Engine gun
Aircraft gun mounting position
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An engine gun, or engine cannon (from German: Motorkanone, "motor cannon"), is an aircraft gun mounted behind and through the cylinder block of an inline aircraft engine (most often a V engine) with a reduction drive that displaces the propeller axle to be in line with the gun so that gunfire is allowed through the propeller hub. This allows for nose-mounted weaponry on aircraft without the need for synchronization gear while also permitting higher calibers for nose-mounted weaponry, which otherwise would be hard to adapt for synchronization gear.[1]
The first time this was done was during World War I when the French modified the Hispano-Suiza 8 engine to be able to install a 37 mm autocannon.[2] The concept was used widely before the Jet Age.
Historical engine guns
Finnish guns
- 12.7 mm VKT 12,70 LKk/42 (single use on a Morane-Saulnier MS.406)
French guns
- 7.5 mm MAC 1934
- 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404
- 37 mm SAMC (Semi Automatique Moteur Canon)
German guns
- 7.9 mm MG 17 machine gun
- 20 mm MG 151 cannon
- 30 mm MK 103 cannon
- 30 mm MK 108 cannon
Soviet guns
- 12.7 mm Berezin UB
- 20 mm Berezin B-20
- 20 mm ShVAK cannon
- 23 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-23
- 37 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-37
- 37 mm Nudelman N-37
- 45 mm Nudelman-Suranov NS-45
Swiss guns
- 20 mm Oerlikon FF
Engine gun installations
.JPG)
French engines
- Hispano-Suiza 8 (various models)
- Hispano-Suiza 12Y
German engines
Soviet engines
Swiss engines
- Saurer YS-2
- Saurer YS-3
Aircraft with engine guns
Czechoslovak aircraft
Finnish aircraft
- Mörkö Morane
French aircraft
German aircraft
- Blohm & Voss BV 155
- Dornier Do 335
- Heinkel He 100
- Heinkel He 112 ("kanonenvogel")
- Messerschmitt Bf 109
- Focke-Wulf Fw 190 (D-12, D-13 Variants)
- Focke-Wulf Ta 152
Italian aircraft
Soviet aircraft
Swedish aircraft
- SAAB 23
Swiss aircraft
