A U.S. Navy Grumman F9F-3 <i>Panther</i> (BuNo 122562) operated by the Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland (USA). This aircraft was fitted with an experimental electro-hydraulically driven Emerson Aero X17A roll-traverse turret housing four 12.7 mm machine guns, in 1950. The idea was that the aircraft could destroy enemy bombers while avoiding the fire of the tail gunner. The guns could be directed at any angle from directly forward to 20 degrees aft, and the gun mount could roll 360 degrees. The roll rate was 100 degrees per second, and the guns could be traversed at up to 200 degrees per second. Unfortunately, the volume required for the fire control system avionics, and the sheer weight of the turret, made it impractical for single-seat fighters and the program was cancelled in early 1954.
U.S. Navy
between 1950 and 1954 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P,+1950-00-00T00:00:00Z/8,P1319,+1950-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1954-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/AdvQuery.php">U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation</a> photo No. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=53282&amp;QueryPage=%2Femuwebdoncoms%2Fpages%2Fdoncoms%2FAdvQuery.php">1996.253.7403.010</a>