PART V - ARMAMENT EQUIPMENT

                       of the twist grip reduces the range.  The manual ranging
                       control is spring-loaded to the full counter-clockwise
                       position where it must be for operation of the radar
                       ranging system.
                       
                89.  Guns and cine-camera                       

                 (i)   Three .50 calibre guns are mounted on each side of the
                       engine intake duct in the nose of the aircraft, and
                       simultaneous charging of all guns, or retraction of the
                       gun bolts, may be controlled in flight by means of the
                       guncharger switch (120) on the armament panel.  A cine-
                       camera mounted in the nose below the intake is operated
                       automatically when guns or rockets are being fired, or
                       may be operated separately.
                 (ii)  The trigger (74) for firing the guns and operating the
                       camera is on the control column, and has two definite
                       positions when pressed.  The first position reached
                       operates the camera and the ammunition boosters; the
                       second position, fully depressed, fires the guns.  The
                       safety switch (118) must be in the appropriate position
                       (see para. 88 (ii)).
                 (iii) The three-position gun-charger switch (120) is spring-
                       loaded from the RETRACT and RELEASE positions to
                       the centre (off) position.  Momentarily holding the switch
                       at RETRACT causes the gun-bolts to be brought to the
                       rear and held in position.  Release of the bolts and
                       subsequent charging occurs when the switch is momen-
                       tarily held at RELEASE or the trigger is depressed to fire
                       the guns.  Since the charging system automatically
                       charges the guns whenever stoppages take place during
                       gun-firing, the switch is normally only used for initial
                       charging of the guns before firing or for moving gun-bolts
                       to desired positions.
                 (iv)  Gun heaters are mounted on each gun and are controlled
                       by a switch (119) on the armament panel.  When this
                       switch is operated, it also allows heated air from the cock-
                       pit air conditioning-system to enter the ammunition
                       compartments.  Should the temperature in the ammuni-
                       tion compartments become excessive the overheat warn-
                       ing light (38) on the left aft console comes on and an
                       emergency shut-off control (40) beside it may be
                       operated to close a valve in the air duct to the compart-
                       ments.  The control cannot be reset in flight and should
                       only be used therefore if the warning light remains on
                       for some time.

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