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surprise_i'm_armed wrote:I don't recall which US WW 2 fighter model
It was but I recall reading that the fighter left on
Missions with 1200 rounds of .50.

Considering the rate of firing those rounds could run
Out quickly.

Anyone know the stats of round counts on US fighters?

TIA / SIA

• P39 Aircobra - one 37mm cannon and two .50 cal. Browning machine guns
• P40 Tomahawk/Kittyhawk/Warhawk - used a mixture of .50 and .30 cal machine guns, usually 2 of each. The British .30 cal versions were in .303. The "E" model did have six .50 cals, with 235 rounds per gun.
• F4F Wildcat - four .50 cal BMGs until the definitive version of the aircraft was released on 1942, with six .50 cals. with 450 rounds/gun.
• F6F Hellcat - six .50 cal BMGS, with 400 rounds per gun. The F6F-5N version built as a night fighter had four .50 cals in the center and outboard mounts, and two 20mm cannons on the inboard mounts, as did the F5F-5P. The planes carried 220 rounds of 20mm for each cannon, and 400 rounds/gun for the .50s.
• F8F Bearcat - limited to four .50 cals as a weight saving measure to provide more armor for the pilot.
• P51 Mustang - six .50 cal BMGs
• The Big Magilla - the P47 Thunderbolt - EIGHT .50 cals with 3,400 rounds of ammo, plus 5" rockets, and up to 2,500 lbs of gravity bombs. (And, in the "razor back" configuration, actually flew faster than the P51.
• F4U Corsair - six .50 cal. BMGs, carried 2,300 rounds......400 for each inner gun, and 375 each for the four outer guns.

C-dub wrote:

Estand wrote:That is awesome. Thanks for posting this. 51's are my fav.

Mustang is nice to be sure, but my WWII favorite is the F-4U Corsair, with the P-38 Lightening in second, and then the Mustang.

The Annoyed Man wrote:
Six .50 cals was not limited to P51s.

• P39 Aircobra - one 37mm cannon and two .50 cal. Browning machine guns
• P40 Tomahawk/Kittyhawk/Warhawk - used a mixture of .50 and .30 cal machine guns, usually 2 of each. The British .30 cal versions were in .303. The "E" model did have six .50 cals, with 235 rounds per gun.
• F4F Wildcat - four .50 cal BMGs until the definitive version of the aircraft was released on 1942, with six .50 cals. with 450 rounds/gun.
• F6F Hellcat - six .50 cal BMGS, with 400 rounds per gun. The F6F-5N version built as a night fighter had four .50 cals in the center and outboard mounts, and two 20mm cannons on the inboard mounts, as did the F5F-5P. The planes carried 220 rounds of 20mm for each cannon, and 400 rounds/gun for the .50s.
• F8F Bearcat - limited to four .50 cals as a weight saving measure to provide more armor for the pilot.
• P51 Mustang - six .50 cal BMGs
• The Big Magilla - the P47 Thunderbolt - EIGHT .50 cals with 3,400 rounds of ammo, plus 5" rockets, and up to 2,500 lbs of gravity bombs. (And, in the "razor back" configuration, actually flew faster than the P51.
• F4U Corsair - six .50 cal. BMGs, carried 2,300 rounds......400 for each inner gun, and 375 each for the four outer guns.

The British Hurricane and Spitfires both had eight guns, and the Typhoon had twelve guns, but all of these were in .303 British, not .50 BMG.

All of them carried a hellacious punch aloft. And the technique didn't call for mashing the fire control button and just holding it down. Rounds were fired in short bursts, just like the video shows. When you have six .50s and you fire a 4 round burst, you've just slung 24 big fat bullets at the enemy plane in a couple of seconds or less.

By the way, early jet fighters also carried .50 cals, six at a time.....the F86 being an example.

G26ster wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:
Six .50 cals was not limited to P51s.

• P39 Aircobra - one 37mm cannon and two .50 cal. Browning machine guns
• P40 Tomahawk/Kittyhawk/Warhawk - used a mixture of .50 and .30 cal machine guns, usually 2 of each. The British .30 cal versions were in .303. The "E" model did have six .50 cals, with 235 rounds per gun.
• F4F Wildcat - four .50 cal BMGs until the definitive version of the aircraft was released on 1942, with six .50 cals. with 450 rounds/gun.
• F6F Hellcat - six .50 cal BMGS, with 400 rounds per gun. The F6F-5N version built as a night fighter had four .50 cals in the center and outboard mounts, and two 20mm cannons on the inboard mounts, as did the F5F-5P. The planes carried 220 rounds of 20mm for each cannon, and 400 rounds/gun for the .50s.
• F8F Bearcat - limited to four .50 cals as a weight saving measure to provide more armor for the pilot.
• P51 Mustang - six .50 cal BMGs
• The Big Magilla - the P47 Thunderbolt - EIGHT .50 cals with 3,400 rounds of ammo, plus 5" rockets, and up to 2,500 lbs of gravity bombs. (And, in the "razor back" configuration, actually flew faster than the P51.
• F4U Corsair - six .50 cal. BMGs, carried 2,300 rounds......400 for each inner gun, and 375 each for the four outer guns.

The British Hurricane and Spitfires both had eight guns, and the Typhoon had twelve guns, but all of these were in .303 British, not .50 BMG.

All of them carried a hellacious punch aloft. And the technique didn't call for mashing the fire control button and just holding it down. Rounds were fired in short bursts, just like the video shows. When you have six .50s and you fire a 4 round burst, you've just slung 24 big fat bullets at the enemy plane in a couple of seconds or less.

By the way, early jet fighters also carried .50 cals, six at a time.....the F86 being an example.

Aw gee TAM, you left out my favorite (even tough the propeller is on the top )

AH-1 Cobra (Army versions)

Scout - Three 7.62 Mimiguns rated at 3000 rounds per minute, one 40mm Grenade Launcher rated at 400 rounds per minute, fourteen Folding Fin Aeriel Rockets. Later Scout version replaced one Minigun with one 20mm Cannon at 700 rounds per minute.

Light Hog - One 7.62 Minigun, one 40mm Grenade Launcher, fifty-two Folding Fin Aeriel Rockets.

Heavy Hog - Same as Light Hog, except seventy-six Rockets

Later versions added TOW/Hellfire missiles also.

The Annoyed Man wrote: Uuuuuhhhh, because it wasn't even a sparkle in the inventor's eye during the mid-40s?

brhalltx wrote:

RetNavy wrote:beautiful plane.... still my favorite is the P-40 KittyHawk that the AVG's (Flying Tigers) flew in China

The P-40 is the Warhawk.

kragluver wrote:
The M61 used in all current US fighters fires at a rate of up to 6000 rds/min. When firing, it sounds like a really fast, loud chain saw. Get on youtube and you can see firing demonstrations of the M61. It is also used in the shipboard CWIS weapons system.

Pawpaw wrote:

I recently finished reading the book Random Shots. The author was a US Army weapons tester and he talks about early development that led to the M61 rotary cannon used in all modern US fighters from F-104 through the F-22. (The F-35 uses a different cannon - still rotary though.) Anyway, what I found interesting is that the concept of the Gatling cannon for aircraft use dates back to late WW2 when first proposed and demonstrated by Melvin Johnson (of Johnson rifle fame). The story goes that Johnson actually borrowed an antique Gatling from the Colt museum and hooked it to an electric motor to demonstrate the extremely high rates of fire that could be achieved.

The M61 used in all current US fighters fires at a rate of up to 6000 rds/min. When firing, it sounds like a really fast, loud chain saw. Get on youtube and you can see firing demonstrations of the M61. It is also used in the shipboard CWIS weapons system.

brhalltx wrote:

RetNavy wrote:beautiful plane.... still my favorite is the P-40 KittyHawk that the AVG's (Flying Tigers) flew in China

The P-40 is the Warhawk.

I worked on the Block 0 CIWS for over 14 years, both on board ship and shore duty.... it was hydraulic driven so shot at 3000rds/min... 50rds/sec... Block 1 was electrically driven and could shoot up to 6000rds/min. Never had a chance to empty the drum.... closeness was about 350 rds on a TDU... as with any weapons.... cleaning was the best part....