Ferenc Gebauer

Ferenc Gebauer (25 June 1888 – 1958) was an Austrian-born Hungarian firearms designer and pilot during the First World War.

[2] He was awarded the following medals during his lifetime:[1] Noting that the model 07/12 Schwarzlose machine gun was prone to freezing up in the higher altitudes above the Italian Alps, Gebauer decided that the current practice of adapting standard infantry machine guns was outmoded, as the propeller synchronization only controlled the timing, and not the operation, of these weapons.

He decided that an aircraft machine gun needed to fire based on the propeller shaft so it was not dependent upon gas-operation.

Luftfahrtruppen – Fliegerarsenal (Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops) was impressed by the inventor's ideas and pushed through plans for three prototypes to be created over four months.

[6] While the 1918.M was developed too late for practical use in World War I, it was tested on various types of aircraft, including the Albatros D.III, Halberstadt D.II, Fokker D.VII, and WKF D.I.