22.10.2008, 17:21
Speaking as a pilot, airplanes don't generally bounce around enough to have a significant impact on the loading of the gun.
And cramped spaces are irrelevant if you don't have to move around. The guy loading the rounds would have both the gun and the ammo right in front of him.
The Soldier loading the tank round did so in about six seconds, and he had to turn around, open the door, swing the (120 mm) round 180 degrees while turning back around to load it. The B-25's cannoneer would simply have to reach forward to grab a shell and lay it down into the tray.
The more I look into it, the more inclined I am to accept the one-round-every-3.3-seconds figure that I was originally skeptical of. One round every twelve seconds is obviously too slow in the extreme.
And cramped spaces are irrelevant if you don't have to move around. The guy loading the rounds would have both the gun and the ammo right in front of him.
The Soldier loading the tank round did so in about six seconds, and he had to turn around, open the door, swing the (120 mm) round 180 degrees while turning back around to load it. The B-25's cannoneer would simply have to reach forward to grab a shell and lay it down into the tray.
The more I look into it, the more inclined I am to accept the one-round-every-3.3-seconds figure that I was originally skeptical of. One round every twelve seconds is obviously too slow in the extreme.