Dr. Gatling's Infernal Device ...

[Weaver]

Just for the record the Russian rotary cannon are gas-operated and a 37 to 40mm version would likely be too large
to be gas-operated, simply for reasons of physics. The 30mm GSh-6-30A was pretty much at the limits of relatively
modern technology and certainly beyond the reach of early-20th century materials tech.
From Tony Williams site:
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/GSh-6-30.htm

His book Rapid Fire is a great addition to the library of anyone interested in automatic 'cannon' and heavy machine guns,
my copy is well-thumbed.  
http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/rfweb.htm


47mm is generally agreed to have been the largest Hotchkiss.

The big Gatling was a 1-inch bore, available in ten and six barrel models.
Two types of ammunition were supplied, a single 1-inch bullet(@8 ounces) or, preferred, a canister round containing sixteen .44 cal balls.
A target reproduced in the Gatling book shows 691 hits from a 1-inch Gatling firing canister in 1 minute, 30 seconds at 150 yds.

A device to convert the Gatling to gas-operation was patented in 1894 by Carl J. Ehbets, the patent was assigned to Colt.

Jon

His Flying Guns series is good too,

AND

His Whiff novel, The Foresight War should be right up the street of anyone on here (all available through his website).

He lives not far from me and I met him for a drink once - nice guy.

[jcf]

So if in the 20th century it was determined that the rate fire on a Gatling was determined by who turned the crank (i.e "What if we add an electric engine..."), why wasn't the gatling "steampunked"?

Did you not read the article in the first post?

The Gatling was electrified in 1890, the generators supplying the electricity were steam driven.

Direct steam-drive would be clumsy, dangerous and unreliable. The need to provide a separate
powerplant/power generating capacity to power your Gatlings would limit them to emplaced
fortifications, they would not be battlefield weapons.

The Gatling was superseded by the Maxim for very good reasons, the Maxim was dramatically lighter
and required no external power source.

Steampunk is an amusing fantasy, but 99% of the Steampunk designs out there would not function
in the real world. The Victorian-style steampower so beloved of Steampunks was heavy, messy and complex.

Jon

[rickshaw]

Spoilsport.   

Actually, if steam technology was refined to point that its often portrayed in steampunk stories, then many of your objections would have been overcome.   Modern steam generators can produce amazing amounts of power in quite small packages.  I have an interesting article from the 1970s which points out that it was possible produce 500+ hp steam engines in very small packages weight only a few hundred pounds, even then.  A coupled version would have made quite a viable alternative powerpack for an MBT (as the article proposed).

[Mossie]

There were a few attempts at steam powered guns, such as the Winnans Gun & Perkins Gun.  They didn't amount to much, but they are possible, if not practical.

Winans Steam Gun
Perkins Steam Gun

[jcf]

Spoilsport.   

Actually, if steam technology was refined to point that its often portrayed in steampunk stories, then many of your objections would have been overcome.   Modern steam generators can produce amazing amounts of power in quite small packages.  I have an interesting article from the 1970s which points out that it was possible produce 500+ hp steam engines in very small packages weight only a few hundred pounds, even then.  A coupled version would have made quite a viable alternative powerpack for an MBT (as the article proposed).

Note the operative word generator.

Steam plants are great for generating electricity and electricity is wonderfully useful, and fairly efficient as a relatively small
steam turbine can drive a good sized generator.

The most refined steam technology is that used for the generation of electricity.

Electrified steam-punk could be fun.

[Sauragnmon]

Imagine if the Germans had considered a naval mounting of an electrified gatling cannon, in the 37mm caliber, fed through a linked belt for obvious reasons, but manually targeted and sighted on a power-assisted mounting.  It would seem that often times, all it takes is a mind rethinking a discarded piece of technology before it seems to become a viable modern solution.  Steam power, Gatling Guns, who knows what else?

[Just call me Ray]

Electrified steam-punk could be fun.

...wouldn't that just be the real world?

[jcf]

Imagine if the Germans had considered a naval mounting of an electrified gatling cannon, in the 37mm caliber, fed through a linked belt for obvious reasons, but manually targeted and sighted on a power-assisted mounting.  It would seem that often times, all it takes is a mind rethinking a discarded piece of technology before it seems to become a viable modern solution.  Steam power, Gatling Guns, who knows what else?

Imperial Germany had a 37-mm Revolverkanone based on the Hotchkiss design that was used in WWI as an extemporized
AAA weapon.
Note that all of the pre-modern large-calibre (over 1 inch) 'Gatling's' are of the Hotchkiss design or Hotchkiss based, and
while the Hotchkiss looks like a Gatling the operating mechanism is different. BTW Hotchkiss was also from the US.

Steam power was never discarded, it just went from being openly visible on a daily basis to working in the background,
the majority of electricity consumed in the world comes from steam-powered generators.

Jon

[jcf]

Electrified steam-punk could be fun.

...wouldn't that just be the real world?

Not if one applies the aesthetic of Steampunk.

[GTX]

Some 37mm Gatling:

M48A5 with:



XM249:



Regards,

Greg

[rickshaw]

The M48a5 is one of the DIVAD entries, I believe.  The XM249 is almost two decades earlier IIRC.  I've an article in an old Armies and Weapons magazine somewhere with pictures of the towed version of the 37mm Gattling.

[kitnut617]

Wasn't the main problem with these vehicles that they couldn't carry enough ammo  ---- something like that I think --

[Jschmus]

I think these have been posted here before, but I found them on Secret Projects forum.  First up is the Sperry proposal for the DIVAD system, with the gun re-chambered for 35mm NATO.


Next up is the GE proposal, featuring their 30mm GAU-8.


I still think that last would look good on an M1 chassis.

[Sauragnmon]

So there was a proposal to put a GAU-8 on a tank... not too surprised, bit of a good idea I always thought.

[rickshaw]

Wasn't the main problem with these vehicles that they couldn't carry enough ammo  ---- something like that I think --

The official reason for abandonment was that it was realised the 40mm lacked the range to seriously impede the use of ATGWs by helicopters.   The unofficial reason was because it was a dog's breakfast with serious systems integration problems, particularly of the radar.