Fighter Combat

2 FIGHTER WEAPONSalthough fixed to the aircraft, may be aimed up, down, and from side to sideby the operator to cover a certain field of fire, which may be in anydirection relative to the aircraft. Such guns may be manually operated orinstalled in power turrets.Fixed, forward-firing guns have many advantages for small, maneuverablefighters. Their installation is generally lighter and produces less drag,so they have less negative impact on performance. Flexible guns usuallyrequire a dedicated operator in addition to the pilot, which further adds toaircraft size and weight. Maneuvering relative to another aircraft is alsomuch simpler when the opponent can be kept in front of the attacker,which essentially requires a forward field of fire. For these and otherreasons, fixed forward-firing guns have been found to be superior for small,offensive aircraft (fighters), while flexible guns are generally preferred forthe defense of larger, less maneuverable aircraft.By trial and error, fighter armament in World War I progressed frompersonal side arms to flexible machine guns and, eventually, to fixedmachine guns. The standard fighter at the end of this conflict had two.30-cal-class fixed forward-firing machine guns, which often wereequipped with synchronizers to allow fire through the propeller disc.The tremendous progress in aircraft performance during the 1920s and1930s was in large measure the result of the intense interest generated bythe many international speed competitions of those years. Aircraftstructural methods were also revolutionized, as essentially all-metal constructionbecame standard. These developments, as well as the lessons ofWorld War I on the value of firepower, led to significantly increased fighterarmament by the outbreak of World War II.The reasoning behind these developments is fairly clear. First, increasedaircraft performance allowed the weight of greater armament to be carried.Second, designers recognized that the higher closure rates resulting fromfaster aircraft speeds would, in general, lead to shorter firing times, so moredestructive power was necessary in a shorter period of time. Third, metalaircraft, particularly the bombers, were much tougher targets, and increasedperformance enabled the planes to carry additional armor thatcould be used to protect vital areas of the aircraft (armor for World War Ifighters sometimes was an iron stove lid in the pilot's seat).These developments created a need for greater firepower, which couldbe achieved by more guns, larger projectiles, higher rates of fire, greatermuzzle velocities, or explosive bullets. Some pairs of these factors, however,are related in such a way that neither member of the pair can beincreased independently. Probably the most important of these relationshipsis that between projectile weight and rate of fire. In general, thegreater the weight of the shell (including bullet, charge, and casing), theslower the rate of fire, owing primarily to the inertia of the heavier movingparts required to handle this ammunition. Obviously, depending on thegun technology at a given time, there should be an optimum balancebetween these two factors. As guns and ammunition are made lighter for agiven projectile weight, the optimum balance shifts toward heavier bul-