M230 chain gun
| M230 chain gun | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
|
|
| general information | |
| Country of operation: | United States |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | originally Hughes Aircraft , Alliant Techsystems |
| Manufacturer country: | United States |
| Production time: | since 1975 |
| Weapon Category: | Automatic cannon |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1638 mm |
| Total height: | 300 mm |
| Total width: | 254 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 57.5 kg |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 30 × 113 mm |
| Possible magazine fillings : | M788 Target Practice (TP) M789 High Explosive Dual Purpose (HEDP) M799 High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) cartridges |
| Cadence : | freely adjustable up to a maximum of 625 rounds / min |
| Charging principle: | Chain cannon |
| Lists on the subject | |
The M230 chain gun is a machine canon in mm caliber 30 , of the armed forces of the United States in combat helicopters Hughes AH-64 "Apache" and in the Sikorsky AH-60L Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) is used.
development
In 1972, Hughes Helicopters began developing a single-barrel automatic cannon that could fire the US Army M50 20mm projectiles. The first shot test, but with more powerful 30 mm ammunition, was completed in April 1973 with a prototype ("A model"). In January 1975, the "C model", a version with strapless ammunition for the planned attack helicopter (Advanced Attack Helicopter) YAH-64 was presented; the helicopter eventually went into production under the name Hughes AH-64 "Apache". This has the M230 Chain Gun "C model" as standard armament.
An additional model with belted ammunition was planned for the AH-1S Cobra , but was later discarded.
technology
The energy of the recoil ( recoil charger ) or the explosion gases ( gas pressure charger ) is not used for the cyclical movement of the breech of the weapon ; the M230 uses a motor that drives the loading, locking and case ejection. This process is controlled by a chain drive in which a chain link with a control cam takes the lock with it and moves it. This is where the English name chain gun comes from . The great advantage of the chain drive is its reliability, as a failure to ignite does not shut down the weapon: a cartridge that has not been ignited is simply repetitive. In addition, the rate of fire can be regulated continuously. The upper limit is around 625 rounds per minute. Since the M230 only has one barrel and is air-cooled, a higher cadence would heat it up too much and cause it to wear out. To spontaneous ignition of the ammunition in the hot cartridge chamber to prevent the M230 is zuschießend and fires out of open locked position.
In contrast to gas pressure or recoil chargers, the weapon is not self-sufficient and has to draw its energy from the on-board network. An electric motor with an output of 3 hp takes over the drive . The automatic cannon is currently only mounted on the bow of the Hughes AH-64 attack helicopter and used as a mounting kit on the AH-60L Direct Action Penetrator (DAP). A technically very similar cannon is the M242 Bushmaster in caliber 25 mm.
use
Web links
- www.globalsecurity.org: M230 Automatic Gun (English)
- www.fas.org: M230 Automatic Gun (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Richardson & Peacock, 1992, pp. 38-40.
- ↑ George M. (Lt.Col., USMC, Retd) Chinn (Ed.): The Machine Gun: History, Evolution, and Development of Manual, Automatic, and Airborne Repeating Weapons , Volume Vol. V. Edward Brothers Publishing Co. , Ann Arbor, Michigan 1987 (Retrieved October 13, 2013).