From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Notes from a visit by Air Commodore Huskinson concerning the development and policy of .5' and 40mm guns.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 176\1\ img131 | |
| Date | 15th January 1941 | |
| Sg.{Arthur F. Sidgreaves - MD} and Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} SECRET. COPY. c. Ve. c. Ve/NP. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}4/ML.15.1.41. NOTES ON VISIT OF AIR COMMODORE HUSKINSON. 14.1.41. The following is a brief summary of the most important points raised during the visit of Air Commodore Huskinson. 1. RANGE. A firing demonstration was given with both the .5" gun and the 40 mm., the latter with the 6-round, simple vertical feed magazine. A certain amount of trouble was experienced with both weapons. The trouble on the 40 mm. was thought to be due to the gun and not the magazine. A burst of about 15 rounds was fired with the .5" and others of less number. Air Commodore Huskinson expressed approval of the simple type of 40 mm. magazine and considered that if this was made so that it could fire 8 or 10 rounds, it would be adequate for any burst that was likely to be fired in the air. 2. DISCUSSION AT THE WORKS - PREVIOUS POLICY. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} pointed out that the reason why we had gone into the armament business was because, without exception, all the guns at present used in aeroplanes were made under foreign licence. Freeman had started the job off but at present we were suffering from lack of Air Ministry interest. In succession, Messrs Tedder, Baker and Andrews had been dealing with the policy side of the job and, now once again, this had changed hands. We had produced the 40 mm. gun to the instructions of the Air Ministry and yet had recently been told that there was now no further interest in it. We had also nearly completed a .5" gun and heard unofficially that this, too, was not wanted. - Continued - | ||