostory book's gonna want this and that. IMO we don't need experimental or other planes that did not see WW2 combat in the game.

Puke ver. 2 · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2004, 11:41:58 AM »

Redtail, you misunderstand. This was not an experimental aircraft. Hellcats had the option of replacing their six fifties with four 20mms. To my knowledge, this was never utilized (by anything other than the night-fighter variants) because the need wasn't there. Japan didn't field heavily armoured 4-engine bombers and in fact, most of their aircraft were considered flying torches anyway.

This is just a fictional example to get my point across, but your thinking would be such that: if the Hellcat could carry napalm but the actual wartime environment never required that ordnance to be utilized, then it shouldn't qualify in the game. I disagree. It is my understanding that the Hellcat was designed so that the fifties could be replaced and we players should have that same choice.

Red Tail 444 · « **Reply #18 on:** June 21, 2004, 12:08:42 PM »

I don't believe the ground crew had the option of making airfield changes to armament at the pilot's behest. if they did, then I am mistaken. I think it was prpbably easier to go from 20 to 30mm in the 190's and 109, then it is from 50 cal to 20MM...

This of course, raises the question of perked loadouts...or loadout options...

Puke ver. 2 · « **Reply #19 on:** June 21, 2004, 01:24:59 PM »

Woops, I'm embarassed. I was thinking about this and realized I made a mistake... the Hellcat wing was designed to allow for either the installation of three fifties or one fiftie in combination with one 20mm. So what that means is that it would be two 20mms and two fifties. I'm no expert, but thought I read the wing was designed to allow either option but it just wasn't deemed necessary for the threat encountered. It would be easier for a squadron to carry just fifties and fifty-cal ammunition instead of a mix in the CV holds.

If the aircraft was designed to make this modification in less than a day, I'd say it's viable for the MA even if it was never utilized in actual use.

Emmanuel Gustin · « **Reply #20 on:** June 22, 2004, 03:33:20 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Puke ver. 2
So what that means is that it would be two 20mms and two fifties. I'm no expert, but thought I read the wing was designed to allow either option but it just wasn't deemed necessary for the threat encountered

The F6F-5 series was designed with an inner gun bay that could take a 20-mm cannon, for a total of four .50s and two 20-mm cannon. Only the F6F-5N was routinely so equipped, and reports suggest that while the extra firepower of the cannon was valued, its took a lot of work to get it to operate reliably.

But the F6F-5 did see service with this armament, and not only as nightfighter. Pictures of F6Fs serving with the French Armee de l'Air in Indochina show the cannon in the inboard position, with a long blast tube (extending forward to ahead of the cowling flaps) and a fairing at at the leading edge of the wing.

FUNKED1 · « **Reply #21 on:** June 22, 2004, 05:43:21 PM »

Hi Mr. Gustin, never thought I would see you here. Thanks for your cool website(s).

Puke ver. 2 · « **Reply #22 on:** June 23, 2004, 12:05:56 PM »

Gustin, you rest my case.

Now why do people fear American aircraft equipped with cannons? The Hellcat is middle of the roost in terms of speed and middle of the roost for maneuverability. You have Georges, Spitfires, LA7s, Yaks, 109, 190s and more running around with cannons, why does there always seem to be a resistance to allowing the American iron a similar punch to just about everything else out there?