"Dave Kearton" wrote in message ...
"James Lerch" wrote in message
...
| Greetings All,
|
| After reading Tony Williams' excellent post, and learning that air
| craft cannons actually shoot explosive rounds with triggers and fuses,
| I have to ask "What happens to the rounds that miss the target?"
|
| Was there a method to insure the round triggered prior to ground
| impact? I imagine not...
|
| I only ask as I developed a mental image of a squad of ground troops
| diving for cover as rounds from a dog fight miles away finally came to
| rest :0

Worry more about the links and spent cases, they spread out more.

From 'Flying Guns: World War 2':

"Self destruction or SD fuzes (German Zerleger) were generally used by
fighters operating over their own territory, to avoid the risk of
spent shells exploding on the ground. The Luftwaffe used both SD and
non-SD versions of their shells, using the latter for ground attack.
Some German bombers reportedly used the SD feature as a long-range
scare tactic in defensive MG 131 guns, when the shells would explode
near the attacking fighters."

The shells would typically detonate after about 1,000m or so. The RAF
seems to have been rather less considerate as their fuzes did not
self-destruct. Still, having shot-down enemy aircraft falling or
dropping bombs on you was more of a problem...

Tony Williams
Military gun and ammunition website: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk
Discussion forum at: http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/