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).
Review of the design position for 40mm and half-inch gun installations in a Beaufighter aircraft.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 175\3\ img292 | |
| Date | 15th January 1941 | |
| To Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} from Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} Ev.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}1/JH.15.1.41. As requested by telephone this morning we give below our review of the Design Position in the gun installation Section for both 40 m.m. and half inch weapons. 40 M.M. AUTOMATIC IN BEAUFIGHTER. We have received now complete details of the design of the gun bay. From the installation point of view it is better for the guns to be mounted vertical one each side of the central cat walk. Feeds. The B.U.S.M. feed in rear position is too far back on the gun to permit of loading if the gun is positioned longitudinally to suit the mounting points in the plane. The B.U.S.M. Feed in forward position (See PL.164) causes bulges on the fuselage. Whilst the loading is not impossible, as in the case of the feed in the rear most position, yet because the round is introduced from the rear of the gun, and below the floor level, the operation of loading is rather difficult. [Diagram Annotations] ELEVATION TOP OF FLOOR GUN C.L. AIRCRAFT BULGE CONTOUR OF AIRCRAFT MAGAZINE IN FORWARD POSITION FEED FRONT VIEW PLAN STARBOARD GUN GUN LOADING TRAP AREA C.L. AIRCRAFT Cont'd.{John DeLooze - Company Secretary} | ||