The Ho-5 (Army Type 2) was a Japanese aircraft autocannon used during World War II. Developed from the Ho-103 machine gun, it was a version of the American Model 1921 Browning aircraft machine gun. It replaced the Ho-1 and Ho-3 (Army Type 97) in general service. The Ho-5 was belt-fed using typical Browning-style steel disintegrating links. The cartridge used was a shortened version of the Allied 20 × 110mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404. The Ho-5 was used mostly as wing mounts in late-war fighters but saw limited cowl-mounted use in fighters and as flexible-mounted defensive armament (retrofit) in bombers.
== Specifications == Caliber: 20mm (0.8 in) Ammunition: 20×94mm (84.5 g) Weight: 37 kg (77 lb) Rate of fire: 750 rounds/min Muzzle velocity: 750 m/s (2,460 ft/s) Magazine: 150-round belt
== See also == List of firearms List of weapons of military aircraft of Germany during World War II List of common World War II infantry weapons M2 Browning machine gun
== References == Gunston, Bill "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft of World War II" Salamander Books, Ltd. 1978 ISBN 0-89673-000-X 20 mm Aircraft Cannon Ho 5 (Browning Principle) Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine Japanese Ammunition
