Wikipedia

M61 Vulcan: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m →Description: rmv another deprecated "currently" from this section
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile app edit Android app edit
→See also: multiply signs; use boldface for fake headings rather than abusing deflists; don't misrepresent article titles in this section (except redirects with possibilities)
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit
(11 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 12:
<!-- Service history -->
|service= 1959–present
|used_by= United States, some [[NATO]] members, [[South Korea]], [[Saudi Arabia]], and others
|wars= {{Plainindented listplainlist|
* [[Vietnam War]]
* [[Iran-Iraq war]]
* [[Gulf War]]
* [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|War in Afghanistan]]
Line 33 ⟶ 34:
<!-- General specifications -->
|spec_label=
|weight= {{ubli|M61A1: {{cvt|248|lb|kg}}<br />|M61A2: {{cvt|202|lb|kg}} (light barrel), {{cvt|228|lb|kg}} (heavy barrel) }}
|length= {{cvt|71.93|in|m|abbr=on}}
|part_length={{cvt|59.8|in|m|abbr=on}}
Line 74 ⟶ 75:
[[File:M-61 Vulcan-28.jpg|thumb|right|An M61 Vulcan and the feed system for an [[McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet|F/A-18]], on a stand]]
 
Each of the cannon's six barrels fires once in turn during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The multiple barrels provide both a very high rate of fire – aroundfire—around 100 rounds per second—and contribute to prolonged weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tucker |first=Spencer C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-oaMBAAAQBAJ&dq=M61+Vulcan++rate+of+fire+%E2%80%93+around+100+rounds+per+second&pg=PA271 |title=Persian Gulf War Encyclopedia: A Political, Social, and Military History: A Political, Social, and Military History |date=2014-08-20 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-61069-416-2 |language=en}}</ref> The average time between jams or failures is in excess of 10,000 rounds, making it an extremely reliable weapon.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-31 |title=U.S. Hypersonic Weapons and Alternatives {{!}} Congressional Budget Office |url=https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58924 |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=www.cbo.gov |language=en}}</ref> The success of the Vulcan Project and its progeny, the very-high-speed Gatling gun, has led to guns of the same configuration being referred to as [[wikt:Vulcan cannon|"Vulcan cannons"]], which can sometimes confuse nomenclature on the subject.{{Citation needed |date = September 2014}}
 
Most aircraft versions of the M61 are hydraulically driven and electrically primed. The gun rotor, barrel assembly and ammunition feed system are rotated by a hydraulic drive motor through a system of flexible drive shafts. The round is fired by an electric priming system where an electric current from a firing lead passes through the firing pin to the primer as each round is rotated into the firing position.<ref name="Air Force Manual 11W1-12-4-32">Air Force Manual 11W1-12-4-32</ref>
 
The self-powered version, the ''GAU-4'' (called ''M130'' in Army service), is [[gas-operated]], tapping gun gas from three of the six barrels to operate the gun gas-driven mechanism. The self-powered Vulcan weighs about {{convert|10|lb|kg|order=flip}} more than its electric counterpart, but requires no external power source to operate, except for an electric inertia starter to initiate gun rotation, allowing the first rounds to be chambered and fired.<ref name="Air Force Manual 11W1-12-4-32"/>
 
The initial ''M61'' used linked ammunition, but the ejection of spent links created considerable (and ultimately insuperable) problems. The original weapon was soon replaced by the ''M61A1'', with a linkless feed system. Depending on the application, the feed system can be either single-ended (ejecting spent cases and unfired rounds) or double-ended (returning casings back to the magazine). A disadvantage of the M61 is that the bulk of the weapon, its feed system, and ammunition drum make it difficult to fit it into a densely packed airframe.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/The_Machine_Gun_V5/The_Machine_Gun_V5_djvu.txt Model D Vulcan]</ref>
 
The feed system must be custom-designed for each application, adding {{cvt|300|to|400|lb|kg|order=flip}} to the complete weapon. Most aircraft installations are double-ended, because the ejection of empty cartridges can cause a foreign-object damage hazard for jet engines and because the retention of spent cases assists in maintaining the center of gravity of the aircraft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Dynamics-OTS to supply M61A1 Vulcan 20mm guns for F-16s through FMS |url=https://airrecognition.com/index.php/news/defense-aviation-news/2021/december/7970-general-dynamics-ots-to-supply-m61a1-vulcan-20mm-guns-for-f-16s-through-fms.html |access-date=2023-06-24 |website=airrecognition.com}}</ref> The first aircraft to carry the M61A1 was the C model of the [[F-104 Starfighter|F-104]], starting in 1959.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bowman |first=Martin W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OwY0EAAAQBAJ&dq=The+first+aircraft+to+carry+the+M61A1+was+the+C+model+of+the+F-104,&pg=PA152 |title=Lockheed F-104 Starfighter: A History |date=2017-11-30 |publisher=Pen and Sword Aviation |isbn=978-1-4738-6329-3 |language=en}}</ref>
 
A lighter version of the Vulcan developed for use on the [[F-22 Raptor]], designated ''M61A2'', is mechanically the same as the M61A1, but with thinner barrels to reduce overall weight to {{convert |202|lb|kg|order=flip}}. The rotor and housing have also been modified to remove any piece of metal not absolutely needed for operation and replaces some metal components with lighter-weight materials. The [[F/A-18E/F Super Hornet]] also uses this version.<ref>{{Citation |contribution-url = http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/fa18/ |title = Projects |contribution = F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Maritime Strike Attack Aircraft |quote = …features...&nbsp;features new lightweight gun system is the General Dynamics M61A2, which has a switchable firing rate of 4,000 or 6,000 rounds per minute and a fully integrated linkless ammunition feed system}}</ref>
 
The Vulcan's rate of fire is typically 6,000 rounds per minute, although some versions (such as that of the [[AMX International AMX|AMX]] and the [[F-106 Delta Dart]]) are limited to a lower rate, and others ([[A-7 Corsair]], [[F-15 Eagle]]) have a selectable rate of fire of either 4,000 or 6,000&nbsp;rounds per minute. The M61A2's lighter barrels allow a somewhat higher rate of fire, up to 6,600&nbsp;rounds per minute.<ref>{{cite web|title=GAU-4 20mm Vulcan M61A1/M61A2 20mm Automatic Gun|url=https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/m61.htm|publisher=Federation of American Scientists|access-date=4 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625123100/https://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/equip/m61.htm|archive-date=25 June 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
Line 101 ⟶ 102:
Until the late 1980s, the M61 primarily used the M50 series of ammunition in various types, typically firing a {{convert|3.5|oz|g|order=flip|adj=on}} projectile at a [[muzzle velocity]] of about {{convert|3380|ft/s|m/s|order=flip}}. A variety of armor-piercing incendiary (API), high-explosive incendiary (HEI), and training rounds are available.
 
A new PGU-28/B round was developed in the mid-1980s. It is a [[semi-armor-piercing high-explosive incendiary]] (SAPHEI) round, providing improvements in range, accuracy, and power over the preceding M56A3 HEI round.<ref name= GSPGU>{{Cite web |title=PGU-27A/B TP/PGU-28A/B SAPHEI/ GU-30A/B TP-T |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/pgu-28.htm |publisher=GlobalSecurity.org |access-date=2008-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080916214052/http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/pgu-28.htm |archive-date=16 September 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> The PGU-28/B is a "low-drag" round designed to reduce in-flight drag and deceleration, and has a slightly increased muzzle velocity of {{convert |3450|ft/s|m/s|order=flip}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=20MM PGU-28 A/B |url=https://www.gd-ots.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20mm-PGU-28-A-B-F-16.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190904002806/https://www.gd-ots.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/20mm-PGU-28-A-B-F-16.pdf |archive-date=2019-09-04 |url-status=live |publisher=General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems}}</ref> However, the PGU-28/B has not been without problems. A 2000 USAF safety report noted 24 premature detonation mishaps (causing serious damage in many cases) in 12 years with the SAPHEI round, compared to only two such mishaps in the entire recorded history of the M56 round. The report estimated that the PGU-28/B had a potential failure rate 80 times higher than USAF standards permit.<ref>{{Cite report |date=30 November 2001 |title=Ammunition Active |publisher= Airborne Weapons Corrective Action Program |url= https://tercel.mugu.navy.mil/drlog/awcap/volumes/vol8/ammo/v348_prob.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 October 2004 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20041017182625/https://tercel.mugu.navy.mil/drlog/awcap/volumes/vol8/ammo/v348_prob.pdf |id=14597 |section= PGU-28/B Premature Detonation in Barrel/Barrel Damage |pages= 1–6}}</ref> Due to safety issues, it was limited to emergency wartime use in 2000.<ref>"''Jane's International Defense Review: IDR'', Volume 36, Issues 1-6"1–6. Jane's Information Group, 2003. "In 2000, the newer-technology PGU-28/B ammunition for the M61 was restricted to emergency wartime use after a series of mishaps."</ref>
 
The main types of combat rounds and their main characteristics are listed in the table:
Line 138 ⟶ 139:
[[File:F-104 Waffenschacht.jpg|thumb|Gun installation on West German [[F-104]]]]
 
The Vulcan was first used in aerial combat on 4 April 1965, when four [[North VietnameseVietnam]]ese [[Vietnam People's Air Force MiG-17s]] (VPAF) [[Shenyang JMiG-5|J-517]]s)<ref>Toperczer (MiG-17/MiG-19 Units) p. 65</ref> attacked a force of 10 [[North American F-100 Super Sabre]]s (two of which were assigned weather reconnaissance duties) escorting 48 Vulcan-armed and "bomb-laden" [[Republic F-105 Thunderchief|F-105 Thunderchiefs]], shooting down two of the latter. The MiG leader and only survivor from the four MiGs, Captain Tran Hanh, reported that U.S. jets had pursued them and that F-105s had shot down three of his aircraft, killing lieutenants Pham Giay, Le Minh Huan, and Tran Nguyen Nam. Captain Donald Kilgus, piloting an F-100, received an official probable kill with his four [[M39 cannon|M39]] 20&nbsp;mm cannons during the engagement; however no other US pilot reported destroying any MiGs during the battle, leaving open the possibility that at least two of the MiG-17s may have been downed by their own [[anti-aircraft]] fire.<ref>Hobson p. 17</ref><ref>Anderton p. 71</ref><ref>Toperczer (MiG-17/MiG-19 Units) pp. 30, 31, 88</ref>
 
The first confirmed Vulcan gun kill occurred on 29 June 1966 when [[Major (rank)|Major]] Fred Tracy, flying his F-105 Thunderchief with the 421st TFS, fired 200 rounds of 20&nbsp;mm into a MiG-17 that had just fired a 23&nbsp;mm shell which entered one side of his cockpit and exited the other. When the NVAFVPAF MiG flew in front of him after making its pass, Major Tracy opened fire on it.<ref>McCarthy Jr. p. 38, photograph of 23&nbsp;mm cannon exit hole on Maj. Tracy's F-105</ref><ref>Michel III p. 56</ref>
 
The gun was installed in the Air Force's A-7D version of the [[LTV A-7 Corsair II]] where it replaced the earlier [[United States Navy]] A-7's [[Colt Mk 12 cannon]] and was adopted by the Navy on the A-7C and A-7E.<ref name = Chant1987>{{cite book|first= Christopher |last = Chant |title=A Compendium of Armaments and Military Hardware |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=k9cNAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA115 |year =1987|publisher=Routledge |isbn= 978-0-7102-0720-3 |pages = 65–70, 106, 114–15, 341–43, 363, 389, 404–5}}</ref> It was integrated into the newer [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II|F-4E Phantom II]] variants. The F-4 was originally designed without a cannon as it was believed that missiles had made guns obsolete. Combat experience in Vietnam showed that a gun could be more effective than [[guided missiles]] in many combat situations and that an externally carried gun pod was less effective than an internal gun; the first generation of gun pods such as the SUU-16 were not oriented with the sights of the fighter. The improved pods were self-powered and properly synchronized to the sights, while the USAF versions of the F-4 were hastily fitted with internal M61 cannons in a prominent fairing under the nose, well before the war ended (Navy Phantoms never received cannons, continuing to rely on air-to-air missiles alone). [[Teen Series|The next generation]] of fighters built post-Vietnam incorporated the M61 gun internally.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104505/f-16-fighting-falcon/ |title=F-16 Fighting Falcon |access-date=5 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213203840/https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104505/f-16-fighting-falcon/ |archive-date=13 December 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104501/f-15-eagle/ |title=F-15 Eagle |access-date=5 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208140916/https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104501/f-15-eagle/ |archive-date=8 December 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=f-14a_tomcat_flightline |title=F-14A Tomcat &#124; National Naval Aviation Museum |access-date=5 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205145742/http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=f-14a_tomcat_flightline |archive-date=5 December 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.boeing.com/history/products/fa-18-hornet.page |title=Boeing: Historical Snapshot: F/A-18 Hornet Fighter |access-date=5 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181205103355/https://www.boeing.com/history/products/fa-18-hornet.page |archive-date=5 December 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Combat kills using the M61 Vulcan in the Vietnam War 1966–721966–1972<ref>McCarthy Jr. pp. 148–57148–157. Excludes combination air-to-air missile/gun kills.</ref>
|-
! Date/year
Line 273 ⟶ 274:
|307th TFS
|-
! colspan="5 bground=black" |
|-
!Total MiG-17s
Line 289 ⟶ 290:
[[File:M163 VADS.JPEG|thumb|right|An M61 mounted on a US Army [[M163 VADS|M163]] armored vehicle]]
 
The Vulcan was later fitted into the weapons bay of some [[Convair F-106 Delta Dart]] and [[General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark]] models. It was also adopted as standard in the "teen"-series air superiority fighters,: the [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat]], the [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle]], [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon]], and [[McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet]]. Other aircraft include the Italian/Brazilian [[AMX International AMX]] (on Italian aircraft only), and the [[F-22 Raptor]]. It was fitted in a side-firing installation on the [[Fairchild AC-119]] and some marks of the [[Lockheed AC-130]] [[gunship]]s, and was used in the tail turrets of both the [[Convair B-58 Hustler]] and [[Boeing B-52 Stratofortress|Boeing B-52H Stratofortress]] bombers.{{efn-lr|The B-52 Vulcans were removed in 1991.}} Japan's [[Mitsubishi F-1]] carried one internally mounted JM61A1 Vulcan with 750 rounds.<ref name=Chant1987 />
 
Two [[gun pod]] versions, the [[U.S. aircraft gun pods|SUU-16/A]] (also designated M12 by the US Army) and improved [[U.S. aircraft gun pods|SUU-23/A]] (US Army M25), were developed in the 1960s, often used on gunless versions of the F-4. The SUU-16/A uses the electric M61A1 with a [[ram-air turbine]] to power the motor. This proved to cause serious [[Drag (physics)|aerodynamic drag]] at higher speeds, while speeds under {{convert|400|mph|km/h|order=flip}} did not provide enough airflow for the maximum rate of fire.<ref>Gervasi, 1984. p. 239</ref>
 
The subsequent SUU-23/A uses the ''GAU-4/A'' self-powered Vulcan, with an electric inertia starter to bring it up to speed. Both [[gun pod|pods]] ejected empty cases and unfired rounds rather than retaining them. Both pods contained 1,200 rounds of ammunition, with a loaded weight of {{convert|1615|and|1720|lb|kg|order=flip}} respectively. During service in the [[Vietnam War]], the pods proved to be relatively inaccurate: the pylon mounting was not rigid enough to prevent deflection when firing, and repeated use would misalign the pod on its pylon, making matters worse.{{Citation needed |date = September 2014}}
 
A variant with much shorter barrels, designated the ''M195'', was also developed for use on the [[U.S. Helicopter Armament Subsystems#AH-1 Cobra|M35 Armament Subsystem]] as used on the [[Bell AH-1 Cobra|AH-1G Cobra]] [[helicopter]]. This variant fed from ammunition boxes fitted to the landing skid and was developed to provide the AH-1 helicopter with a longer-range [[suppressive fire]] system before the adoption of the [[US Helicopter Armament Subsystems|M97 universal turret]] mounting the [[M197 Gatling gun|M197]] cannon.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://centaursinvietnam.org/History/ihistoryEqOrd20mm.html |title=20mm Cannon |access-date=23 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326104705/http://centaursinvietnam.org/History/ihistoryEqOrd20mm.html |archive-date=26 March 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
The M61 is also the basis of the US Navy [[Phalanx CIWS|Mk 15 Phalanx]] [[close-in weapon system]] and the [[M163 VADS]] Vulcan Air Defense System, using the ''M168'' variant.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://weaponsystems.net/weaponsystem/EE03%20-%20M163%20Vulcan.html |title=M163 Vulcan |access-date=23 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112061408/http://www.weaponsystems.net/weaponsystem/EE03%20-%20M163%20Vulcan.html |archive-date=12 January 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
==Variants==
Line 306 ⟶ 307:
* [[GAU-12 Equalizer]] – General Electric, 25&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[GAU-13]] – General Electric, 30&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[GAU-19]] – General Electric, 12.7x997×99&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[GAU-22]] – General Dynamics, 25&nbsp;mm caliber, 4-barrel version of the GAU-12 mounted internally in the F-35A and in external gun pods on the F-35B and F-35C
* [[GAU-8 Avenger]] – General Electric, 30&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[M134 Minigun]] – 7.62&nbsp;mm cannon
* [[M163 VADS]] – self-propelled version of the M167 on an [[M113]] armored personnel carrier]]
* [[M167 VADS]] – air defense system using the M61 Vulcan
* [[Machbet]] – Israeli upgrade of the M163 VADS incorporating the M61 Vulcan and four [[FIM-92 Stinger]] [[surface-to-air missile]] launch tubes
* [[XM301]] – cancelled lightweight 20&nbsp;mm cannon
 
; '''Soviet Union/Russian Federation/CIS'''
* [[Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23]] – 23&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-1]] – 30&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-30]] – 30&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-30-2]] – 30&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[Glagolev-Shipunov-Gryazev GShG-7.62 machine gun]] – 7.62&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[Yakushev-Borzov YakB-12.7mm7 machine gun|Yakushev-Borzov YakB-12.7]] – 12.7&nbsp;mm caliber
* [[30 mm automatic cannon 2A42|Shipunov 2A42]] – 30&nbsp;mm caliber autocannon
 
== Footnotes ==
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M61_Vulcan"