This picture is again from crash-aerien.aero. The aircraft is a Douglas B-18. Is this a heavy gun installed in the bomb bay, or a different kind of device? The barrel would not protrude very much when the surface is covered. The Wikipedia article of the B-18 says nothing about such a conversion.
Thank you for you interest, especially for your answers!
Regards, RT
By: Bager1968 - 19th January 2014 at 08:32
75-MM GUN M4 AND AIRPLANE MOUNT M6 TM9_1311_1943.pdf
M4
The 75-mm aircraft gun M4 is a modification of the M3 gun which is found in medium tanks. It differs from the M3 gun, only in having a seat for the spline machined in the tube. It was mounted on the M6 mount.
T13E1 / M5
A lightweight version of the M3 with a lighter thin-walled barrel and a different recoil mechanism that was used in the B-25H Mitchell bomber. Uses the same ammunition and has the same ballistics as the M3. Mounted on T13E2 aircraft mount.
The M4 gun assembly weighed 893 lb according to the PDF above, and the gun tube weighed 628 lb… I can’t find the weight of the T13E1.
Can anyone find this: TM9-312 75mm Gun T13E1 and Aircraft Mount T13E2?
By: J Boyle - 19th January 2014 at 05:37
The early Gs had M-4 75mm pieces, the later had T-13E1s…whether/how they relate to the M 1898 I don’t know. I’d wager they were later/lighter/improved models. As you know, the designation often means the year of introduction…so that would be 1898.
By: PhantomII - 19th January 2014 at 01:19
So is that the same gun used on the B-25H?
By: J Boyle - 18th January 2014 at 18:59
There is a photo of it in McDonald Douglas Aircraft since 1920: Volume I by Rene J. Francillon. However the gun barrel area is covered for security.
It provides the same information as given by Lynx815, no more, no less.
By: Romantic Techno - 18th January 2014 at 16:51
Thank you Lynx! Obviously, there is no picture of the completed aircraft available.
Regards, RT
By: Lynx815 - 17th January 2014 at 18:07
This is the original Douglas DB-1 (Douglas Bomber 1) prototype after being brought up to B-18 Bolo standard and given the serial 37-51. In 1939 it was modified to test the feasibility of firing a large cannon from an aircraft so was fitted with an M1898 75mm field piece in a fixed position in the bomb bay with the forward fuselage scalloped to allow forward firing. After ground firing tests it was subjected to in-flight firing tests but vibration proved excessive and the experiment was discontinued.
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January 17, 2014 at 5:39 pm