Sponson tow-plate-mounted helicopter armament apparatus and associated methods

External armament apparatus for a helicopter, comprising:

• a landing gear sponson having a tow plate portion;
• a pintle support member secured to said tow plate;
• a support pintle structure having spaced apart, parallel and vertically orientable inboard and outboard post portions interconnected by a support arm member, said inboard post portion being vertically secured to said pintle support member for rotation relative thereto about a generally vertical first axis;
• a machine gun;
• and
• a mounting structure mounting said machine gun on said outboard post portion for azimuth rotation relative thereto about a generally vertical second axis parallel to said first axis, and for elevational rotation relative to said outboard post portion about a generally horizontal third axis;
• said mounting structure including an azimuth stop portion operative to limit the azimuth rotation of the machine gun relative to said outboard post portion about said second axis;
• and an elevational stop portion operative to limit the elevational rotation of the machine gun relative to said outboard post portion about said third axis.

Armament apparatus for an aircraft, comprising:

• a landing gear sponson structure;
• a machine gun support pintle structure having spaced apart, parallel and vertically orientable inboard and outboard post portions interconnected by a support arm member, said inboard post portion, when vertically oriented, being rotatable about a generally vertical first axis;
• a yoke structure secured to said outboard post portion for rotation relative thereto about a generally vertical second axis;
• a cradle structure secured to said yoke structure for rotation therewith about said second axis and rotation relative thereto about a generally horizontal third axis;
• an ammunition magazine box adapted to contain a length of belted machine gun ammunition;
• and
• mounting apparatus securing said inboard post portion to said sponson structure for rotation relative thereto about said first axis, and securing said ammunition magazine box to said sponson structure.

A method of arming an aircraft having a body with a gunner's opening therein, and a landing gear structure disposed exteriorly of said body, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a support structure;
• securing said support structure to said landing gear structure;
• mounting a machine gun on said support structure;
• and
• utilizing said support structure to position said machine gun exteriorly adjacent the gunner's opening to be grasped and fired by an operator positioned in the body at the gunner's opening therein.