The book Fighter Combat (Shaw) describes lethality as having its base on the 30cal MG of WW1. Which has a lethality of 1:
A chart on page 6 shows lethality as it applies here:
- Gun - Year - ROF - Lethality
- 30cal M2 - 1929 - 1200 - 1.7
- 50cal M2 - 1933 - 800 - 6.4
- 20mm M2 - 1941 - 650 - 15.9
- 20mm M3 - 1944 - 800 - 18.2
- 37mm M4 - 1941 - 134 - 7.2
- 20mm M61 - 1957 - 6000 - 144.8 (For comparison)
To get total lethality you would add the lethality of all guns firing. So for a 51D lethality would be 38.4 and for a 109G6 using MK103 it would be 10.6.
Shaw stated that lethality was roughly equal between the various designs of different countries. Lethality basically comes down to this formula:
Lethality = (bullet weight) x (rate of fire) x (muzzle velocity) x (10 log -8)Shaw did say that lethality can be based upon "Time of Flight". In that case the muzzle velocity is adjusted for "Velocity at Impact". The chart describes optimum lethality only.
Shaw also descibes the effect of explosion damage caused by HE cannon rounds, but says the most important factors are those describe above.
As to the issue of "Lethality", we all know and Shaw states, "Regardless of the lethality of a given gun system, it is of little value unless it can be brought to bear on a target"
In my case, bringing the lethality to bear is foremost. Well, lethality is just lethality.
------------------
Mino
The Wrecking Crew
