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Hispano-Suiza HS.404
The HS.404 cannon is broadly similar to the contemporary Oerlikon cannon, though they are not mechanically related. An aircraft version of the HS.404 was developed at the request of the French in 1938, and equipped many of their aircraft, including mounted firing through the propeller hub in fighters such as the MS.406 and VG.33. The British also adopted it as the Hispano Mk I, however numerous reliability issues took time to work out, and it was developed into a belt-fed version, the Hispano Mk II in 1941. After the gun's teething issues were sorted, the Hispano became a staple of British aircraft weaponry during WWII. The short-barrel, higher rate of fire Hispano Mk V was developed later in the war.
The Americans had somewhat more trouble getting the cannon to work. They adopted the equivalent to the Hispano Mk I as the 20mm AN/M1 which saw little use, then created the 20mm AN/M2 (not to be confused with the .30 AN/M2 or .50 AN/M2) using the Hispano Mk II as reference, but this version still had reliability issues; it was most notably equipped on the P-38 Lightning, where the plane's unique layout allowed for a manual recocking lever, making the seemingly inevitable malfunctions less of an issue. The 20mm AN/M3 (not to be confused with the .50 AN/M3) was the equivalent to the Hispano Mk V, with a post-war upgrade that added electrical recocking designated M24.
Other countries also built or used their own variations of the HS.404 during this time period, usually copies/iterations of the British designs; Sweden was a notable example.
Specifications
(1938 - 1960)
- Type: Aircraft cannon
- Caliber: 20mm
- Cartridge: 20x110mm
- Weight: 49 kg (108 lb 0 oz)
- Length: 2520mm (8 ft 3 in)
- Barrel length: 1700 m (5 ft 7 in)
- Capacity: Drum magazine, belt (later models)
- Fire Modes: 700-750rpm
The Hispano-Suiza HS.404 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notes | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorgo | AN/M3; Mounted on Grumman F9F Panther | 1961 | ||
| Cast a Giant Shadow | Haganah troops | Mounted on Haganah M3 Halftrack | 1966 | |
| Battle of Britain | Luftwaffe pilots | Mounted on Hispano Aviación HA-1112s | 1969 | |
| From Hell to Victory | RAF and Luftwaffe pilots | Mounted on Spitfires and HA-1112s | 1979 | |
| Memphis Belle | Luftwaffe pilots | Mounted in Hispano Aviación HA-1112s | 1990 | |
| Flight of the Intruder | USAF pilots | Mounted in A-1 "Sandy"s | 1991 | |
| We Were Soldiers | USAF pilots | Mounted in A-1 "Sandy"s | 2002 | |
| The Monuments Men | Mounted on Spitfire | 2014 | ||
| Dunkirk | Luftwaffe pilots | Mounted on Hispano Aviación HA-1112 | 2017 |
Television
| Title | Actor | Character | Notes / Episode | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bergerac | Mounted on Spitfire in museum; "Late for a Funeral" (S01E08) | 1981 | ||
| Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Incredible Theft | Mounted on Spitfire | 1989 | ||
| Foyle's War | Mounted on Spitfires in "Eagle Day" (S1E4), "Among the Few" (S2E2), "Enemy Fire" (S3E2) | 2002-2004 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden & Dangerous 2 | 2003 | ||
| Call of Duty | Hispano Mk II mounted on Supermarine Spitfire | 2003 | |
| Medal of Honor: European Assault | Mounted on Hawker Hurricane single-seat fighter aircraft | 2005 | |
| Project Reality: Falklands | Mounted on Douglas A-1H Skyraider | 2012 | |
| Project Reality: Vietnam | "M2 cannon" | Mounted on A-1 "Sandy" | 2012 |
| Sniper Elite V2 | Mounted on Supermarine Spitfire fighters | 2012 | |
| Sniper Elite III | Mounted on Supermarine Spitfire fighters | 2014 | |
| Heroes & Generals | Mounted on Lockheed P-38 Lightning | 2016 | |
| Battlefield V | Mounted on Supermarine Spitfire fighters | 2018 | |
| Enlisted | "20 mm Hispano 404 cannon" | Mounted on Bell P-400 Airacobra | 2021 |
| "20 mm Hispano Mk.II cannon" | Mounted on various British aircraft | ||
| "20 mm Hispano Mk.V cannon" | Mounted on Hawker Tempest | ||
| "20 mm AN/M2 cannon" | Mounted on various American aircraft | ||
| Battlefield 2042 | Spitfire armament | 2021 | |
| Company of Heroes 3 | 2023 | ||
| Aviators - War in The Skies | Hispano Mk II | 2023 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Notes | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Cockpit | Ep. 1 "Slipstream"; mounted in RAF Spitfires | 1993 | |
| Lupin III: The Pursuit of Harimao's Treasure | mounted in RAF Spitfire | 1995 | |
| JoJo's Bizarre Adventure | Mounted in replica Supermarine Spitfire; S4E12, "Red Hot Chili Pepper, Part 2" | 2016 | |
| Brave Witches | Hispano Mk IIs mounted in Seafire fighters | 2016-2017 |
Animation
| Title | Character | Notes | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| What If...? - Season 1 | mounted on Spitfires; "What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?" (S1E01) | 2021 |