.50 Caliber Browning Guns

[Pops]

LM -555 or LM- 556 timing chip.

http://www.elo.jmc.utfsm.cl/sriquelme/apuntes/555/El%20timer%20555.pdf

 

[TXFlyGuy]

TX's look pretty good. About the only thing to point out is that the barrel bushing is bronze so should be a bronze color. For reference here are the guns in our P-51.

Brandon

We took photos of a number of Browning guns on P-51's, and did our best to make a facsimile. Most of the ones we see today are lacking the bronze / gold color referred to here. But it was a consideration. I chose to leave the guns in their natural silver finish.



"The Brat", a nice example in Addison, TX.

And mine...

 

[Victor Bravo]

I've always wondered if the NACA scientists mentioned to North American that their whiz-bang laminar airfoil would be rendered neay useless by the gun barrels.

 

[Deuelly]

We took photos of a number of Browning guns on P-51's, and did our best to make a facsimile. Most of the ones we see today are lacking the bronze / gold color referred to here. But it was a consideration. I chose to leave the guns in their natural silver finish.

Looks pretty good TX. I noticed in one of your pictures that the barrel bushing is set back from the barrel jacket.(highlighted below) The barrel jacket had screws through it that retained the bushing flush with it's end.(shown below)

I'm not picking on you. I'm just trying to help you get this to as close to the real thing as possible.

Brandon

 

[TXFlyGuy]

Looks pretty good TX. I noticed in one of your pictures that the barrel bushing is set back from the barrel jacket.(highlighted below) The barrel jacket had screws through it that retained the bushing flush with it's end.(shown below)

I'm not picking on you. I'm just trying to help you get this to as close to the real thing as possible.

Brandon

View attachment 103357View attachment 103356

Yes, my goal was to get these to look as authentic as possible (within reason). I had an option on the inner barrel, to recess it back into the housing more like the actual P-51.
But my barrels actually whistle (all 3 of them), and the inner barrel has the loudest whistle...not sure why as it is the shortest of the three.
So I went with this configuration in hopes of recreating that iconic P-51 whistle when inflight with high angles of attack.
I fully understand that you are being helpful, and your input is greatly appreciated!

 

[robertl]

A group of builders in EAA Chapter 292 finished number 1 of 5 1914 DH-2 fighters last year and I decided it needed a faux machine gun. One was built that somewhat resembles an original, at least for 20 feet away. It runs on propane and oxygen and is very realistic. We had to dial back the noise to sound like a .303 instead of the 20 mm sound we were getting. The firing mechanism was a four lobed cam on a gear motor that operated two solenoid valves and a spark plug driver for ignition. It was decided to up grade to an all electronic system and we're still trying to get it to work right. Another example that simpler may be better.

Vince Homer

Ok, now we want video and audio !

 

[Yellowhammer]

Having a lot of fun with this one...the gun assembly is in it's 4th or 5th generation design.
I have a couple options with the extra barrel sleeves, one set is flat black, the other set is natural aluminum.
View attachment 97915
View attachment 97917View attachment 97918

And silver finish:

View attachment 97919

It was discovered that the traditionally whistle one hears when a Mustang passes by caused by the six .50 caliber barrels. Looks great too by the way!

 

[Yellowhammer]

Do it. Noisemakers are fun.

https://www.danhorton.net/VAF/Oshkosh%20Arrival%20Enforcement/VID_20190705_184004470.mp4

Dan,
Looks awesome brother!
What area of Alabama do you live?
I am from Fairhope.
Thanks,
Yellowhammer

 

[Yellowhammer]

To make it look truly original, place pieces of tape over the barrels instead! LOL

 

[Yellowhammer]

I'm not dumb enough to do that. If I accidentally did, I'd be backing away nice and slow with my head down.
I wouldn't pick a fight with a bear for the exact same reason normal humans don't pick fights with me...

**** Right me too! LOL

 

[Yellowhammer]

We took photos of a number of Browning guns on P-51's, and did our best to make a facsimile. Most of the ones we see today are lacking the bronze / gold color referred to here. But it was a consideration. I chose to leave the guns in their natural silver finish.
View attachment 103350

View attachment 103351
"The Brat", a nice example in Addison, TX.

And mine...
View attachment 103352View attachment 103353View attachment 103354View attachment 103355

So Nice My Friend.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

To make it look truly original, place pieces of tape over the barrels instead! LOL

It's my understanding that they taped the barrels so the ground crew would know if the guns had been fired, after returning to base.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

Here is some interesting info, related to the guns on the P-51.

k51d: Mechanics, keeping the Mustang combat-ready

 

[Deuelly]

It was discovered that the traditionally whistle one hears when a Mustang passes by caused by the six .50 caliber barrels. Looks great too by the way!

Don't get me started on that whole P-51 gun whistle myth. I'm not sure where it started but pretty soon people are going to start taking it for historical fact.

Brandon

 

[BJC]

I'm not sure where it started

Gee, Deuelly, I thought that everyone knew.

It happened at a hunting camp in the Louisiana swamp, about 2330 hours, around a campfire. Boudreau had just finished a longneck, and was trying to get one more drop of beer, when he unexpectedly burped over the bottle opening, making a brief whistle. Thibodeau heard it, equated the opening in the longneck with a .50 caliber, and immediately knew why a P-51 has a whistling sound.


BJC

 

[TXFlyGuy]

Don't get me started on that whole P-51 gun whistle myth. I'm not sure where it started but pretty soon people are going to start taking it for historical fact.

Brandon

I took an air hose and held it up to my gun barrels (.410) with a fast stream of air blowing across at a good angle of attack, just like if you were pulling up hard from a low / fast pass.

All three whistled, very loudly, in different pitches. We are all anxious to see (hear) if they will whistle inflight.

 

[Pilot-34]

Black bears aren't dangerous.

??????

 

[mcrae0104]

Thibodeau heard it, equated the opening in the longneck with a .50 caliber, and immediately knew why a P-51 has a whistling sound.

Ah, so we can just blame Joe...

 

[Yellowhammer]

Don't get me started on that whole P-51 gun whistle myth. I'm not sure where it started but pretty soon people are going to start taking it for historical fact.

Brandon

I am very interested in what you think is the cause of said whistle or the unique sound in which everyone is making reference to?

 

[TXFlyGuy]

I am very interested in what you think is the cause of said whistle or the unique sound in which everyone is making reference to?

Do a search on YouTube, or FaceBook. The answer is there.