P-40N guns test

[Naki]

A prelude to Warbirds over Wanaka...

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php...type=2&theater

[Bomber_12th]

Thank you for sharing, Naki! Wish I could be there to see that, and the Wanaka show!

[demorier]

Maybe I'm mistaken....I thought it was complusory to make these guns unusable ???

[Naki]

But..but Demorier NZ doesnt have a combat force...this is a back door way of resurrecting our air combat force

Does anybody know of any other WW2 Warbirds out there that have operating guns?

[stansdds]

WOW!!!! Blank firing guns in a restored warbird? That's impressive to say the least. Probably going to be expensive too, but wow!!!!

[Terry]

Maybe I'm mistaken....I thought it was complusory to make these guns unusable ???

A firearm can be made unusable and still able to fire blanks. The chamber is machined to accept a special blank version of the cartridge after which the live round will no longer fit. I don't know if they did this but it is done all the time for Hollywood property people etc.

[TARPSBird]

Sweet! Of course I had to play the clip several times. Sent the link to an Aviation Ordnanceman buddy of mine, he became emotionally involved.

[Bomber_12th]

Wanaka 2008 live firing (same airplane):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiYDP74HIEs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiChPhNGYJ8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3T5QkFg6cw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLI0mOed8Gs

Naki, here in the U.S., it is possible to have the actual working guns mounted within a warbird, though the amount of paper work that one must go through to get all of the permissions and permits etc. sounds very lengthy. It then gets even more complicated if you are thinking of flying from one State to another, or flying over multiple States, with the active guns in-place, as then you will have to have had all of the permissions and permits granted in each of those individual states as well - with probably check-ins/inspections where-ever you go.

At the Collings Foundation bomber camp that takes place in California each year, they have some live-firing .50-cals mounted in the aircraft for participants to try out (there are probably other videos/photos beside these). As with the New Zealand P-40, it fires blanks (of course):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb5ro...layer_embedded



Another way to go are the gas-firing guns, which I don't believe require those permissions/permits, and some of the Tora, Tora, Tora act aircraft have those fitted (they're very loud!).

[Bomber_12th]

Last summer, the finished-restored P-51D "Twilight Tear" had the real guns fitted and had actual ammunition (not blanks) loaded up, and several people involved with the restoration were able to take turns in the cockpit, firing off the guns. The owner of the aircraft is also the owner of a large earth-moving and construction-related company, and he also owns a lot of land on the airport where the aircraft are housed, so he was able to make a dug-out firing pit and range for the aircraft. The aircraft/gun sight was bore-sighted and all, as according to original wartime practice.

Just doing this alone, required paper work and permits to be granted and connections with the ATF, etc. The aircraft cannot fly with the actual guns fitted, so they are locked up in a gun locker at the museum/hangar, with real-looking replicas fitted to the aircraft.

I don't have any photos of the guns being fired, but here are some photos leading up to it. As can be seen, a large head-on profile of a Bf 109 was used as the target, and they had this on display with the aircraft at Oshkosh, full of bullet holes from the event:

[Naki]

Thanks for the info and pics John....most informative and interesting as usual.

Pity they didnt have the guns firing at the recent Tauranga Air Show I was at - it must be a Wanaka only thing

[Ian Warren]

Jeeeeez , i'd love to get one off those target sheets and use it for wallpaper