Johnson Gatling Gun?

[Jim Peden 0]

Reading a borrowed copy of William B. Edwards' 1962 book Civil War Guns this morning, I came across an interesting side note:

It was a photo of a Gatling Gun with a drive belt and wheel replacing the hand crank handle, and the statement

"Col. Mel Johnson in 1949 took a regular M 1883 Gatling and hooked up electric motor drive to achieve fantastic rate of fire. Notion led to development of electric Vulcan gun for F105 jet fighter armament."

Is this our Melvin Johnson? The inventor of the Vulcan, as well?

[Bob Lamoreaux 0]

Is this our Melvin Johnson? The inventor of the Vulcan, as well?

It is, indeed, Melvin Maynard Johnson, Jr. I don't think anyone would go so far as to state that MMJ, Jr. "invented" the Vulcan. The Gatling was "electrified" in, I believe, the late 1800s. MMJ, Jr. resurrected this concept on a research contract from Army Ordnance (I believe). General Electric's ordnance division did the design work. I think Chinn, in Vol. I of The Machine Gun, has a pretty good synopsis. In the final volume (5?), done in the '70s or 80s, Chinn gives the history of the Vulcan.

[webmaster 0]

There is a photo of this Gatling gun on Page 200 of Bruce's Johnson book.

Incidentally I had the test report declassified at the National Archives a few years ago. I was still classified "Secret"!