General Electric Company
M61 Vulcan is a six-barrel Gatling-style rotary cannon
In service 1959–present
General Electric Company M61 Vulcan
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| Type | Rotary cannon |
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| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1959–present |
| Used by | United States, some NATO members, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and others |
| Production history | |
| Designer | General Electric |
| Designed | 1946 |
| Manufacturer | General Dynamics Sumitomo Heavy Industries SNT Dynamics |
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History General Electric Company
M61 Vulcan is a six-barrel
Gatling-style rotary cannon
In service 1959–present
The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically, electrically, or pneumatically driven, six-barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm × 102 mm (0.787 in × 4.016 in) rounds at an extremely high rate (typically 6,000 rounds per minute). The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft for over sixty years. The M61 was originally produced by General Electric. After several mergers and acquisitions, it is produced by General Dynamics as of 2000. It is also manufactured under license in Japan by Sumitomo Heavy Industries for Japan's Self-Defense Force and by SNT Dynamics in South Korea
Description
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—around 100 rounds per second—and contribute to prolonged weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. The average time between jams or failures is in excess of 10,000 rounds, making it an extremely reliable weapon.[12] 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 "Vulcan cannons", which can sometimes confuse nomenclature on the subject.
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
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General Electric Company
M61 Vulcan is a six-barrel
Gatling-style rotary cannon
In service 1959–present
General Electric Company
M61 Vulcan is a six-barrel Gatling-style rotary cannon
In service 1959–present
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General Electric Company M61 Vulcan
Service history Mass - M61A1: 248 lb (112 kg)
- M61A2: 202 lb (92 kg) (light barrel), 228 lb (103 kg) (heavy barrel)
Length 71.93 in (1.827 m) Barrel length 59.8 in (1.52 m)
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Specifications Cartridge 20×102mm Vulcan Caliber 20 mm (0.787 in) Barrels 6-barrel (progressive RH parabolic twist, 9 grooves) Action Hydraulically operated, electrically fired, rotary cannon Rate of fire 6,000 rounds per minute Muzzle velocity 3,450 ft/s (1,050 m/s) with PGU-28/B round Effective firing range About 9,842 ft (3,000 m) Feed system Belt or linkless feed system
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Links to Youtube & Others
The M61 was originally produced by General Electric. After several mergers and acquisitions, it is produced by General Dynamics as of 2000. It is also manufactured under license in Japan by Sumitomo Heavy Industries for Japan's Self-Defense Force and by SNT Dynamics in South Korea
General Electric Company
M61 Vulcan
M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically, electrically, or pneumatically driven, six-barrel, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon.
Youtube Link
In 1993, General Electric sold its aerospace division, including GE Armament Systems along with the design and production tooling for the M61 and GE's other rotary cannon, to Martin Marietta
Read more in General Electric Company
M61 Vulcan is a six-barrel Gatling-style rotary cannon
In service 1959–present
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