Disposition of Fighter Armament: Firing Error Due to Installation in the Wings

WHEN the fixed, forward‐firing guns of a fighter aircraft are installed in such a position that the recoil forces have an effective moment about the Centre of Gravity, then the aircraft will develop a pitching motion as a direct result of the discharge of the guns. The projectiles in any given burst will then be dispersed across, instead of concentrated on, the target. A theoretical expression for this dispersion of projectiles is developed, and hypothetical data, corresponding approximately to a modern, single‐engine, single‐seat fighter, is used to derive typical values of the dispersion at two ranges. These values are then considered in conjunction with the two main forms of attack, and it is deduced that the discharge of more than two rounds per gun is valueless since the dispersion of projectiles then exceeds the radius of the target. Other disadvantages attendant on the wing‐installation of guns are also noted and the conclusion is reached that, by mounting the armament in a battery in the nose, lengthy bursts of accurate, concentrated fire at long range are possible. Finally, the use of telescopic sights is envisaged if the potentialities of such a phenomenal increase in the operational efficiency of fighter aircraft are to be fully exploited.