Air to air missiles on biplanes & synchronised gatlings

[zenrat]

I one were to mount something like a Sidewinder on something like a Swordfish then how would the airframe stand up the the stresses of a) carrying it and b) firing it?
I'm assuming launching stresses would be low as being a missile it won't have recoil like a large gun would.
How about a larger anti ship missile?

And, would it be practical to synchronise a gatling so it could fire through the prop?

Thank you.

[scooter]

Given that the AIM-9 weights in at a "whopping" 188lbs (85.3kg), a Swordfish would have no problem lugging them into the air.  Might even handle the launching of them, provided the fabric doesn't ignite in the rocket exhaust.  That'd shorten your crew's enthusiasm for getting involved in Air Combat Maneuvers.

As for the Gatling firing through the prop? You might be better off with gunpods on the wings

[rickshaw]

Just substitute the AIM-9 for the 60lb RPs.  Swordfish were quite able to carry and launch 8 of those, so I can't see why it would have any problem with a couple of Sidewinders.   The Gattling gun would present a bit more of a problem.  I suspect the power supply would need to be beefed up considerably to run it.  Placing it outside the propeller arc would make it easier as well.  Perhaps a couple of 7.62mm minigun pods might be manageable but the firing stresses and weight of a Vulcan pod might prove prohibitive.

[McColm]

I think this would be the same as when an A-10 fire's it's gun, gives the appearance of flying backwards for a few seconds.

[jcf]

Synchronizing a gatling would be difficult, and kind of pointless as it would severely
reduce the rate of fire.

Now that said, for the Vickers G.4/31 Barnes-Wallis designed a gun mounting that was
driven by a windmill. The windmill, a two-bladed propeller, was on an L-shaped arm that
was mounted to the bottom of the aircraft. The mill spun the entire time the aircraft was
moving and when the gunner wanted to rotate the gun-mount he would engage the drive
from the windmill. It was a direct physical transmission of power, no electrics involved.

So perhaps ... three-barrel .303 'gatling' guns mounted outside the prop-arc driven by
propellers mounted on the aft end of the gun breech assembly? 

[zenrat]

...Placing it outside the propeller arc would make it easier as well.  Perhaps a couple of 7.62mm minigun pods might be manageable but the firing stresses and weight of a Vulcan pod might prove prohibitive...

Hence synchronisation as placing a Vulcan pod on the centreline in place of a torpedo would negate the weight & stresses somewhat.
Vulcans are electrically triggered so to synchronise one you'd "simply" need to have a system that broke the triggering circuit when a blade was going to be in the way.
The flying backwards thing might be an issue though.
Maybe I should mount the Vulcans on something else.  FW190 maybe...

[Mr.Creak]

I can't remember how it was powered but one of the F.7/30 proposals (the Westland one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland_F.7/30) had an option for a rotary Accles gun (one of which can be seen at Leeds Armouries).
But that fired, AFAIK, through the spinner.

[jcf]

According to Armament of British Aircraft 1909-1939, H.F. King, Putnam 1971,
the 'Accles' was "suggested" and "considered" for the F7/30 but gives no indication
that such an installation was ever done. The Putnam on Westland makes no mention
of such an installation.
The Accles was an improved Gatling, Accles had been Gatling's agent.

[PR19_Kit]

I think this would be the same as when an A-10 fire's it's gun, gives the appearance of flying backwards for a few seconds.

With a Swordfish toting a couple of miniguns it WOULD be flying backwards when they fired I'd have thought! 

[rickshaw]

I can't remember how it was powered but one of the F.7/30 proposals (the Westland one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland_F.7/30) had an option for a rotary Accles gun (one of which can be seen at Leeds Armouries).
But that fired, AFAIK, through the spinner.

What is a "rotary Accles gun"?

[rickshaw]

...Placing it outside the propeller arc would make it easier as well.  Perhaps a couple of 7.62mm minigun pods might be manageable but the firing stresses and weight of a Vulcan pod might prove prohibitive...

Hence synchronisation as placing a Vulcan pod on the centreline in place of a torpedo would negate the weight & stresses somewhat.
Vulcans are electrically triggered so to synchronise one you'd "simply" need to have a system that broke the triggering circuit when a blade was going to be in the way.
The flying backwards thing might be an issue though.
Maybe I should mount the Vulcans on something else.  FW190 maybe...

Does anybody know what voltage the alternator on the Swordfish puts out as against what the draw on a Vulcan is?

[Hobbes]

Hence synchronisation as placing a Vulcan pod on the centreline in place of a torpedo would negate the weight & stresses somewhat.
Vulcans are electrically triggered so to synchronise one you'd "simply" need to have a system that broke the triggering circuit when a blade was going to be in the way.

If you do that, half the bullets will be going out the ejector port unfired.

[Mr.Creak]

I can't remember how it was powered but one of the F.7/30 proposals (the Westland one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westland_F.7/30) had an option for a rotary Accles gun (one of which can be seen at Leeds Armouries).
But that fired, AFAIK, through the spinner.

What is a "rotary Accles gun"?

Um, it's a rotary gun designed/ made by Accles, as opposed to Gatling. 
This is the ground-mount (1900, hand-cranked) version:

[Rheged]

If you REALLY  want an anachronistic weapons load, a Swordfish could lift a Harpoon missile ----about 700kg as against the 760kg of the torpedo they usually used.

[zenrat]

...Placing it outside the propeller arc would make it easier as well.  Perhaps a couple of 7.62mm minigun pods might be manageable but the firing stresses and weight of a Vulcan pod might prove prohibitive...

Hence synchronisation as placing a Vulcan pod on the centreline in place of a torpedo would negate the weight & stresses somewhat.
Vulcans are electrically triggered so to synchronise one you'd "simply" need to have a system that broke the triggering circuit when a blade was going to be in the way.
The flying backwards thing might be an issue though.
Maybe I should mount the Vulcans on something else.  FW190 maybe...

Does anybody know what voltage the alternator on the Swordfish puts out as against what the draw on a Vulcan is?

Windmill powered dynamo or a generator stuck under the observers seat.