how did propellor warplanes shoot their machine guns through the propellor?
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In the beginning, planes were used as observers and artillery spotters, not shooting at each other. Generals decided that having the other side do that was bad, so planes were equipped with guns to shoot down other side’s observers.
During WW1, it was common for planes to have a gun mounted on the upper wing. This was done to put the gun above the propeller arc. Another way (soon abandoned) was to use a pusher configuration. Propeller behind the pilot doesn’t get in the way of the guns. Some planes had cowl-mounted guns, and tan the risk of shooting off the propellor. One French pilot had big slabs of metal fitted to the propeller to deflect any bullets that hit it.
Anthony Fokker came up with the idea for interruptor gear. Many guns have an automatic safety that keeps them from firing if the breech is not closed and locked. Interruptor gear is an added automatic safety that keeps the gun from firing if a propeller blade will be in the way.
A final technique, that can only be used if the plane uses reduction gear on the engine (engine turns faster than propeller to allow more power without getting the bad stuff that happens if the propeller turns too fast) and can only work for one gun, is to have the gun mounted on the propeller centreline and fire through the hub. Examples of this include the BF-109 and the P-39.
Imagine a WW2 dogfight between a P-51D and a BF-109. The guns on the P-51D are mounted as a cluster of 3 in each wing, outside the propeller arc. The BF-109 has two cowl-mounted machine guns fitted with interruptor gear and a cannon firing through the hub of the propeller. 3 techniques, all of which were viable.
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