Abstract: External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

Abstract: External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

Abstract: External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

Abstract: External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

Abstract: External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

Abstract: External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

Abstract: External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

Abstract: External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

Abstract: Opposite ends of the central section of an armament support plank structure are secured to the floor area of an aircraft cabin area, in a load transfer relationship with an underfloor support beam, by securing a skin doubler member to the support beam and replacing a portion of an existing floor panel which overlies the support beam with a specially designed apertured plank mounting plate which pivotally receives mounting struts. When it is desired to operatively mount the support plank structure on the cabin floor area, the struts are pivoted upwardly relative to their associated mounting plate and secured to the opposite ends of the central support plank section. Armament loads on the opposite ends of the central support plank section are efficiently transferred to the underlying, skin doubler-reinforced support beam.

Abstract: A central support plank section is transversely secured to the floor of a helicopter cabin area at exterior side wall door openings on opposite sides of the cabin area. Specially designed pintle arm assemblies are rotationally secured to opposite ends of the central support plank sections, with each of the pintle arm assemblies underlying and operatively supporting a cabin door area machine gun. Each pintle arm assembly is pivotable about a vertical axis in a manner permitting its machine gun to be horizontally swung into the cabin area to a stowed orientation therein, and is provided with a lock ring/detent structure that permits the pintie assembly to be quickly and easily locked in a selectively variable horizontal rotational orientation.

Abstract: A machine gun and associated armament apparatus, including an ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, are exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponsor tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window, using a specially designed pintle support structure. The machine gun is horizontally rotatable about a vertical azimuth rotation axis which is forwardly tilted and substantially parallel to the similarly tilted rotor mast axis. The gun's upward firing elevation angle is limited to 1.5 degrees when the gun is pointed forwardly. However, due to the forward tilting of the gun's azimuth rotation axis, its maximum upward firing elevation angle automatically increases as the gun is swung rearwardly, thereby desirably increasing the gun's firing range to the side and rear of the helicopter while at the same time automatically maintaining the bullet path of the forwardly pointed gun safely below the forwardly drooped operational rotor tip path.

Abstract: A central support plank section is transversely secured to the floor of a helicopter cabin area at exterior side wall door openings on opposite sides of the cabin area. Specially designed pintle arm assemblies are rotationally secured to opposite ends of the central support plank sections, with each of the pintle arm assemblies underlying and operatively supporting a cabin door area machine gun. Each pintle arm assembly is pivotable about a vertical axis in a manner permitting its machine gun to be horizontally swung into the cabin area to a stowed orientation therein, and is provided with a lock ring/detent structure that permits the pintle assembly to be quickly and easily locked in a selectively variable horizontal rotational orientation.

Abstract: A machine gun and associated armament apparatus, including an ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, are exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window, using a specially designed pintle support structure. The machine gun is horizontally rotatable about a vertical azimuth rotation axis which is forwardly tilted and substantially parallel to the similarly tilted rotor mast axis. The gun's upward firing elevation angle is limited to 1.5 degrees when the gun is pointed forwardly. However, due to the forward tilting of the gun's azimuth rotation axis, its maximum upward firing elevation angle automatically increases as the gun is swung rearwardly, thereby desirably increasing the gun's firing range to the side and rear of the helicopter while at the same time automatically maintaining the bullet path of the forwardly pointed gun safely below the forwardly drooped operational rotor tip path.

Abstract: Armament/cargo support apparatus for an aircraft includes a central support plank member transversely secured to a bottom side of a helicopter cabin area at door openings formed in forwardly and outwardly sloping opposite horizontal outer wall portions of the helicopter. The outer ends of the central plank member are inwardly offset from the opposite outer helicopter wall portions and have outer end surfaces which are parallel to such outer wall portions. Auxiliary plank sections are pivotally secured to the outer ends of the central plank section and are pivotable about axes parallel to the sloping helicopter outer side wall portions, between first positions in which they are folded onto top sides of the central plank section within the cabin area, and second positions in which the auxiliary plank sections extend outwardly beyond opposite sides of the helicopter.

Abstract: A specially designed support structure is used to mount a pair of conventional elongated bomb racks, each adapted to releasably support either a missile or a torpedo, on the underside of a helicopter on opposite sides of its longitudinal centerline, with the lengths of the bomb racks extending parallel to the centerline. The support structure includes a pair of reinforcing plates secured to vertical sides of longitudinally extending keel beams on opposite sides of the centerline. Each plate has front and rear bottom mounting lugs that extend downwardly through corresponding openings in the helicopter underside. The front and rear mounting lug pairs are respectively connected to opposite ends of front and rear cross beam members, which longitudinally extend transversely to the centerline, by adapter structures that also support opposite end portions of the bomb racks.

Abstract: An elongated support plank structure longitudinally extends transversely through the cabin area of a helicopter and has outer end portions projecting outwardly beyond opposite sides of the helicopter. A pair of 30 mm machine guns are mounted on the plank end portions and are supplied with belted ammunition from magazine boxes mounted on the plank within the cabin area via flexible feed chutes interconnected between the magazine boxes and interiorly rollered feed adapters interconnected between the outer ends of the feed chutes and the inlets of the machine gun feeder mechanisms. The 30 mm machine guns are secured to the outer plank end portions by specially designed mounting structures each having a cradle portion with axis-adjustable roller assemblies that engage the gun and essentially preclude lateral movement thereof relative to the cradle, but permit roller-guided longitudinal gun recoil movement, during firing of the gun.

Abstract: A longitudinally central portion of a weaponry support plank is secured to the cabin area floor of a McDonnell Douglas 500/530 helicopter using a support and reinforcing system associated with forwardly and rearwardly disposed pairs of stiffening ribs anchored to the top side of the floor. Opposite end portions of the front and rear rib pairs are removed and are laterally enclosed in and anchored to elongated reinforcing structures each having opposite ends generally aligned with the opposite ends of its associated shortened rib. End members are anchored to the floor at the opposite ends of each pair of shortened ribs and are also anchored to the opposite ends of their associated reinforcing structure. Two front support strut members have upper sides fixedly secured in a spaced relationship to a front side edge of the central plank portion, and two rear support strut members have sides fixedly secured in a spaced relationship to the rear side edge of the central plank portion.

Abstract: Belted ammunition of either the "ball" or the shorter "SLAP" type is supplied through a flexible feed chute to a 7.62 mm mini machine gun using a specially configured feed adapter interconnected between the outlet end of the feed chute and the inlet of the gun feeder mechanism. The feed adapter, through which the ammunition passes into the gun feed mechanism, is provided with at least one internal roller around which the ammunition belt operatively passes. The roller has a side surface contour with a sloped shoulder portion which complementarily engages the sloping shoulders of the individual ammunition rounds passing around the roller. This complementary shoulder engagement longitudinally indexes the rounds within the adapter and limits undesirable longitudinal shifting of the rounds therein.

Abstract: Belted ammunition of either the "ball" or the shorter "SLAP" type is supplied through a flexible feed chute to a 7.62 mm mini machine gun using a specially configured feed adapter interconnected between the outlet end of the feed chute and the inlet of the gun feeder mechanism. The feed adapter, through which the ammunition passes into the gun feed mechanism, is provided with at least one internal roller around which the ammunition belt operatively passes. The roller has a side surface contour with a sloped shoulder portion which complementarily engages the sloping shoulders of the individual ammunition rounds passing around the roller. This complementary shoulder engagement longitudinally indexes the rounds within the adapter and limits undesirable longitudinal shifting of the rounds therein.

Abstract: An aircraft armament mounting system includes an elongated support plank member which is longitudinally insertable transversely through the aircraft cabin area so that a central portion of the plank is disposed within the cabin area with opposite end portions of the plank projecting outwardly from the aircraft. The central plank portion is suitably anchored within the cabin area, and the outwardly projecting plank end portions are configured to removably support machine guns supplied with belted ammunition from magazine boxed secured to the top side of the central plank portion within the cabin area. Auxiliary plank sections are pivotally secured to the front and rear side edges of the outer plank end portions and may be locked in a cargo carrying orientation in which the auxiliary plank sections extend forwardly and rearwardly from the front and rear side edges of the outer plank end portions.