aircraft light machine-gun
Report a Mistake- Object Number 20060143-001
-
Event
1914-1919 First World War
1919-1938 Between the Wars
1939-1945 Second World War - Affiliation --
- Artist / Maker / Manufacturer Birmingham Small Arms Co.
- Date Made 1918
- Place of Use Continent - North America, Country - Canada
- Category Tools and equipment for science and technology
- Sub-category Armament, firearm
- Department Arms and Technology
- Museum CWM
- Earliest 1918/05/01
- Latest 1918/12/31
- Brand Name / Model Mk III
- Inscription LEWIS AUTO GUN MOD 1914 Pat A; (crown/couronne): 6x 73 (broad arrow); Manufactured by The Birmingham Small Arms Co Ltd ENGLAND for Armes Automatiques Lewis BELGIUM; (arrow/fleche) 85; (crown/couronne) K4 B (broad arrow) 68681 E; (magazine/chargeur): VI VII E EFD
- Pattern Name Lewis
- Materials Steel, Walnut, Mammal leather
- Service Component Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Naval Air ServiceRoyal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian NavyBritish Commonwealth Air Training Plan
- Measurements Height 24.0 cm, Length 97.7 cm, Width 20.2 cm
- Caption Lewis Machine-Gun, for Aircraft
- Additional Information Aircraft were equipped with machine-guns, but extra weight slowed the plane's speed. To increase aircraft performance, lighter and more streamlined machine-guns were mounted. This Mark III model, the final version of the Lewis machine-gun introduced during the war, was commonly used by aerial observers who fired them from the turrets of bomber and observation aircraft.