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The p47's 8 .50 cal machine guns together had a rate of fire about equal to that of a minigun.   You have to wonder if that influenced the design criteria when they developed the minigun.

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Issue is weight of those AN/M2 at 800rpm or AN/M3 (1200 rpm)  .50 cal machine guns was 61 lbs each.  Problem is that a .50 cal is kinetic energy weapon  IE further away less energy.  A cannon has an exploding warhead that does more damage to an aircraft.  During Korea the P-80, F84 and F86 had 6 .50s and engagement windows opened up a bit.  Someone remembered that Richard Gatling but an electric motor on his Gatling gun back in 1896 and the M61 Vulcan cannon was born.  M61 was used on the F4 first in pods in Vietnam and later internally on US aircraft.  US Army used it as towed or tracked ADA.  Navy still uses it as the Phalanx CWIS and Army now as C-RAM.  Later during Vietnam it was scaled down to 7.62mm.  Hence the name "minigun"

CD