Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23
Encyclopedia : G : GR : GRY : Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23
The Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-6-23 (also known by its Russian service designation, 9-A-768) is a powerful, fast-firing six-barreled Gatling gun used by some modern Soviet/Russian military aircraft.
The GSh-6-23 differs from most American multi-barreled aircraft cannon in that it is gas-operated, rather than externally powered via an electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic system. Although the engineering difficulties involved in producing a gas-operated rotary cannon with such a high rate of fire are considerable, they create less of a drain on the aircraft's power systems, and they accelerate to their maximum rate of fire much more quickly. There is less "spin-up" time for the barrels than with an externally powered rotary cannon, a significant advantage in aerial combat, where the window of opportunity to place multiple rounds on target can be vanishingly short.
The GSh-6-23 uses the 23x115 Russian AM-23 round, fed via linked cartridge belt or a linkless feed system. Fire control is electrical, using a 27v DC system. The cannon has 10 pyrotechnic cocking charges, similar to those used in European gas-operated revolver cannon such as the DEFA 554 or Mauser BK-27.
The GSh-6-23 has an extremely high rate of fire, with maximum cyclic rates of 9,000 to 10,000 rounds per minute. This is fully a third greater than the American M61 Vulcan, and the GSh-6-23 fires a substantially harder-hitting projectile, although its muzzle velocity is comparably reduced. A tactical limitation of the GSh-6-23's rate of fire is that maximum burst length is extremely limited. The MiG-31, for example, with only 260 rounds of ammunition, would exhaust its entire magazine in less than three seconds.
The GSh-6-23 is used by the Sukhoi Su-24 'Fencer' attack aircraft, the MiG-31 'Foxhound' interceptor aircraft, and in the SPPU-6 gun pod with traversable barrels (the weapon can be traversed 45° downwards, to the left and the right).
Specifications
- Type: six-barrel rotary cannon
- Caliber: 23 mm (0.90 in)
- Operation: gas-operated, electrically fired
- Length: 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in)
- Weight (complete): 73-76 kg (161-167 lb)
- Rate of fire: 9,000 - 10,000 rpm
- Muzzle velocity: 715 m/s (2,345 ft/s)
- Projectile weight: API: 176 g (6.2 oz); HEI: 184 g (6.5 oz)
|
Lists of Aircraft | Aircraft manufacturers | Aircraft engines | Aircraft engine manufacturers
| Airlines | Air forces | Aircraft weapons | Missiles | Timeline of aviation |
References
Rapid Fire, Anthony G. Williams, Airlife UK, August 2000External links
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.