Scottish Aviation Pioneer (Both) Armaments

[Ewan T]

Recently I've gone down the rabbit hole of the few Scottish built Military aircraft, and recently the Scottish Aviation Pioneer has caught my eye, despite initially being designed as a STOL transport aircraft they appear to have seen a fair amount of Field modifications in Malaya and Aden that equipped them with weaponry. Whilst I am unsure of any armaments fitted to the Original Single Pioneer, the Twin Pioneer (often called "Twin Pin") appears to have been armed with a rather diverse range of weapons systems.

I would massively Appreciate some info regarding whether the Original Pioneer was fitted with any armament, however here is a list of what I have been able to find from various sources regarding the 'Twin Pin's' various armaments:

Guns

• 2 x Browning 7.7mm machine guns on gear pintles(ammo unknown, More info greatly appreciated)
• 1 x Bren Light Machine gun in the rear door (up to 100 rounds)

Bombs

• 4 x 250 or 500 lbs bombs
  OR
• 2 x 1000 lbs bombs

Missiles

• up to 4 x SS.10/11 Missiles (Mounted under wings)

I have also heard references of unguided rockets being equipped to the aircraft, although I have not been able to find the type, quantity or placement of them, whilst I assume they would be RP-3s but any additional info would be greatly appreciated

 

[Ewan T]

Here is an Image of a Twin Pioneer fitted with 4 SS.11 missiles i have found, so far I have been able to piece together that this was initially a modification carried out by Sud Aviation engineers on a Twin Pin in Khormaksar during the Radfan campaign, Initially these were configured as an experimental fitting. However during an incident when Hawker Hunters were unable to reach a group of rebels hiding in a valley, one of the local Twin Pins was dispatched with 4 SS.11 missiles under its wings, Its slower speed allowing it to drop right down into the Valley where it allegedly fired two missiles at the caves the Rebels were hiding in before returning to the base. After this my trail has gone cold however judging by the image I assume it was evaluated further in the UK, either at AAE&E, ETPS or somewhere else.

 

[Hood]

Air Britain's recent book Scottish Aviation Pioneers: Scotland's STOL Specialists by Chris Hobson doesn't add much to your posts above.

The bomb racks were never used in combat (they were fitted in Kenya to impress the locals and may have been used for flare dropping there), the SS.11s you mention being the only ordnance that ever left the Twin Pin in anger.

One Twin Pioneer in Aden in 1961/62 was fitted with three Brens - main door, a starboard window and in the removable bombing panel in the floor and used in anger.

 

[Ewan T]

One Twin Pioneer in Aden in 1961/62 was fitted with three Brens - main door, a starboard window and in the removable bombing panel in the floor and used in anger.

Ooh that's something I hadn't heard of before, was it mentioned in that book or elsewhere?

I also assume there was no armaments mentioned for the Single Pioneer in that book?

 

[TsrJoe]

 

[Hood]

Ooh that's something I hadn't heard of before, was it mentioned in that book or elsewhere?

I also assume there was no armaments mentioned for the Single Pioneer in that book?

Yes its mentioned in that book, but only a one-liner really.

I didn't see anything in the book regarding armament on the Pioneer - though TsrJoe's image shows that Scottish Aviation must have thought about it.

 

[riggerrob]

' ...
Guns

• 2 x Browning 7.7mm machine guns on gear pintles(ammo unknown, More info greatly appreciated)
• 1 x Bren Light Machine gun in the rear door (up to 100 rounds) ... "

That refers to the rare 100 round pan magazine that was an option for Bren guns. The heavy pan magazine was limited to tripod, AAA or vehicle pintle mounts.
The stock Bren magazine was a distinctive, curved, 30-round box magazine that stuck out the top of the gun.
Late in their service lives, some Brens were converted to 7.62 x 51mm NATO ammo and modified to accept the straight 20-round box magazine from the L1A1 variant of the Fabrique Nationale Fusil Automatique Leger rifle (FN FAL).

 

[Apophenia]

... 2 x Browning 7.7mm machine guns on gear pintles(ammo unknown, More info greatly appreciated)...

The exact mix of RAF .303 (your "7.7mm") belts would have been determined by armourers on the spot. So, there might have been ball; armour-piercing (WI/WIZ); incendiary (Mk VI); tracer (GII); etc.; on any given belt.

AFAIK, RAF .303-inch ball ammunition differed from 'standard' .303 rounds only in having crimped-in primers (in an attempt to limit jams).