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).
Secret report on armament schemes for Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 176\1\ img024 | |
| Date | 8th July 1940 | |
| Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} from Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} SECRET. Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}1/ML.8.7.40. 5. ROLLS ROYCE .5 GUN IN SPITFIRE AND HURRICANE. With a view to obtaining first-hand information as to the position of the Browning half-inch gun in Spitfires and Hurricanes, we visited both these Companies. 1. HAWKERS. Camm has a scheme for putting six half-inch Brownings in the Hurricanes with 300 rounds of ammunition. He maintains that though eight guns could be fitted with 300 rounds of ammunition the load would be too great for the machine and that therefore, at the moment, he is not prepared to consider more than six guns. We are now ensuring that there is nothing in his scheme which prevents the Rolls Royce half-inch gun replacing the Browning. Camm also has schemes for fitting two and four Hispano guns in the Hurricane. 303 Guns. A scheme has been completed for fitting twelve 303's in the Hurricane. Camm was exceedingly sore at the general attitude of the armament people. No-one seems to be able to tell them when sufficient half-inch guns will be available even for trial and the interest in more than two cannon guns per machine is negligible. 2. SUPERMARINES. We had a discussion with Mr. Smith, who does not share Camm's views on wing loading. He says that with eight half-inch guns with 250 rounds each, or six Hispanos with 90 rounds each, he believes the Spitfire will function quite satisfactorily. It has been flown with this increased load without developing undesirable characteristics. With the six cannon and ammunition it's wing loading is appreciably less than the Messerschmidt 109. Mr. Smith has produced almost every conceivable scheme, from twelve 303's to six Hispano guns, and has also combined two and four Hispanos with two 303 Brownings. - Continued - | ||