BE 2 from AFC Mesopotamia Flight attached to No. 30 Sqn RFC 1915.
This RFC B.E. 2 has been modified to fire four Lewis Guns under the propeller arc.
IWM photo.
BE 2 from AFC Mesopotamia Flight attached to No. 30 Sqn RFC 1915.
This RFC B.E. 2 has been modified to fire four Lewis Guns under the propeller arc.
IWM photo.
Double A ground strafing
Wonder if they loaded the bomb racks too with this configuration ?!
"He is wise who watches"
A BE2 probably couldn't lift any more than that - they usually had to leave the observer behind if they were to carry bombs, and that's without any guns.
I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!
That seem to be a very relaxing way of doing strafing missions. (If you leave out the death peril through enemy gun and AA fire).
They could take 100kg of bombs usually as a single-seater, without a machine gun. There's about 36kg of guns fitted plus ammo so maybe it might crawl into the air with 50kg of bombs as a single seater. That's enough for 4 cooper bombs. I asked only because the racks were still fitted, think they'd whip them off if they're not needed.
"He is wise who watches"
Presages the addition of gun trays and pods for strafing on later aircraft like the Hawker Hurricane and Junkers 87. In fact, most of the techniques used in the Second World War were pioneered in the First, and then forgotten. And in fact, in studyi ng the evolution of aerial warfare, forgotten again, then revived again etc, etc.
Very cool, but the ground crew failed to ArmorAll those tyres.
Now that’s my kind of upgunning !!!!
Never Knowingly Undergunned !!
Great for a quick run over a trench. Not a long run and can't be reloaded so how effective could they have been? Looks impressive though.
How did they aim those guns? Maybe the pilot leaned out of his cockpit and used a gun-sight on the side of the plane.
Line the nose up to cross the target and pull the trigger I should think, no need for a gunsight; they'll be spent in 5-6 seconds, 188 rounds down range should be enough to spoil someone's day.
"He is wise who watches"
doubt it wouldve been all that effective at actually hitting much of anything as the impact point would be quite a bit "low" of the aim point you were pointing the nose at. it would make an intimidating amount of noise and muzzle flash though.
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