Hs 129 B-3 "doom duck"

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Noble 7
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Hs 129 B-3 "doom duck"

#1

Post by Noble 7 » 06 Feb 2017, 23:15

Hello !

Si I have discorvered there is one week now the existence of a "doom" version of the Hs 129, armed with a 7,5 cm anti-tank gun. But this is all. I would like to have more infos about this version, like his year of introduction for example.

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Mark in Cleveland, Tn.
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Re: Hs 129 B-3 "doom duck"

#2

Post by Mark in Cleveland, Tn. » 07 Feb 2017, 02:55

Hs, or HE
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sitalkes
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Re: Hs 129 B-3 "doom duck"

#3

Post by sitalkes » 07 Feb 2017, 02:59

There is (or was) an Airfix kit of this aircraft. Here's what Wikipedia says:
t was decided that the 7.5 cm (2.95 in) semi-automatic Rheinmetall PaK 40 anti-tank gun, which had already been adapted for use in the Junkers Ju 88P-1, would be further modified for use in the Hs 129. This resulted in the BK 7,5 (Bordkanone 7,5), which, even though it weighed 1,200 kg (2,600 lb), was: lighter than the PaK 40; fully automatic; featured a new, hydraulic recoil-dampening system and a new, more aerodynamic muzzle brake. An autoloader system, with 12 rounds in a rotary magazine, was fitted in the empty space behind the cockpit, within the rear half of the wing-root area. The gun and its recoil mechanism occupied a substantial gun pod under the fuselage, and a circular port at the rear of the pod allowed spent cartridges to be jettisoned immediately after firing. While this new variant, the Hs 129 B-3, was theoretically capable of destroying any tank in the world, the added weight worsened the aircraft's general performance and was inferior to previous variants.[1]

The Bordkanone 7,5 was the heaviest and most powerful forward-firing weapon fitted to a production military aircraft during World War II. The only other aircraft to be factory-equipped with similar-calibre guns were the 1,420 examples of the North American B-25G and B-25H Mitchell, which mounted either a 75 mm (2.95 in) M4 cannon, or light-weight T13E1 or M5 versions of the same gun. These weapons, however were hand-loaded, had shorter barrels and/or a lower muzzle velocity than the BK 7,5, resulting in lower ballistic performance, accuracy and rate of fire. The BK 7,5 was unsurpassed as a production aircraft-fitted gun until 1971, when the four-engine Lockheed AC-130E Spectre – equipped with a sideways-aimed, hand-loaded 105 mm (4.13 in) M102 howitzer of about 1,496 kg (3,298 lb); entered service with the U.S. Air Force. The 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) BK 7,5 cannon installation in the Hs 129B-3 was the heaviest forward-firing autocannon ever made for a series production military aircraft, until the introduction of the Fairchild Republic A-10 "Warthog", with its General Electric GAU-8 Avenger seven-barrelled 30 mm (1.18 in) anti-tank Gatling cannon main armament coming in at a total weight of up to 1,830 kg (4,030 lb) with an ammunition load of some 1,100 shells included in a drum magazine integral to the weapon system, much like the much smaller 12-round magazine of the BK 7,5.
From June 1944, only 25 examples of the Hs 129 B-3 arrived at front-line units before the production line was shut down in September (a small number were reportedly also created by converting B-2 aircraft). In the field the B-3 proved deadly, but its small numbers had little effect on the war effort.
Last edited by sitalkes on 07 Feb 2017, 03:00, edited 1 time in total.

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Mark in Cleveland, Tn.
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Re: Hs 129 B-3 "doom duck"

#4

Post by Mark in Cleveland, Tn. » 07 Feb 2017, 02:59

Do a BING ENGINE www search of this or any type.Will have www pages, or images sections available, go from there

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