Abstract: Armament apparatus is provided for an aircraft having an interior area. The armament apparatus includes a horizontally disposed, generally plank-shaped elongated support beam member having top and bottom sides, a longitudinally intermediate section extending transversely through the interior area, and an outer end portion extending outwardly beyond an exterior side of the aircraft and having top and bottom sides and laterally opposite side edges. The outer support beam end portion, along at least a substantial portion of its length is laterally narrower than the intermediate section of the support beam member. This permits a crew member to sit on the support beam member, with his legs outside the aircraft and downwardly straddling the outer support beam end portion, and operate a crew-served weapon on the top side of the outer end portion of support beam member.

Abstract: A single pintle arm-based structure is provided for mounting a machine gun on the exterior of a helicopter fuselage on the frame of or adjacent a gunner's cabin area side wall opening such as a window or door. The mounting structure permits horizontal pivotal motion of the single pintle arm and gun among lockable service, stowed, crew-served and full forward positions. The gun and the mounting structure, in their stowed position, are disposed externally of the helicopter, thereby permitting of the fuselage side wall opening, with the pintle arm being pivotable about an axis external to the fuselage.

Abstract: An ordnance mounting system for a helicopter operatively supports a weaponry support beam above an upwardly projecting floor obstruction in a cabin area of the helicopter, between opposite cabin door openings, with the support beam longitudinally extending transversely through the cabin area, and outer weaponry mounting end portions of the support beam projecting outwardly through the door openings beyond opposite fuselage side walls of the helicopter. The mounting system may be secured to door opening sill structures, or the cabin ceiling or side walls, and permits vertical bending flexure of the installed support beam due to flight and weaponry weight loads on the outer ends of the support beam.

Abstract: A weapon, representatively a machine gun, is mounted in a crew-served orientation on the outer end of an elongated support beam extending transversely through and secured within the cabin area of a helicopter, with the outer beam end disposed exteriorly of the helicopter. A seat structure, upon which a crew member may sit, is mounted atop a longitudinally central portion of the beam for sliding movement along the beam toward and away from the machine gun. Operatively associated with the machine gun is an ammunition box having a lid portion fixed to the bottom side of the beam end upon the top side of which the machine gun is pivotally and rotationally mounted. The body of the ammunition box is removably securable to the beam secured lid.