Ancient Mariner wrote:
A-10 before the GAU-8 baffle mods..
True, but I find I am partially correct
The twenty millimeter cannons were mounted two to a side, just above the engine air intakes. Both engines had an alarming tendency to
flameout when the guns were fired. Initially, the
problem was thought to be caused by ingestion of
gun gases, but was later proved to be
caused by a pressure resonance phenomena. When
both sets of guns fired simultaneously, a pressure
wave was created at the engine intakes.
This pressure wave caused an organ pipe type
resonance which then traveled to the aft section
of the engine's compressor, creating a stall
condition. The resulting air mass led the
compressor blades to over temp, perhaps causing
the engine to either burnout, or disintegrate.
The problem was later solved by installing
circuits that prevented the left and right pairs
of guns from firing simultaneously, but not before
an number of aircraft and pilots were lost simply
by firing their weapons at a target.
Source...
http://www.dvhaa.org/aircraft/f7u.html
--
Lynn in StLou
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