Bob Wright
Hawkeye
Anybody familiar with the Davis Cannon or WW I usage? An early attempt to make a recoilless gun. During WW I the Davis Cannon was mounted in the nose of Navy patrol bombers, angled to fire downward and forward. This an attempt to attack German U-Boats and reduce the threat.
The Davis cannon was about 100 mm bore as I recall and fired a high explosive round. To eliminate recoil, the Davis gun was actually two guns joined together at the breech firing in opposite directions. Both guns fired at the same time, on firing downward at the target, the other firing a projectile of equal weight but having no charge. Usually a steel slug or even concrete. The opposing recoil forces nullified the gun's normal recoil.
The problem was in the airplane in use, a high wing twin engine seaplane. The rearward facing gun's blast took a heavy toll on the plane's wings and engines. Not until the recoil rifles of WW II fame did the recoiless gun come into use. And those at the expense of a tremendous back blast.
Bob Wright.
The Davis cannon was about 100 mm bore as I recall and fired a high explosive round. To eliminate recoil, the Davis gun was actually two guns joined together at the breech firing in opposite directions. Both guns fired at the same time, on firing downward at the target, the other firing a projectile of equal weight but having no charge. Usually a steel slug or even concrete. The opposing recoil forces nullified the gun's normal recoil.
The problem was in the airplane in use, a high wing twin engine seaplane. The rearward facing gun's blast took a heavy toll on the plane's wings and engines. Not until the recoil rifles of WW II fame did the recoiless gun come into use. And those at the expense of a tremendous back blast.
Bob Wright.
