We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:02:13 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Here's an interesting little spud. Anybody know what it is? UPDATE: New commenter (may be a long time lurker) Sean has narrowed it down to what I'm accepting as a working hypothesis for the gun itself - an Oerlikon M23 20mm - in this particular case, a Finnish gun. Now to see if we can take that info and find something about the gun in the configuration in the picture - and what *looks* to be a Brit manning it. UPDATE 2: Bingo! He shoots, he scores! Using the data than Sean ferreted out, I found this: The Oerlikon 1... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html Tue, 17 May 2005 11:52:53 -0600 Stiletto, based on the cockpit windows... But I can see what you were alluding to, as well.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24954 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24954 Wed, 18 May 2005 11:34:04 -0600 Good Job - Sean & Sanger. Either you are green and growing or ripe and rotting. Never stop learning. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24950 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24950 Wed, 18 May 2005 11:17:10 -0600 Speaking of the XF-103, compare that mockup to a Snark Missile. Coincidence? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24949 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24949 Wed, 18 May 2005 11:04:12 -0600 Yes, it would! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24933 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24933 Wed, 18 May 2005 09:43:21 -0600 Oerlikon ...would that be swiss ;) http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24932 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24932 Wed, 18 May 2005 09:29:12 -0600 http://ww2photo.mimerswell.com/tanks/gb/ligh/ca-lo/03223.jpg]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24928 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24928 Wed, 18 May 2005 02:56:31 -0600 http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/20ItK23_2.jpg]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24926 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24926 Wed, 18 May 2005 01:04:31 -0600 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24925 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24925 Wed, 18 May 2005 00:54:15 -0600 http://www.winterwar.com/Weapons/FinAT/FINantitank.htm#20 ]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24924 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24924 Wed, 18 May 2005 00:46:57 -0600 The only thing I can add, (which kind of addresses JohnW's otherwise fine stab at it) is that the book is dated 1938. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24909 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24909 Tue, 17 May 2005 18:23:07 -0600 Montieth - I agree. By the looks of my Mk1 Micrometer, Eyeball that inner barrel looks in the order of a half inch (I know - I know a half inch is 12.7mm, but it puts it in the same order of magnitude). The upright, Top-Fed Mag appears to be about 6 inches, making it proportional to a row of half inch cartridges contained therein. Now, what has me scratchin' me head is the outter barrel, which looks double its diameter. Thus, putting it in the 30mm ball park range. It looks like a Firing Tube. Therefore I must SWAG that it is configured to accept a subunition of some sort. Feom The Master's post, I'm left with the impression that it is a Foreign Weapon from the German point of view. Thus making it an allied piece. Maybe he could illucidate us mere mortals a bit better on this matter. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24903 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24903 Tue, 17 May 2005 18:00:24 -0600 Check that, make it the *first* picture. JohnW http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24901 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24901 Tue, 17 May 2005 17:36:52 -0600 My guess on the second would be a BEF troop behind a French 25mm Hotchkiss ca. 1940... John W. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24900 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24900 Tue, 17 May 2005 17:32:55 -0600 IOW, IRI. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24889 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24889 Tue, 17 May 2005 15:30:18 -0600 The XF-103 was in competition with the equally radical F-102 for the role of high altitude Russki bomber basher. The two were to have comparable armament of unguided rockets and air to air missiles - no gun. The F-104 had a Vulcan, way cool to be the first of many to use the M61. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24888 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24888 Tue, 17 May 2005 15:20:06 -0600 That's probably going to be some sort of Oerlikon type weapon as modified by the Brits. Though it looks to be in the 15mm class. Has to be interwar years development too. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24886 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24886 Tue, 17 May 2005 14:41:39 -0600 BTW - I *really* don't know what the cute little tracked critter is... it's from a German book on 'foreign weapons' but there was no text accompanying the picture. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24882 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24882 Tue, 17 May 2005 13:22:50 -0600 I knew it wouldn't take you aircraft geeks too long. Never got past the mock-up phase, shown here. Interesting concept, with the cockpit lowering down out of the fuselage for the pilot to get in. The whole XF103 project was shelved, IIRC, in favor of the F104 Starfighter. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24878 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24878 Tue, 17 May 2005 13:03:27 -0600 Second one is the XF-103 if I remnember correctly. Good idea gone bad. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24876 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24876 Tue, 17 May 2005 12:31:56 -0600 Could that be a Subcaliber for the 37mm/1.457inch Assault Gun? Love the Threads. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24875 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24875 Tue, 17 May 2005 12:30:04 -0600 I'm trying to figure that second one out. I think I'm close. Hopefully, my dad's ramblings heard when I was a kid weren't for naught. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24873 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/05/whatizit.html#comment-24873 Tue, 17 May 2005 12:13:13 -0600