Fixed Forward-Facing Weapon: Difference between revisions

* ''[[Star Trek Deep Space Nine (TV)|Star Trek Deep Space Nine]]'': The USS ''Defiant'' is an escort cruiser, first of her class, purposefully designed for combat, containing 4 fixed-forward pulse phaser cannons and 4 quantum torpedo launchers (2 fore, 2 aft). However, she is a [[Pint-Sized Powerhouse]], and is quite agile.

** In all the incarnations of ''[[Star Trek (Franchise)|Star Trek]]'', Klingon ships have a [http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090525062206/memoryalpha/en/images/a/a4/IKS_Amar_firing_forward_torpedo.jpg big honkin' torpedo launcher on their nose].

** All Vorlon ships appear to have only forward-facing weapons. The crown jewel is the ''[[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Eclipse]]''-class Planetkiller, a 45 kilometer monster whose forward-facing beam can [[Earthshattering Kaboom|destroy a planet]] with a single shot [[Star Wars|Death Star]]-style. They had a number of those (at least 2) and weren't shy about using them during the end of the Second Shadow War.

** Many of the smaller warships in the B5 setting are equipped this way, such as the White Stars, the smaller of the Centauri's two depicted warships, Earth's cruisers, and even the Star Furies.

* The bioships of [[Scary Dogmatic Aliens|Species 8472]] in ''[[Star Trek Voyager (TV)|Star Trek Voyager]]'' appear to be only able to fire directly forward. Then there's their [[Earthshattering Kaboom|planet-busting]] [[Wave Motion Gun]].

* When ''[[Myth Busters]]'' tested the spy car machine-gun myth, they first tested the machine gun as if it were "spinal mount". Adam was shocked at how effective it was.

== [[Tabletop RPG]] ==

** ''Wing Commander III'' gives us TCS Behemoth, a one-of-a-kind planet-killing cannon with a ship built around it, in a desperate attempt to end the war in one shot. {{spoiler|It failed.}}

** In ''Prophecy'', the [[Imported Alien Phlebotinum|Nephilim]] Kraken-class ship had a [[Wave Motion Gun|fleet-killer plasma cannon]] that could only face in on direction... but could wipe out a fleet in battle formation with one shot. After being captured, it was given a new fixed mount between the Midway's split forward arms.<ref>The game's designers weren't aware of the plot plan for the plasma cannon when they made the ship design, it was just a happy coincidence.</ref>

* ''[[Sword of the Stars]]'': Spinal mounts for destroyers, strafe sections (although these are a batter of smaller weapons) and impactors all point forward. Heavy beams usually do, but certain dreadnought specifications have the option of using them as broadsides and the Zuul have them turreted. The [[Colony Drop|Siege Driver]] is probably the crown example, insofar adding one does not so much add the weapon to the ship as add engines and a cockpit to the weapon.

** The human variant of the Siege Driver is especially prominent, as it is, essentially, a battleship-sized revolver that fires asteroids.

 

== [[Real Life]] ==

** Several medium and light bombers in the US inventory had solid noses, as opposed to the normal glass nose traditional to bombers of the time, with multiple machine guns in immobile mounts for the purpose of having a ground attack role.

* One version of the DeHavilland Mosquito carried a 57mm cannon for anti-submarine work, attacking them on the surface and holing their hulls so they could not dive. Its effect on enemy aircraft, when circumstances permitted its use (i.e. caught unawares, not dodging and weaving) was described as 'spectacular'.

** Likewise, a never-used variant of the German Me-262 jet fighter replaced the 4 30mm cannon of the standard model with a single 57 mm reason. This was because it took 12+ well placed hits from the 30mm to bring down a B-17 or B-24, and the 262 was too fast to maintain a firing position. The 57mm required one hit almost anywhere on the plane.

* Similarly the German Ju-88P was a tank killer variant with a 75mm PaK gun.

* The approach taken by most WWII "tank destroyers" and assault guns was to mount a single larger fixed-forward gun than similar-sized vehicles with a turret gun.

* Scaling down the concept to a giant shotgun mounted on a rowboat gets you the "punt gun", which was used for duck hunting in the 1800s. To a lesser extreme, gunboats with powerful chaser guns fixed in the bow were a staple of coastal defense in the days of [[Wooden Ships and Iron Men]]. Individual gunboats were not at all survivable, but they could be built and deployed en-masse, with the added advantages of shallow drafts, fiendish maneuverability in the confines of a harbour no matter which direction the wind is blowing, and a disproportionately heavy armament for their small size.

[[Category:For Massive Damage]]

[[Category:Fixed Forward Facing Weapon]]