from Hacker News

Synchronization gear

by colinmegill on 1/19/20, 12:59 AM with 15 comments

  • by redis_mlc on 1/19/20, 7:40 AM

    Actually, mounting guns on the wings is suboptimal, as they have to be focused to converge to a point in space, usually 400 yards or so. Aces prefer under 200 yards though, or even "fire when the windshield is full."

    The twin-engined P-38 fighter was loved by Allied pilots because the nose-mounted guns projected rods of steel through enemy planes out to 1,000 yards.

    The P-38 was a "Zero killer" because of its very high speed and nose-mounted guns.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-38_Lightning

  • by g82918 on 1/19/20, 6:20 AM

    That reminds me of a version of an old joke about an old RAF or some other European forces pilot giving a talk. He starts describing a dog fight he had one time around 1914. "There were Fokkers to the right of me and Fokkers to the left of and one Fokker in front of me. The Fokker in front of me starts firing..." He stops as a grad student in the front stands up. "Sir. I hate to interrupt but Fokkers didn't have a synchronization gear until 1915." "Yeah but these fuckers were Saulniers's." Not very factual, but kind of funny.

  • by t_treesap on 1/19/20, 6:02 AM

    These have always impressed me. Was surprised the first time when I learned it's actually really simply machinery that solved an important problem. (Albeit a problem I had never even considered. Gotta be able to aim at what you can see!)

  • by burfog on 1/19/20, 7:15 AM

    I think it is crazy this was even attempted. The hazard of delayed firing is extreme, and there were so many other obvious solutions to the problem.

    Probably the sanest fix is to put the guns out on the wings.

    Firing through a center hole is possible, with the propeller on a hollow shaft. Pusher aircraft don't have the problem. Twin engine aircraft don't have the problem.

  • by js2 on 1/19/20, 4:48 PM