kazorm
Lieutenant
2005-06-07 Indy Squadron Champion
"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ." - Ghandi
Posts: 245
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Post by kazorm on May 19, 2007 11:13:38 GMT -5
I have noticed in several posts of British Nieuport 17's having twin mounts (a vickers and a lewis.) Even in the 7th edition, BRITISH Nieuport 17's ONLY have the LEWIS gun!!!!
When this aircraft was first delivered, It had a vickers gun, as did all N.17's delivered from the factory, but there was a problem with the interrupter gears which resulted in several of them shooting off their own propellors, So Army HQ on the Western Front ordered ALL Vickers guns removed and replaced with Lewis guns on the top wings. The problem with the gears was corrected in short order, However the vickers gun order was never recinded and ALL Nieuport 17's on the WESTERN front NEVER flew with Vickers guns. This does not apply to North Sea missions. ;D
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Post by kevan on May 19, 2007 14:57:06 GMT -5
Do you know what date the Vickers guns were ordered removed? Was there a certain time frame that they were available before the order for their removal?
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alien01
Lieutenant
"Talk is cheap. Let's go play." Johnny Unitas
Posts: 123
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Post by alien01 on May 19, 2007 15:26:07 GMT -5
Not exactly, but it was in 1916. Also the removal was at the R.F.C. depot, which meant that the RFC squadrons never saw the deck gun, and that the RNAS squadrons weren't affected.
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Post by tippedtop on May 19, 2007 17:01:37 GMT -5
Very good and valid point which I - for one _ had completely missed. I jusy had a quick scan through Osprey 33 (Nieuport Aces WW1) andyou seem to be totally correct. One interesting oint it did say on pp.9 is that the Lewis gun had a 47 round drum mag ? Typo or correct ?
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Post by Stephen on May 20, 2007 7:52:42 GMT -5
Yes, but the aerial version of the Lewis gun had a double stack drum that held 97 rounds, not 47. It was essentially a double version plus a couple of bullets extra because the first rounds did not automatically chamber when it was loaded, equaling 97. Hence the 10 point DP drum. I"m sure some 47rnd drums were in use but the standard was the RFC's 97 round drum.
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alien01
Lieutenant
"Talk is cheap. Let's go play." Johnny Unitas
Posts: 123
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Post by alien01 on May 20, 2007 20:28:20 GMT -5
When the war started all Lewis guns had 47 round drums. After some clever engineer designed the 97 round drum everyone wanted them. By September of 1916 the 47 rounds drums were almost completely out of use.
I don't have the details in my head, but I remember that date clearly because that's what I found when we were looking into the question for the 8th Ed random aircraft charts - Those charts go back to Sept 16 and we had to know whether the 47 round drums were in use then.
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