Part 3 Hunter Weapons

The 30mm ADEN Gun Rocket Projectiles Air To Air Missiles Bombs etc.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ADEN GUN AND THE SEQUENCE OF OPERATION

Introduction Guns have been used extensively in military aircraft since the 1914-18 war and range from the very simplest forms of weapons, the shotgun and revolver to todays complex multi-barreled Gatling type guns. From the beginning, improvements in the performance of aircraft and equipment used to conduct armed aerial conflict, have dictated parallel improvements in the means to destroy them, likewise, improvements in the armor carried by ground vehicles such as armored personnel carriers (APCs) and Tanks have governed the types of ammunition used in these improved guns. The main criteria for aircraft guns are performance, reliability and cost and with an emphasis on weight. Since early in the 1950s, one of the high performance, relatively low cost and ultimately more reliable guns designed for aircraft fitment, has been the 30mm ADEN gun (see FIG. 1). This gun once was, and remains today an important component of defense technology in the inventory of many countries. Over the years it has been modified from its original design and redeveloped into more efficient forms, but its parentage can still be recognized in its form and operation. The 30mm ADEN gun was fitted to many of Britains front line fighter aircraft during its production life as well as to many other nations aircraft. However, the development of the ADEN gun has not been without technical difficulties and much work has been required to overcome these difficulties before the 30mm gun reached its latest version in the 30mm ADEN gun, Mk. 5. The mechanical functioning of the gun has changed little during its history, despite considerable changes in the technology of the aircraft in which it is employed. Material specifications have, though, altered as technology has developed and improved, with lightened and strengthened alloys used in the guns construction. Technical improvements are continuing to be identified and introduced; retaining the gun in the role for which it has proved its value. Early origins The MG213 In 1942 Germany was at the peak of its expansion enjoying successes on both the East and West fronts. So confidant had Adolf Hitler been of success that he had reduced production of weapons for the Wehrmacht (Army) in 1941 and ordered industry to concentrate on weapons for the Luftwaffe (Air Force) and the Kreigsmarine (Navy) in order to bombard and defeat Britain on the Western front. The German Luftwaffe had produced radical new aircraft such as the Messerschmitt Me 262 twin jet fighter and was upgrading its already formidable force of fighter aircraft, such as the Focke-Wulf FW190. The Luftwaffe required an equally radical design of weapon to equip its new fighter aircraft to take on the USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses that were making such an impact on daylight bombing and the RAFs Handley Page Halifax and AVRO Lancaster carrying the bombing throughout the night. The Luftwaffe drew up a requirement for a gun to replace the existing 20mm MG151/20 cannon with a cannon capable of firing 1000 rounds/min at a muzzle velocity of 1000 m/sec. The weapon was to be made from sheet metal and drop forged parts in order to reduce the dependency on high cost, labor-intensive machining operations and to use basic steels without the need for alloying compounds that were in short supply within Germany at that time. In response to the Luftwaffe requirement, Heinrich Krieghof Waffenfabrik of Suhl, a sporting weapon manufacturer well known for its shotguns and sporting rifles, submitted a design for a conventional single reciprocating breech, 20mm gun they designated the MG301. The German Air Ministry decided that this company lacked both the expertise and facilities to complete the development and passed the design to Mauser for further development where it was reclassified as the MG213A. Development began with the experimental MG213A but was halted because of failures with the gun, which could not withstand or support a cyclic rate of 1000 rounds per minute. Project Engineer Friedrich Lindner proposed changes and a revised version, the MG213B, was studied, however, this was also a conventional single reciprocating breech weapon and could still not meet the Luftwaffe requirement. To meet the Luftwaffe requirement, a change would have to be made to the operating system of the gun in order to increase the rate of fire. A conventional system would require that the moving parts of the gun travel at unacceptably high speeds creating unacceptable stresses, which the materials would not be able to withstand. Two existing configurations that could reduce the speeds of the moving parts but increase the rate of fire were looked at; these were the rotating multi-barreled Gatling gun and the single barreled revolver.

Fig.1 the 30mm ADEN gun

Defence Council, AP110J-0104-1 ADEN 30mm Guns, General and Technical Information

Early multiple chamber guns A variety of methods were tried over the centuries, to create a rapid-fire gun. Leonardo da Vinci designed an Organ of Bombards, a number of barrels linked to fire as one in a volley. Most of the weapons were too dangerous to use until advances in metallurgy, ballistics and the advancements in the golden age of gun making during the early 1800s. The volley gun improved on the Organ gun principal where a line of barrels was laid out with a shallow firing trough of gunpowder linking them at the breech end. The Volley gun developed by Requia and Billinghurst used 25 carbine barrels lined up in a row with a steel breech in the rear containing 25 chambers. Once loaded a single percussion cap could ignite all the chambers. The gun was demonstrated to the army, but did not perform well enough, lacking firepower and accuracy. The gun became known as the Covered Bridge Gun when it was joked that it would only be of use at close range, if the enemy charged the gun from one end of a covered bridge 1 Following this weapon came the single-barreled .58 caliber Angers Volley Gun, developed by Wilson Anger. Ammunition was fed through a hopper and the breech mechanism then rotated by a hand crank to withdraw the breechblock allowing a round to drop into the chamber. As the crank handle continued to turn the round was rammed, the chamber locked and the cartridge fired. At the end of the cycle the fired cartridge was extracted from the chamber, ejected and a new round fed into the chamber. The rate of fire was limited to the speed of the operator hand-cranking the gun. The drawback was that the gun required special ammunition adaptors to hold the standard .58 caliber round. President Lincoln was persuaded to purchase 10 of these guns from Woodwar & Cox, the manufacturers at a cost of $13000. The Army initially declined the gun but politics prevailed and 53 guns were purchased at a discount price of $53,485. They were re-designated the Union Repeating Gun but known more colloquially as the coffee-mill gun because of the hopper assembly. The Gatling gun system, designed by Dr. Richard Jordan Gatling and first patented on 4 November 1862, operated on the principle that while one barrel was firing, the other barrels were being progressively loaded and cleared during one complete revolution of the gun around its axis. Loading a round, firing and then removing the fired case from each of the barrels could take place more slowly than with a single breech design while retaining a high firing rate from the multiple barrels. Gatling had studied other forms of rapid fire guns and found that although the Anger Gun had potential, it also had many problems with the design, not least of which was the overheating of the single barrel. There wasnt sufficient time for the barrel to cool between each of the cartridge firings, this would lead to a breakdown of the materials of the barrel and produce a potentially dangerous cook-off situation where the round ignites from the heat of the barrel before the chamber is locked. The ammunition adaptors were also impractical for military operations. The Gatling gun also had its disadvantages; it was bulky and heavy with its multiple barrels and required that an external power source operate the system to rotate the barrels. Mauser designer Anton Politzer then looked at the revolver principle. The principle was not new; in 1719 James Puckle had patented a flintlock revolver designed to fire round bullets at Christian opponents and from an interchangeable
1

Untold Stories of the Civil War. Issue #7, page 8-9. Starlog Entertainment Inc. New York. 1999

breech, square bullets against the Turks. Few were built. In the United States, Samuel Colt had designed and patented in 1835-36, a revolver system that allowed the breech to revolve automatically when the gun was fired. It still required manual loading, as did the Confederate Revolving Cannon, which was produced in the South during the US Civil war and was used during the siege of Petersburg where guns of this type were captured by Union troops. The gun was fitted on a two wheeled mounting and had a five chambered cylinder rotating to align the 2 inch shot and charge with the single barrel in the upper or 12 oclock position. The De Brame gun, also produced during the Civil War fired from the lower or 6 oclock position in the breech cylinder.

The De Brame Patent No.34024 and 34025 of December 1861, for improvements to the revolving cannon show a remarkable similarity in design of the breech cylinder and housing when compared to the Mauser /ADEN cannon which was to follow it approximately 80 years later.
Image: US Patent Office

In 1905, however, a Charles M. Clarke of Philadelphia patented his Rapid Fire Gun capable of providing a high rate of fire coupled with automatic feeding of ammunition using the gas from the propellant to return the breech mechanism to the rear where springs would take over and load a cartridge into the chamber, combined with a rotating mechanism to carry the ammunition into the gun. Clarke used mechanisms that had been patented or developed by others and combined them in his gun. Both the Mauser Company and its British contemporary the Webley Company produced an automatic weapon using zigzag grooves in the rotating breech to operate the system.

Fig. 2 .455 Caliber Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver of 1902. Note the grooves on the cylinder.
Dowell, William Chipcase, The Webley Story, Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, Kirkland, Washington: 1987 Page 136

It is possible that the Mauser product, the 10.6mm-revolving rifle Zick-Zack Karabiner could have influenced Politzer. What is known is that Politzer and his team of engineers coupled a revolving drum type breech with zigzag grooves and a gas operated mechanism to produce the first automatic, gas operated revolver cannon. The first 20mm prototype was produced in 1943 and designated the MG213C. It had a five chamber, revolving drum or Breech Cylinder which rotated counter clockwise. The gun was loaded in two stages, as a round was being fed into one of the chambers, the preceding round was being rammed home. Rotation of the cylinder brought the round in line with the guns single barrel at the uppermost position where the cartridge was fired electrically. Dr. Maier designed a new feed system for the gun that coupled the feed mechanism with the five-chambered breech cylinder. A test model proved the feasibility of the gun. By introducing a drum in place of an ammunition girdle, together with other modifications, an extremely high rate of fire was attained, ultimately reaching 1,300 rounds per minute; but it seemed impossible to produce a barrel able to withstand this rate of fire. Early barrels broke down after only 150 shots had been fired, but by special treatment a new barrel was developed able to stand up to 350 rounds non-stop.2 The gas-operated MG213C revolver feed cycle consists of three separate and consecutive actions: stripping a round from the ammunition link-belt, feeding the round via an oscillating rammer into one of five chambers in the revolving cylinder, and presenting the round to the barrel located at the 12 oclock position. After firing, the cylinder rotated and ejected the case to the rear, again via the oscillating rammer. Firing was electric; initial cocking occurred via a pneumatically-operated mechanism. For the German Luftwaffe, the revolver operation not only accelerated the cyclic rate of the cannon, but it also reduced operating stresses on the various internal components of the cannon, allowing use of inferior materials in place of scarce high-strength alloys. The MG213C would have soon earned the respect of the Allied airmen who had to face it in air-toair combat. With its 1,200-round-per-minute rate of fire, the MG213C would have had a devastating effect on any aircraft that crossed its path. In the early stages of the MG213C development the Luftwaffe ordered that the caliber be changed to 30mm. The heavier round would produce better results when fired against bomber targets and achieve higher rates of kills against armor. The gun was re-designed to fire the heavier projectile which had a lower muzzle velocity of only 550 m/sec. In order to keep the re-design to the minimum required, it was decided to retain the length of the round of 30mm ammunition to that of the 20mm and only change the barrel, breech cylinder and a few other functional parts. During this re-design it was also decided to allow the gun to be handed, the ability to change the feed of the gun from left hand to right hand feed by simply replacing or reversing a few of the components. As a result of the increased caliber the gun was now designated as a cannon and its designator changed from MG (for Gewehr or Gun) to MK213C with the designator MK (for Kannone or Cannon).

FIG 3. Contemporary Drawing of the MG213

Diagram: Unknown source

Nowarra, Heinz J., The Focke-Wulf 190: A Famous German Fighter, (Harleyford Publications, 1973 Impression), 149

The weapon was never put into operational use before the end of the hostilities in Europe, despite frantic efforts, production was delayed by problems such as excessive barrel wear3. Only five prototype MG/MK213C guns had been built designated V1 to V5. Ten examples of the V6 version, designated V6/1 to V6/10 were in varying stages of completion. Mauser had proposed to manufacture 3000 guns per month and the aircraft company, Focke-Wulf did receive the drawings and materials by June 24, 1944 and were preparing to fit the gun to its Focke-Wulf FW190 and TA152 home defense fighter aircraft, however, it was to be too late. When the Free French forces advanced through the Mauser complex at Oberndorf in Germany, on 3 May, 1945 they collected the blueprints, test data and production samples of the MG213C, together with manufacturing equipment and machinery. These were taken away for evaluation by the Technical Evaluation Units and, together with other documents and equipment from all over the now liberated and allied occupied territories, they were handed over to allied authorities who began an intensive analysis of the information available. Anton Politzer, Otto von Lossnitzer, Fredrick Lindner and Werner Jungermann together with other of the Mauser engineers ensured that they surrendered themselves to the advancing Western Allies rather than the Red Army. They would later continue to work on their design for the Western Allies to produce The ADEN (Britain), DEFA (France), OERLIKON (Switzerland) and the M39 (USA). Following the war, the Allies scrambled to acquire and evaluate German technology, including the MG213C cannon. The United Kingdom, France, and the United States were each soon testing the MG213C; all three Allied powers subsequently endeavored to produce their own copies of the MG213C. The U.S. version, designated M39, was a 20mm variant featuring minor design changes by the Illinois Institute of Technology. The Ford Motor Company and ultimately by the Pontiac Division of General Motors maintained serial production of the M39 for some four decades. Before production finally ended in 1988, the M39 served on later models of the F-86, F-100, F-11, and F-5 fighters. The French and British were less timid than the USA in copying the MG213C. The French version, the DEFA 552A, exhibited only minor changes. The DEFA 552A, as well as the follow-on DEFA 553 and 30-550 F4, remains in production today for such modern aircraft designs as the AMX and Mirage 2000. The British were apparently the least concerned about copying the MG213C. Their 30mm cannon, the ADEN, is virtually a direct copy of the original German cannon. The ADEN Gun Developed from the MK213C, by the Armament Development establishment at the ENfield Royal Small Arms Factory, London, England, in the latter part of the 1940s, and with the assistance of Werner Jungermann, one of the original Mauser engineers, the ADEN gun was converted to imperial measurements but retained its 30mm caliber. The Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment at Fort Halstead also had a major role in the ADEN development program. GIAT of France was carrying out parallel development and this would become the 30mm DEFA gun. The United States of America evaluated the 20mm MG213C (as the T74) and developed, amongst others, the 20mm M-39 gun, which had a cyclic rate of 1,500 rounds per minute 4 and was later fitted to several aircraft in the 1950s and onwards. The advent of high-speed aircraft and the inception of the Jet powered fighter, required the development of a gun capable of greater firepower than previously available. The project was very nearly shelved, however, when strong bodies of opinion in the governments of the time favored rockets and guided missiles as the way ahead 5. Fortunately, it was decided to continue development of the gun in spite of this opinion. The ever-increasing complexity of missiles had spawned an equal complexity of counter-measures to avoid them. A gun that is fired at its target at relatively close range is almost certain to hit that target if it is sighted correctly. No amount of counter-measures can prevent this. The decreased time interval during which the gun can be brought to bear on the target, due to the very high speeds of modern jet-powered aircraft, calls for the destruction of the target (whether it is air-to-air or air-to-ground), at the first encounter. Therefore, the chances of target destruction can only be achieved if the firepower of the gun is sufficient to deliver a lethal blow in the very limited time available. To meet this situation the gun requires a rate of fire of approximately 1,200 / 1,400 rounds per minute 6 (or 20 / 23 rounds per second) or better - the ADEN 30mm could supply this rate of fire and was officially adopted by the British authorities in May 1949.

Clarke, R. Wallace, British Aircraft Armament Vol.2: RAF Guns and Gunsights From 1914 To The Present Day. (Haynes Publishing. UK. 1994) p.87 4 Clarke,87 5 Clarke,88 6 Defence Council, AP110J-0104-1 ADEN 30mm Guns, General and Technical Information, ATP/MOD(PE) 1972, Topic 1 Chapter 1-0 page 1

The development of the 20mm ADEN gun, based on the MG213C was abandoned in 1951 in favor of continued development of the 30mm; the heavier caliber being considered more effective against stressed airframes with a larger explosive charge and also increasing its lethality against ground targets. Initially the ADEN gun was developed as a low velocity weapon using short cased brass cartridges. The Mk.1 gun was made much the same as the German Mauser developed gun with a breech cylinder housing that was welded and not cast and machined in one piece. The barrel of the low velocity guns can be identified by the lack of grooves around the breech portion and the longitudinal slot in the barrel to assist with locking. The rifling of the barrel was noticibly different than that of the later high velocity barrel with progressive twists. Ammunition was closer in appearance and performance to that of the Mauser version. The functioning, however, remained the same. Development Problems While the gun had already begun to be fitted to front line, especially the 4 gun-pack fitted to the Hawker Hunter and the guns fitted to the Supermarine Swift, it wasnt until early 1954 that a batch of pre-production guns were ordered and obtained from Enfield for the A & AEE Weapons Department at RAE Farnbororough. Serious problems had been identified with both the muzzle blast buffeting and with disintergrating link ejection. Two of the guns together with their ammunition feed system were installed in a Bristol Beaufighter TFX, RD388, for firing trials to be conducted on the Aberporth ranges in Cardigan Bay off the coast of Wales. The fusekage structure of the Beaufighter was specially strengthened for the installation, the recoil forces and vibration being expected to exceed that of the Beaufighters normal 20mm armament. On 05-05-54, Flt.Lt. Mitchell with observer, Mr. William Ainley, an A & AEE Technician, took off and headed out over the Welsh coast tracked by radar from Aberporth. The aircraft fired a short burst of ammunition followed by a longer burst. The pilot reported that the vibration seemed more than should have been expected, however, several more bursts were fired with visible results seen close to the target in the sea near the aiming point. The aircraft then returned directly to Farnborough. On landing the aircraft was found to have extensive damage to the underside surfaces caused by the spring steel disintegrating links that were ejected into the airstream during firing and which had struck the airframe in the turbulence, causing significant holes. The aircraft was repaired and the trials continued with the link ejection chute shortened to deposit the links into a container inside the airframe. Mr.Ainley continued to act as observer throughout the trials and it was reported that when the aircraft fired the guns during high G turns he had to curl up into a ball and brace his legs against a bulkhead. It was after these highG trials that the aircraft was withdrawn from use when it was found to have elliptical rivet holes in the wing roots and the main spars were overstressed. By 01-09-58 this aircraft was to be found in Coleys yard at Hounslow, reduced to scrap. More successful cold weather trials were held in the Cold Lake area, Canada, with two 30mm ADEN cannons fitted in a Gloster Meteor F8 jet aircraft, WK660, in place of the lower 20mm Hispano guns. The guns were installed inverted canted slightly inboard at the top with the ammunition feed supply feeding directly into the guns from the ammunition tanks and the spent links being channeled through chutes covered by blisters forwards of the ventral fuel tank. Fired cases were ejected through a steel tube, approximately two feet long that protruded out of the underside of the aircraft at 45.
Photo: via John Bradley

Once again Mr. William Ainley headed the A & AEE team of trial technicians. Nominally based at RCAF base Edmonton, Flt.Lt. Lowe completed the air-to-ground firing trials from the Central Experimental and Proving Establishment in at Namao, Alberta Province. Six 30mm ADENs were supplied for the trials together with sufficient spare parts to maintain the guns. The range area around Cold Lake was cleared and air-toground firings were successfully completed. For the air-toair firings an area of 20 miles radius was cleared. Firings were completed at 42,000ft and it was recorded that there

Photo: via John Bradley

were very few stoppages. Assessments of the guns were completed after each of the firings had taken place, however, the only available area to complete the assessments were in an open ended hangar heated by captured German hot-air blowers7. Wg Cdr G.W. Johnson in his book Finals Three Greens describes how he was returning in WK660 from the Cold Weather Trials Unit to Halifax, Nova Scotia, for shipping back to the UK when, in cloud with radio compass unservicable and low on fuel, he found clear air and landed at Wausau, Wisconsin, on a strip built the previous year and thought too short for jets. Eventually on its return to the UK, the aircraft was to be converted to a U.16 but because of the 30mm cannon installation the fuselage was found to be unsuitable and was scrapped. The connection with CEPE at Namao in Canada continued with the Hawker Hunter taking part in trials itself, together with the 30mm ADEN cannons. These trials occurred during 1955 with Hawker Hunter F.Mk.2, WN891, from the A&AEE. It was shipped by sea to Halifax, Nova Scotia for winterization trials at CEPE, Namao, near Edmonton. The aircraft was later displayed at Namao International Air Show, 1955 before being returned to UK by sea, again from Halifax. The first operational aircraft to be fitted with the ADEN 30mm was the Supermarine Swift, which Photo: via John Bradley initially was fitted with two guns, mounted inverted within the lower fuselage. The Air Staff of the UK Government decided that the Swift should bear heavier armament and so the Swift F4 was fitted with four guns mounted inverted tangentially around the inside of the lower forward fuselage. Consequently, the aircraft required a larger ammunition capacity and the forward wing roots were modified to accept the ammunition, during flight trials, however, it was found to cause dangerous flight conditions when in high G maneuvers, and severe pitch-up occurred. This, together with other unrelated airframe problems, led to the cancellation of the Swift fighter project (F1 to F4) in 1955 although the FR5 variant continued in service until 1961. 8 Muzzle Blast One of the most successful aircraft designs fitted with the 30mm ADEN gun was the Hawker Hunter. The aircraft was designed around a removable package fitted into the fuselage from the underside, which formed part of the airframe lower surface. This package contained four guns mounted inverted, together with four ammunition belts, each containing 120 rounds of ammunition, in separate compartments above the guns feeding the ammunition through chutes. The Hawker Hunter was, however, not without its share of problems stemming from the muzzle blast effect. When the first firing trials were carried out at 10,000 feet, it was noted with some concern, that the Rolls-Royce Avon engine suffered a flameout and stopped. The pilot was able to restart the engine but after this phenomenon was repeated a number of times it became obvious that there were serious problems caused by the muzzle blast gases entering the intakes when the guns were fired. The Supermarine Swift with the gun muzzles forward of the intakes as in the Hawker Hunter had suffered similar problems. However, the Armstrong-Siddeley Sapphire engined Hunter F2, had never suffered this problem. A number of remedies were tried to direct the muzzle blast away from the intakes, many of them failed, in some cases rather spectacularly. An engine fuel restrictor was finally developed to cut the fuel flow to the engine. Engineers at Rolls-Royce had found that the composition of the muzzle gases contained unburned particles which, when passing through the engine, acted to increase the effect of the fuel, in effect flooding the engine as you would in a car. The effect of the fuel restrictor was that the engine burned the muzzle-blast gases when the guns were fired and normal fuel flow was restored on completion of the firing. This restrictor was supplemented on a number of aircraft with a muzzle-blast deflector a box structure on the blast tube that deflected the gases downward and outwards over deflector vanes. 9 Not only did Britain have problems with the muzzle-gases causing flameouts, the United States Air Force (USAF), Navy (USN) and Marine Corps (USMC) all did too and requested an investigation and a report from the National

7 8

Clarke, 87-89 Clarke, 87-89 9 Clarke, 89-90

Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). This resulted in the report NACA RM E55E25 dated August 5 th, 1955. The report supported and reinforced the investigations carried out in Britain. Gases also created problems inside the fuselage cavities when the gun was fired. Unburned propellant gases created an explosive and corrosive mixture inside the gun compartments and the need for a purging system was recognized. Ducts were introduced to pass air through the guns and vent out of the aircraft to prevent the build-up of gases when the gun was fired, these ducts remained closed until the gun was fired whereupon an electrically operated air-scoop opened into the air-stream, retracting when the gun ceased firing. Muzzle blast still causes considerable gas pressures to build-up at the gun muzzle and has to be evacuated away from the aircraft. Early trials of a muzzle gas deflection installation, known colloquially as the Lobster, on a Hawker Hunter resulted in a large portion of the nose of the aircraft being blown off, fortunately, the trials were conducted on the ground10. In the BAe Jaguar, the blast fairing contains a plate with two angled deflectors and to the rear of this there is a blast tube to which are bolted, two exhaust plates, each with three exhaust tubes. To prevent gases passing along the outside of the barrel within the blast tube there is a flexible gas seal around the bulkhead mounting and a mounting plate at a mid point in the barrel length. Louvers in the barrel-mounting compartment evacuate any gases that may penetrate to this point. Purging of gases in the gun compartment is accomplished by an electrically operated air-scoop which operates when the gun trigger is depressed and guides air through a duct and into the front of the Gun Cradle; gases are then forced out of louvers in the gun compartment panel door. Should the air-scoops fail to operate, a microswitch contact will cause the gun to stop firing after approximately 10 rounds of ammunition or 0.5 seconds. Link and cartridge case ejection It was noted during early trials that the fired cartridge cases ejected cleanly away from the aircraft due to their weight and the velocity of their ejection from the gun. However, in high-speed aircraft the links, by virtue of their lightweight construction, tended to be caught up in the air-stream and were buffeted against the airframe, causing damage. The development team decided to retain the links in containers in or on the airframe. On the Hunter, two streamlined removable blister fairings were attached to the underside of the aircraft. These blisters would become colloquially known as Sabrinas, referring to a well rounded entertainer of the period. In the later BAe/Sepecat Jaguar, the links are collected into compartments between the guns in the keel of the aircraft. Aircraft with guns in pods, such as the Harrier and Hawk still dispose of the links into the air-stream, away from the aircraft structure. For nearly fifty years, the ADEN 30mm Gun has been chosen as the main barrel armament for many Air Forces. (See Table 1.) From the middle of the 1950s to the middle of the1990s, the British Royal Air Force and Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm have chosen the gun for the majority of its front line fighter aircraft. The original design of the Mauser MK213, in its many derivative and advanced forms, continues to this day, fitted as the ADEN 30mm in such aircraft as the BAe Harrier, BAe Jaguar and BAe Hawk. Other derivatives such as the IKWAMauser BK-27 are fitted into BAe Tornado aircraft, with the DEFA 553 in the Dassault Mirage family of aircraft. The current trend of aircraft weapons, however, is towards percussion initiation. The original electrical initiation that was installed on aircraft weapons is now believed by air armament specialists to be potentially dangerous. Larger and more powerful airfield radar and other high electro-magnetic energy emitters can cause inadvertent firing of the guns despite Rad-Haz filters installed in the electrical initiation system. RSAF Enfield no longer develops or produces weapons; the last development project undertaken by the factory before it closed was the ADEN 25mm, the gun it was hoped would be fitted to the RAF Harrier II but which has now been cancelled. The factory closed in 1989 and the United Kingdom responsibility for production and development transferred to Royal Ordnance, Nottingham, England. The 30mm ADEN gun, however, continues its development for export under the direction of AEI (Aircraft Equipment International. Ltd.), who since 1989 have held the sole export rights to the gun. Very low-rate production of the original 30mm ADEN continues on an as-needed basis for export, including replacements and spares. Despite the initial technical difficulties experienced with the 30mm ADEN gun, it proved to be an extremely reliable weapon with a high rate of fire and a low gun stoppage rate. Production costs also, were low when compared to such complex guns such as the U.S. produced six-barreled General Electric GAU-4, 20mm Vulcan gun. ADEN 25. - By the mid-1970s, Royal Ordnance was investigating how to improve on the ADEN, especially in terms of rate-of-fire. After the fruitless design testing of the early-1970s STRADEN program, RO concentrated on exploring ammunition options. After all, the basic 30mm ADEN/DEFA ammunition dates back to the late 1940s; many advances had occurred in ballistics, propellant, and materials technology since then. After rejecting a 20mm round, RO found the answer in the new 25x137mm NATO STANAG 4173 round, developed for the M242 chain gun cannon of the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicles.

10

Clarke, 89

The higher propellant forces of the new round required RO to beef-up various components of the new ADEN. Since Royal Ordnance had planned all along that the new cannon be directly interchangeable with the original 30mm ADEN, any increase in weight was a serious concern. In the end, the new 25mm ADEN 25 weighs only 5 kilograms (11 pounds) more than the original 30mm ADEN. Yet, the ADEN 25 achieves a 24.4-percent higher rate-of-fire and a 24.77-percent higher muzzle velocity than the original 30mm ADEN. Dimensionally, the ADEN 25 is completely interchangeable with the original ADEN. The effects of the longer ADEN 25 barrel are mitigated by the combined blast deflector and muzzle brake. In 1984, the British Ministry of Defence selected the ADEN 25 as the primary armament for the latest version of the Harrier aircraft, the GR. Mark 5. The MoD issued the first ADEN 25 contract, for 81 cannon, in June 1987; RO delivered the first pre-production cannon six months later. Subsequently, Royal Ordnance promoted the ADEN 25 for all aircraft mounting the original ADEN cannon. In addition, the ADEN 25 was in competition for the next-generation European fighter aircraft. The Mauser Bordkanone 27, a 27mm direct descendant of the original Mauser MG213C, won the Eurofighter ordnance contract. One cannot avoid the irony or, perhaps, justice of a second-generation copy of the original MG213C losing out to the direct descendant of the MG213C. In 1988, after Royal Ordnance had closed its Enfield facility and transferred the ADEN 25 program to its Nottingham facility, Aircraft Equipment International acquired the technical data package for the entire ADEN aircraft cannon program. This acquisition included all of the intellectual property, as well as production and support rights. Since 1968, AEI has been primarily refurbishing original ADEN cannon. RO Defence still acts as a subcontractor, providing 30mm ADEN barrels. RO Defence could also restart the ADEN 25 production line, if necessary, under the auspices of AEI. In 1992, as a result of problems with the ammunition feed components in the production cannon, as well as a perceived weight problem, the British Ministry of Defence awarded Aircraft Equipment International a contract to refine the design of the ADEN 25 and its ammunition feed components. Following redesign of the components, AEI resumed low-rate deliveries of 75 cannon and 1,055 barrels. However, problems persisted with the integration of the cannon with the pod, and of the pod with the Harrier GR. Mark 5 aircraft. Specifically, the RAF considered the combined weight of two ADEN 25 pods (430 kilograms/946 pounds) to be too heavy for Harrier specifications. Further, the two pods, mounted beneath the aircraft fuselage, interfered with take-off from the ski-ramp of the Royal Navys Invincible-class aircraft carriers. The British Ministry of Defence determined the cost of correcting these problems would add an additional GBP15 million (US$24 million) to the development costs. Rather than spend this amount, the MoD ordered the ADEN 25 cannon removed from the Harrier GR. Mark 5 and Mark 7 aircraft in early 1999; the aircraft continued to fly without any cannon armament. The RAF and RN returned the hundred-odd ADEN 25 cannon to the MoD, which offered the cannon for sale on the open market. As of 2003, the British MoD had yet to find any buyers for the ADEN 25. In late 2010, the UK government announced the disposal of the Harrier fleet. The only cannon fitted to British aircraft is now the BK27.

Month
February Late December Later Through Late June June December

Year
1942 1944 1945 1947 1950 1950's 1970's 1975 1984 1987 1987 1989 1998 1999 2003

Major Development
Germans begin development of MG213 family of cannon German Luftwaffe introduces MG213C in combat United Kingdom, France, and United States examine MG213C for further development U.K. begins developmental work on slightly modified MG213C Royal Ordnance develops first major ADEN application for the Hawker Hunter RO integrates ADEN with various other aircraft, including Lightning ADEN cannon integration continues ADEN 25 development begins U.K. MoD selects ADEN 25 for GR. Mark 5 version of Harrier First production order for ADEN 25 First production deliveries of ADEN 25 Aircraft Equipment International (AEI) acquires ADEN technical data package and all production rights Operation and integration problems arise with ADEN 25 in GR. Mark 5/7 aircraft U.K. MoD removes ADEN 25 cannon from GR. Mark 5/7 aircraft AEI continues production of original ADEN on an as-needed basis

Through Early Early

There is a projected very-low-rate production of the original 30mm ADEN for the Hawk aircraft and the Jaguar (in India). However, new production will be limited, as AEI continues to address much of the anticipated demand by refurbishing existing cannon and returning them to like-new condition. As original ADEN cannon begin to age and given the continued popularity of the Hawk aircraft worldwide there could be renewed demand for new-production 30mm ADEN cannon.

10

25mm ADEN 25 Cannon

Source: Royal Ordnance

The ADEN remains one of the most famous aircraft cannon in the world. Serial production of the original 30mm ADEN continues on an as-needed basis; most of the current production consists of spare components and attrition requirements for the various users of this cannon. The original ADEN cannon is still an excellent weapon, despite the perceived obsolescence of its 30mm cartridge. While Royal Ordnance designed the ADEN 25 to address the age of the 30mm ammunition, the failure of the ADEN 25 to integrate with the BAe Harrier GR.5 through GR.9 airframes effectively destroyed the cannons prospects for British procurement. The scrapping of the Harrier Force in late 2010 sealed the issue. Also, losing out to the Bordkanone 27 in the Eurofighter competition effectively sealed the ADEN 25s fate and the project was terminated after a total of 107 cannon were built.

Table 1. AIRCRAFT FITTED WITH 30MM ADEN GUNS

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Type of aircraft Qty Bristol Beaufighter 1 Gloster Meteor Mk.8 2 Supermarine Swift 2 Supermarine Swift F4 4 Supermarine Scimitar 4 Gloster Javelin 4 Gloster Javelin FAW7 2 Folland Gnat 1 HAI Ajeet 1 CAC F-86 Sabre 2 Hawker Hunter Mks 4 1,2,4,5,6,9,10 Hawker Hunter T.Mks 1 7 & 8 trainers Hawker Hunter Export 2 T.Mks of trainers HAI Marut 4 Saab J32B Lansen 4 Saab 35A Draken 2 Saab 105 Sk60C 1 BAC Lightning F1 2 E.E. Lightning 2 BAe Harrier 2 Douglas A-4 Skyhawk 2 BAe Sea Harrier 2 McDD AV-8A Harrier 2 Embraer AMX 2 BAe Jaguar 2 BAe Hawk 1 BAe Hawk 200 2

Position of guns Lower Fuselage Fuselage Sides Lower Fuselage Lower Fuselage Lower Fuselage Wings Wings Fuselage Fuselage Fuselage Lower Fuselage Lower Fuselage Lower Fuselage Lower Fuselage Lower fuselage Wings Under wing Store Upper Fuselage Under Fuselage Wing roots Under Fuselage Under Fuselage Lower Fuselage Fuselage Sides Under Fuselage On top of nose

Remarks Development Trials aircraft Pre-Production Trials aircraft First fitted- Production ADEN gun Increased firepower First naval aircraft fit of ADEN guns Two in each wing One in each wing Single-seat. Only operated by India and Finland Single-seat. Only operated by India One either side of cockpit Removable package containing ammunition and guns to rear of and below the cockpit Inverted, on port side of lower fuselage Inverted, either side of lower fuselage

2 either side of nose wheel bay, below the cockpit 1 in either wing root Can be carried in under wing mounted pods Forward of windscreen, either side of nose Lower Fuselage In two pods fitted to underside of aircraft One in each wing root. (Singapore) In two pods fitted to underside of aircraft In two pods fitted to underside of aircraft Brazilian version only UK, Ecuador, India, Nigeria, Oman In pod fitted to underside of the aircraft. Two guns in front of windscreen.

12

THE FUNCTIONING OF THE ADEN GUN

It is difficult to give a definitive picture of the operations of the gun without breaking the functioning down into the action of the individual component parts. It should be remembered that the gun fires at a rate of approximately 1200 rounds of ammunition per minute. Consequently, the slides are moving linearly backwards and forwards 20 times a second, with the rearward travel of the slides approximately 6 inches, an average speed of 20 feet per second is attained. The breech cylinder rotates four complete times per second and the ejector is operating 20 times per second ejecting the fired cartridge cases from the gun. An automatic gun is comparable to a heat engine and as such requires starting, after which it will continue to function until the fuel is expended. The fuel in the case of the gun is, of course, the ammunition. In the heat engine, the energy required to overcome the inertia of the components, and to do the work for which it is designed, is supplied by the combustion of the fuel. In the case of the automatic gun the energy is supplied by the combustion of the propellant charge in the cartridge case. Description and Operation

The ADEN gun has a chamberless barrel (FIG.4) behind which is mounted a rotatable cylinder. The cylinder has five chambers equally spaced around its axis and is known as the Breech Cylinder. When the firing sequence is started, by pressing the control column trigger, this cylinder presents successive rounds to the barrel and when each round is aligned with the bore, it is automatically fired. The ADEN gun is mechanically operated and the motions are continuous after the first round has been loaded and fired. In the ADEN gun, the initial loading is carried out by operating a pneumatic cocking unit three times, the belt having been initially pushed into the feed mechanism by hand. Once the first round has been fired, it is only necessary to maintain the pressure on the control column trigger for the rotation of the cylinder, the feeding of the ammunition, the loading of the chambers, the firing of the gun and the ejection of the empty cartridge cases and links to be done automatically. The number of rounds that may be fired is dependent on the length of the belt and not upon the capacity of the cylinder.

INTERRUPTED COLLAR SLOT FOR BARREL SWITCH PLUNGER SLOT TO FACILITATE ASSEMBLING

RECESS FOR BARREL CATCH BUTTRESS GUIDES

FIG.4 BARREL
The motive power for the automatic functioning of the ADEN gun is provided by gas pressure. A portion of the propellant gas is by-passed through a vent in the barrel into a Gas Cylinder where it impinges upon a piston. The Gas Piston is driven to the rear by gas pressure every time the gun fires and is the source of all subsequent movements in the functioning of the gun. The barrel and gun mechanism are mounted in a cradle (FIG.5), which permits the barrel and certain of the gun mechanism components to recoil a short distance on firing. A pair of Recoil Units, (FIG.6) which are installed between the Cradle and the Breech Cylinder Housing absorbs the recoil energy. The barrel and the recoiling components are returned to the firing position by the reaction of the Recoil Units. The feed mechanism does not recoil as it is essential that its alignment with the feed chutes is maintained, to prevent the jamming of the ammunition belt. The Cradle is provided with attachment points at the front and rear for mounting the gun in the aircraft. Harmonization is provided

13

for in the aircraft installation, the adjustment being applied to the cradle through the Vertical and Horizontal Harmonization units in the rear gun mounting. Accommodated in the bottom of the Cradle and free to travel back and forwards on a Slide Block are two interconnected slides, a Front Slide and a Rear Slide (FIG.7). Two Return Springs bear between the Front Slide and the rear of the Cradle. The Front Slide carries a Cam Lever, and the Rear Slide has an integral loading platform with front and rear rammers. When the Gas Piston is driven to the rear by gas pressure, it strikes the front of the Front Slide and drives both slides to the rear. The Return Springs are compressed and a reciprocating movement of the slides is set up by the action of the Gas Piston and the Return Springs so long as the gun continues to fire. The movement of the Front and Rear Slides, feeds, loads and fires the gun whilst the control column trigger is depressed and ejects the empty cartridge cases and links.
BRACKET FOR FEED CASING LOCKING ROD SLIDES REAR FRONT COCKING UNIT

TRUNNION

SLIDE BLOCK

T-BRACKET

CRADLE CONTACT

FIG.5 INTERIOR OF CRADLE

The five chambered Breech Cylinder is mounted on a shaft in a housing, the front of which is provided with a Spigot for the attachment of the barrel (FIG.8). The spigot bears in the front of the Cradle and at the rear , the housing bears on the sides of the Cradle, to which it is keyed, by means of T-Slots and T-pieces, to prevent it from lifting when the gun recoils (FIG.9).

RECOIL UNIT WASHER NUT

BELLEVILLE WASHERS (29)

RECOIL UNIT CAP SPINDLE CYLINDER

FIG.6 RECOIL UNIT

14

REAR RAMMER

FRONT RAMMER

CONNECTING ROD

EJECTOR RAMP

LOADING PLATFORM

REAR SLIDE DEFLECTOR CAM SLIDE CONTACT PIN, SPRING AND PLUNGER

CAM LEVER

FIG.7 FRONT & REAR SLIDE GROUP

GUN LOADED INDICATOR PLUNGER

FIG.7 SLIDEBARREL SWITCH PLUNGER HOUSING MECHANISM (R.H.)

BARREL CATCH

SPIGOT

EJECTOR LEVER

BREECH CYLINDER

RECOIL UNIT

GAS CYLINDER

GAS PLUG

FIG.8 BREECH CYLINDER HOUSING GROUP

15

CARTRIDGE RETAINER SCREW

LOCKING PLATE

FIRING PIN HOUSING CAP

SCREW

MAL-EJECTION BRACKET

CARTRIDGE RETAINER

EJECTOR PAWL

EJECTOR PLUNGER HOUSING BREECH CYLINDER SHAFT NUT BREECH CYLINDER SHAFT NUT

T-SLOT

FIG.9 BREECH CYLINDER HOUSING REAR

Equally spaced around the Breech Cylinder are five rollers, (FIG.10) which, as the slides travel back and forward, are engaged by the Cam Lever and Front Slide. The engagement causes the Breech Cylinder to rotate through 36 0 during the rearward stroke of the slides and gives it sufficient momentum to rotate another 36 0 during the forward stroke of the slides. The rotation of the Breech Cylinder is stopped by the next roller bearing against the Cam Lever which guides the roller into a straight groove in the Front Slide.
EJECTOR PLUNGER HOUSING WITH CAP AND TAB WASHER MAL-EJECTION BRACKET GAS PISTON

CARTRIDGE RETAINER

FIG.10 BREECH CYLINDER HOUSING UNDERSIDE 16

The Breech Cylinder does not rotate at the beginning or at the end of the slide cycle because a straight groove in the slide is engaging the roller. This ensures that:The Breech Cylinder will not be rotating during the ejection of the empty cartridge case. The Chamber will be aligned with the bore when the gun fires and the projectile has left the muzzle. The Breech Cylinder will not start to rotate until after the projectile has left the muzzle. At the front of each chamber in the Breech Cylinder is a gas Sealing Sleeve which prevents gas escaping from between the front face of the Breech Cylinder and the breech face of the Barrel.
FEED SHAFT PLUNGER KNOB FEED CASING

LINK GUIDE

CARTRIDGE GUIDE PLATE FEED SHAFT

EMPTY CASE DEFLECTOR MOUTH BOTTOM PLATE

FIG.11 FEED MECHANISM (R.H.)

he Feed Mechanism is mounted on the Cradle behind the Breech Cylinder Housing, a small gap between the two being allowed to provide for recoil of the Breech Cylinder Housing. The Feed Mechanism is of the sprocket type, (FIG.11) the sprockets being aligned with the Breech Cylinder chambers. The Feed Mechanism shaft is coupled to, and driven by, the Breech Cylinder shaft so that the two rotate as one; this arrangement ensures correct timing in presentation of the ammunition to the Breech Cylinder chambers, and eliminates the possibility of the gun racing the feed. During the rearward travel of the slides, that is, during the first 36 0 turning movement of the Breech Cylinder, the sprockets position a round on the loading platform of the Rear Slide with the base of the round in front of the rear rammer. The forward movement of the slides causes the rammer to drive the round out of the link and partly into the chamber, whilst due to its momentum, the Breech Cylinder and consequently the sprockets, rotate another 36 0 and the belt is drawn into the feed mechanism. The feed link is pushed up a link guide by the next link and is ejected vertically, if the gun is in an upright position (FIG.12). On the next stroke of the Gas Piston the rearward movement of the Front Slide rotates the Breech Cylinder to bring the partly rammed round into position for final ramming by the front rammer; the sprockets being rotated with the Breech Cylinder, position the next round on the rear slide with the base of the round against the rear rammer. On the forward movement of the slides the front rammer drives the next round partly home into the next chamber, the Breech Cylinder and Sprockets continuing to rotate as before. Meanwhile, a round which has been rammed right home by the previous stroke of the slides is brought into the firing position in alignment with the barrel.

17

BREECH CYLINDER

ROLLER

GAS PISTON

FRONT RAMMER SLIDE SWITCH AND CRADLE CONTACTS

REAR RAMMER

CAM LEVER REAR SLIDE DEFLECTOR CAM FRONT SLIDE

1 - STARTING POSITION GUN COCKED

INCOMING ROLLER LOADING TRAY

RETURN SPRINGS

2 END OF REARWARDS STROKE

3 END OF FORWARDS STROKE

FIG 12. GUN FUNCTIONING 18

HEAD

INDICATOR

PLUNGER HOUSING

GUN LOADED INDICATOR ASSEMBLY

SPRING

FIRING PIN ASSEMBLY

FIRING PIN HOUSING SPRING INSULATING BUSH HOUSING CAP

SHIM

INSULATOR

BREECH CYLINDER SHAFT

FIG 13. FIRING PIN ASSEMBLY

The gun is fired by the passage of an electric current through an electrically fired cap fitted into the base of the cartridge case. The electric cap takes the place of the usual percussion cap. When the circuit is completed, the heating effect of the electrical current through a bridge wire, fires the caps primer composition which ignites the propellant charge. The Firing Pin Assembly is accommodated behind the Breech Cylinder in the rear of the Breech Cylinder Housing and in line with the axis of the Bore (FIG.13). The arrangement is such that as the round is moved into alignment with the barrel, the electrically fired cap in the base of the round makes contact with the Firing Pin and completes that part of the firing circuit. Apart from the Control Column Trigger and the Firing Pin, two further breaks are provided in the firing circuit, one by a Barrel Switch and the other by a Slide and Cradle Contact. The Barrel Switch breaks the circuit if the Barrel and Breech Cylinder Housing are not properly locked together. The slide contact breaks the circuit as the gun recoiling parts recoil by separating from the Cradle Contact, and completes the circuit at the end of the forward stroke of the slides. The completion of the circuit at the slide and cradle contacts takes place after contact has been made between the electrically fired cap of the round and the firing pin, which is after the Breech Cylinder has been locked. When the Trigger is depressed, the Slide Contact will control the firing of the gun. Electrical firing eliminates the time interval required for a percussion striker to move forward, and with a high speed gun this means a considerable saving in time. When the gun fires, the rearward thrust from the shock of discharge is taken by the Breech Cylinder Housing. As the housing and the Barrel are rigidly connected by way of a Buttress Thread, the Barrel, Breech Cylinder Housing and all its attachments recoil. The Feed Mechanism, which is mounted on the Cradle behind the Breech Cylinder Housing, does not recoil; the connection between them is in the form of a sliding drive shaft. The empty cartridge cases are ejected towards the end of the forward stroke of the slides, after rotation of the Breech Cylinder and the Sprockets is completed, when the Breech Cylinder Roller has entered the straight groove in the Front

19

Slide. A ramp on the Front Slide engages the Ejector Lever, causing this to operate the Ejector and eject the empty case to the rear. The initial loading of the gun must be carried out manually, a pneumatic cocking unit being provided for this purpose in the forward face of the Cradle. When the unit is operated by connecting a Nitrogen bottle to the unit by way of a pneumatic cocking valve and the valve is operated, the unit drives the slides to the rear, the slides functioning as described in the preceding paragraphs. (FIGS.14 and 15). The Pneumatic Cocking Unit must be operated three times to bring a round into the firing position. The first stroke of the unit causes the first round in the belt (the belt having been fed into the Feed Mechanism by hand) to be partly rammed into the Breech Cylinder. The next stroke completes the ramming of the first round and the partial ramming of the second round. The third stroke brings the first round into the firing position, completes the ramming of the second round and partially rams the third round. The gun is now ready for firing, and as soon as the trigger is depressed, will function automatically until the ammunition is expended, or the trigger is released. The two stage ramming reduces the length of travel of the rammer, saves time and, coupled with the use of electrical firing, contributes largely towards a high rate of fire for a gun of this calibre. All screw threads are of Unified form, except those which take the bolts securing the aircraft mounting attachments to the rear of the cradle; these threads are BSF. A groove round the barrel flats identifies the Mk.2 barrel. The stores reference number is stamped on one of the spanner flats.

Interchangeability
The Aden Gun can be readily changed to suit installations feeding the ammunition into the gun from either the left or the right hand sides as in the Jaguar. With the gun in its normal upright position (i.e. resting on its cradle), a right hand gun has the mouth of the Feed Mechanism on the right, when viewed from the rear, to receive ammunition feeding from in the right to the left. A left hand gun feed mouth is on the left to receive ammunition feeding from the left to the right. Most of the components are interchangeable and can be used for either hand of gun, however, the position of some components has to be changed, whilst other components have to be replaced by handed items, when converting a right hand gun to a left hand gun or vice versa. The assembled Breech Cylinder Housing is not interchangeable between left and right hand guns because of the position of: Ejector assembly Mal-Ejection Bracket Breech Cylinder Index assembly Cartridge Retainer

Except for the Mal-Ejection bracket, which is handed, the components of the Breech Cylinder Housing Group are interchangeable between left and right hand guns. Thus, by repositioning the components above and fitting the appropriate Mal-Ejection bracket, Breech Cylinder Housing group can be converted readily from one hand to another. The assembled front slide is not interchangeable because of the Cam Deflector. The Cam Deflector is handed, also its position depends upon the direction of feed. The Front Slide can be converted from one hand to the other by fitting the appropriate Cam Deflector. The Rear Slide is not interchangeable. The cradle is interchangeable providing that the Cam Lever Guide Springs are repositioned and the Cam Lever Guide is reversed, end for end.

Stoppages.
The word Stoppage is used to indicate that the gun has ceased firing for reasons other than the release of the trigger. ADEN gun stoppages can usually be attributed to one or more of the following : Mal functioning Breakages Faulty gun firing circuit Faulty installation Faulty ammunition

20

A knowledge of the contributory factors will facilitate investigation and an appreciation of the condition of the gun when stopped will enable the fault which caused the stoppage to be determined. To enable one to understand why a gun should stop firing because of a particular fault, it is essential to know how the gun functions. The kinematic diagram will be found to be particularly useful, as it gives the position where a component should be at any time in the gun cycle (FIG. 16 and 17). It is most important that the real cause of a stoppage, as distinct from the apparent cause, is determined before the stoppage is cleared. When the cause of a stoppage is known, steps can be taken to prevent a recurrence. Too much care cannot be given to the investigation, and one must not jump to conclusions or an accident may result. A report on a stoppage should contain as much detail as possible to enable the most accurate diagnosis of the problem to be made. A number of minor faults may contribute towards a stoppage and the ultimate cause may be easy to determine, but the other causes may not be so apparent. Again a combination of faults may produce a condition which stops the gun, the small defects in themselves are not sufficient to cause a failure but, occurring simultaneously bring about a stoppage which has no apparent cause. It is not easy to lay down Hard and Fast rules for the investigation of stoppages, but a thorough knowledge of gun functioning will facilitate the investigation. Broadly speaking, the probable cause of a stoppage can usually be determined by: Noting the position of the slides Noting whether the firing chamber is occupied or not Noting what happens when the ammunition belt is disconnected Noting what happens when the link chute and empty case chute are disconnected Noting whether a live round or an empty case is ejected from the last firing chamber when the gun is unloaded Noting any other feature which is not consistent with the correct functioning of the gun

Initial cocking
Before firing can commence, it is necessary to load the gun. Using a pneumatic cocking valve connected to an air cylinder and to the pneumatic cocking unit in the forward part of the gun cradle, a supply of air at approximately 1200 psi, is introduced to force the slide components of the gun rearwards against the action of the return springs. This action initiates the loading of the ammunition. As the belt of ammunition enters the feed casing mouth, the cam on the front of the link engages the belt guide and the belt is positioned ready for engagement into the sprockets. In the ADEN gun the sprockets engage on the links and not on the round. In order to complete the loading of the gun, the gun must be cocked three times to load a round of ammunition into the firing position. The action of the gun components during initial cocking is the same as the normal functioning with the exceptions that the cocking unit is responsible for the rearward movement of the slides and not the gas piston and that there is no electrical firing circuit energized.

Safety arrangements
In order to prevent inadvertent firing when the gun is not ready there are a number of safety devices incorporated into the firing system. . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A safety break which is either a switch, key or plug to disconnect the weapons control system whilst the aircraft is on the ground. This is normally reconnected prior to the aircraft taking off. A manually operated safety catch on the firing trigger that prevents the operation of the trigger. This safety catch can be selected ON or OFF by the operator. A micro-switch is usually fitted to aircraft that indicates when the aircraft undercarriage is retracted and completes the circuit to the weapons control system. Should the gun barrel be not properly locked to the breech cylinder housing, a plunger that rides on an inclined ramp set into the breech end of the barrel will not make the required electrical contact. The slides must be fully forward to make electrical contact between the cradle contacts and the slide contacts, this ensures that the gun cannot fire until after the breech cylinder is locked in the final 1.75 inches of forward travel. On the rearward travel of the slides, the initial 1.75 inches of travel, where the breech cylinder is locked, ensure that the projectile has left the muzzle of the gun and that the pressure has dropped sufficiently in the bore.

6.

21

7.

For ground handling of the gun, including reloading operations, there is an indicator on the top of the electrical firing unit that mechanically indicates the presence of a round of ammunition in the firing chamber of the breech cylinder.

Operation of the gun components during rearward slide travel When the firing trigger is depressed an electrical circuit provides a 24-volt dc current to a series of relays the output voltage of 40-volts ac at 1500MHz is then passed to the guns electrical firing unit. A round of ammunition has already been chambered by the initial cocking and lined up with the barrel. The electrical current passes through the pole-piece of the initiation cap in the base of the round. The current initiates the cap composition, which, in turn ignites the propellant charge, rapidly building up pressure as the gases produced by the burning propellant expand and propel the projectile forward in the barrel. This action gives a muzzle velocity of approximately 2600 feet/sec. Gases are diverted from the barrel through a gas hole into the gas cylinder, where the gases build up and act against the Gas Plug and piston, driving the Gas Piston rearwards. Sealing rings are fitted to the Gas Piston to prevent escape of gas over the piston whilst the Gas Plug contains expansion seals in its circumference to prevent gas escape forwards. By the time that the gases have moved the piston to the extent of its stroke of 1.5 inches the gun will have recoiled about 0.15 inches. The shock from the discharge of propellant gases acting to the rear, is taken up by the breech cylinder housing which recoils rearwards approximately 0.5 inches carrying the breech cylinder group and barrel with it. Because the forward face of the front slide is in contact with the rear of the gas cylinder the slides also recoil. As the recoil takes place the recoil unit spindles, which are connected to the breech cylinder housing, are pulled to the rear, compressing the Belleville washers in the recoil unit cylinders. These cylinders are connected to the front face of the cradle casting that in turn is rigidly connected to the mounting structure. Consequently, as the recoil units return the breech cylinder housing group back to the firing position at the end of the recoil cycle, the run-out, which is not cushioned, causes the breech cylinder housing group to strike the cradle casting. This produces a slight gun bounce when the vibrations are loaded onto the mounting structure; the vibrations vary and depend on the rigidity of the mounting. The slides continue to be driven 5.5 inches to the rear by the momentum of the piston stroke and compress the two Return Springs. At a distance of approximately 0.25 inches, the contacts on the front of the front slide disconnect from the Cradle Contacts and break the electrical firing circuit. When the Front Slide has traveled approximately 1.75 inches to the rear in relation to the Breech Cylinder, the ejector ramp will have moved away from the ejector lever and the outgoing roller will be about to leave the 2 inch straight groove. When the ejector lever is free, the ejector components are repositioned by the ejector springs. The ejector pawl is brought into contact with the beveled rear edge of the breech cylinder, positioning it to eject the empty cartridge case when the ejector lever is operated by the ejector ramp on the forward stroke of the slides. Table 2. LEADING PARTICULARS Weight and Dimensions: Length of Gun Overall Maximum Width Maximum Height Weight of Gun (Without Barrel) Barrel details: Caliber Weight Overall Length Rifling Number of grooves 1.181 in. ( 30mm.) 27 lb ( 12.3 kg.) 42.5 in. (1079.5mm.) Progressive Right-hand twist 16 64.5 in. (1638.30mm.) 9.5 in ( 241.30mm.) 10.5 in. ( 266.70mm.) 165 lb. ( 75 kg.)

22

Parallel Portion Parabolic Portion Uniform Portion Ammunition: Types Used Weight of one round Weight of Projectile Means of Ignition Miscellaneous Details: Muzzle Velocity Firing System Rate of Fire Ammunition Supply Initial Loading Input Voltage Output Voltage to Gun

1.60 in. ( 40.64mm.) 33.41 in. ( 848.61mm.) 6.22 in. ( 157.48mm.)

High Explosive, Incendiary, Armour Piercing, Practice (Ball) 15.75 oz ( 0.45kg.) 9 oz. ( 0.25kg.)

Electric Cap

2600 feet/second (790 metres/second) Electrical 1200 to 1400 rounds per minute Disintegrating Link Pneumatic Cocking Unit - 1200 pounds per square inch 24V dc 40V ac 1500MHz

After the slides have traveled 2 inches to the rear in relation to the breech cylinder, the 2-inch straight groove will have disengaged from the outgoing roller and the breech cylinder can revolve. The projectile leaves the muzzle at approximately 3 milliseconds after firing and the roller leaves the straight groove approximately 2 milliseconds later. The gas pressure in the bore will have dropped prior to the breech cylinder being released. As the slides continue to move to the rear they cause the cam lever to engage with the outgoing roller translating the linear motion of the slides into the rotational movement of the breech cylinder. The cam lever remains offset until the slides have traveled 3.75 inches to the rear, held in position by the cam lever plunger moving in the longitudinal groove of the cam lever guide plate. As the plunger travels along the groove it rides up an incline until it contacts with the cam lever guide spring. This directs the plunger across the guide plate to re-position the cam lever in the central position, whilst maintaining contact with the outgoing roller as the breech cylinder rotates. As the outgoing roller rotates away from the cam lever, at approximately 5 inches in relation to the breech cylinder, the cam at the front of the front slide engages it. The shape of this cam gives added impetus to the breech cylinder, which accelerates, and retards the movement of the slides. When the slides have traveled a further 0.5 inches to the rear, the incoming roller strikes the cam on the opposite side of the front slide, arresting the rearward travel of the slides with the return springs almost fully compressed. The rearmost position of the slides is reached when both the incoming and outgoing rollers are in contact with the cams on the front slide, the cam lever is central and the breech cylinder has rotated 36 degrees. The inertia of the breech cylinder assists it to continue its rotation and the incoming roller in contact with the cam on the front slide causes the slides to start their forward travel. The feed mechanism sprockets, coupled to the breech cylinder by the breech cylinder shaft and the feed shaft, rotate at the same speed as the breech cylinder. As they rotate, they engage and draw the link of the next round of ammunition in the belt into the feed mechanism. Approximately 20 milliseconds after firing the slides have reached their rearmost position. The round of ammunition is positioned by the sprockets on the edge of the loading platform of the rear-slide. The round of ammunition is now ready to be de-linked and loaded into the gun. Operation of the gun components during forward slide travel

23

As the inertia of the breech cylinder causes it to continue rotating after the incoming roller has struck the front slide cam, it starts to propel the slides forward. The force of this blow is proportional to the combined forward and angular velocities of the breech cylinder. The slides retard the rotation of the breech cylinder as some of the energy is used in reversing the direction of the slides, sufficient energy, however, remains to complete the cycle. The forward travel of the slides is maintained by the reaction of the return springs, which are compressed. The cam lever is deflected to the side by the incoming breech cylinder roller after the slides have traveled approximately 0.5 inches forwards. The cam lever plunger drops into the longitudinal groove of the cam lever guide and holds the cam lever to the side. The sprockets of the feed mechanism will continue to rotate and, as the slides move forward, the rear rammer strikes the base of the cartridge case of the round of ammunition and at approximately 5.3 inches, drives the round out of its link and into the chamber. The link is fed up the link guide and ejected from the gun. The sprockets rotation carries the round up the rammer surface and the inertia brings the round forward of the front rammer. The round that was partly rammed by the previous stroke is now fully rammed home into the chamber and retained there by the cartridge retainer. The round that was fully rammed by the previous stoke is now brought into alignment with the barrel and the firing pin by the rotation of the breech cylinder. The fired cartridge case is rotated away from the firing position in the same movement and is positioned for ejection, with the ejector pawl engaged on the extractor groove of the cartridge case. With the slides at approximately 2 inches from the forward at rest position, the breech cylinder will have rotated a further 36 degrees. The cam lever will position the incoming breech cylinder roller to enter the straight groove in the front slide. Rotation of the breech cylinder will be prevented, at approximately 1.75 inches, when the roller is engaged in the straight groove. Whilst the straight groove is engaging the incoming roller the ejector ramp is engaged by the ejector lever, operating it and in turn operating the ejector mechanism to eject the fired cartridge case from the gun through the mal-ejection bracket and the ejection tube on the feed mechanism. The ejector lever and components complete their operations at approximately 1.4 inches from the at rest position. Immediately after the front slide strikes the ejector lever it continues forward in contact with the gas piston, this brings the gas piston back into position for the next round to be fired and also purges the gas cylinder of any remaining gases. At the point when the slides are approximately 1.3 inches from the at rest position, the cam lever plunger enters into the cam lever guide. It moves the cam lever over to the opposite side of the guide plate where, just before the slides to rest, it drops into the longitudinal groove and holds the cam lever in readiness to engage with the roller on the next rearward stroke of the slides. At approximately 0.25 inches, as the slides approach the at rest or forward position, the slide contacts make a connection and the electrical firing circuit is completed again. The slides continue forward under the impetus us the return springs until they reach the at rest position, fully forward. As long as the firing trigger is still depressed another round will be fired and the cycle repeats itself. Kinematic representation of gun component movements. For a gas operated revolver type weapon such as the ADEN gun, it is a basic requirement that the Breech Cylinder rotates with a constant angular acceleration/deceleration. This minimizes the level of peak forces imposed upon the gun mechanism, the gun mounting and the ammunition belt. The Breech Cylinder is driven by the recoiling slide mechanism which at the same times stores energy in the Return Springs. This energy must be sufficient to return the slide assembly to the Breech Cylinder Rollers, push the round of ammunition out of the link whilst dragging the belt through the feed chutes, eject the empty fired case and then finally return the gas piston to its original position. The kinematic diagrams given at Figure 2 and Figure 3 are generic and therefore approximate the firing sequence of the 30mm ADEN gun. The exact kinematics of individual guns can only be determined by instrumentation data obtained from actual firings and are unique to each gun. The diagrams depict a gun firing at 1200 rounds per minute under ideal conditions and give the positioning of the components plotted against an ideal time line. Individual guns can be expected to produce cyclic rates of fire of slightly less than 1200 rounds per minute up to 1400 rounds per minute. These variations are produced by the time it takes the slides to complete their cycle and may be produced by a number of factors. However, for the purpose of this paper we will suppose that the gun is in fact an ideal gun firing at its design rate of fire of 1200 rounds per minute. The diagrams The line at the top of the diagram represents the static gun cradle against which all the movements of the gun and components are plotted. The Static Feed Line at the base of the diagram represents the position of the round located in the feed mechanism ready for initial ramming. It should be understood that the feed mechanism is not a part of the recoiling gun components and that it remains rigidly locked to the cradle throughout the sequence of operations.

24

Between 30 and 47 milli-seconds after the gun fires the gun incurs bounce caused by the breech cylinder housing coming into sharp contact with the front of the cradle during run-out or recuperation. This bounce can be seen mirrored in the static feed line showing the feed mechanism. The broken curved line represents the angular velocity of the breech cylinder; however, it has not been possible to include the angular displacement of the breech cylinder rollers in these diagrams. The diagram at Figure 3 represents an enlargement of the curves from Figure 2 and shows displacements of the components before and after the firing of the gun on the automatic sequence. The sequence begins at the 30 m/sec point and continues through to the 70 m/sec whilst the physical displacement shown is over the range 0.0 to 3.0 inches of travel. Clearly seen is the amount of gun bounce incurred by the gun when the breech cylinder housing strikes the cradle at the end of the guns run-out. This bounce is absorbed through the mountings into the aircraft structure where it is gradually dampened and dissipated.

Most training units, Schools of Technical Training, plus the travelling recruitment units, were equipped with the Aden Gun, 30mm, Demonstration Unit/Weapons Training Aid. It consisted of a sectioned Aden gun mounted at an angle on a display box containing the electric motors required to operate the functioning of the gun.
Photo: RAF Museum

25

The 30mm ADEN gun (these examples are configured for a Jaguar aircraft) on the gun servicing bench. Note below, the interrupted thread locking on the breech of the gun barrel.

26

Figure 14. Kinematic Diagram For A 30mm Aden Gun Firing At 1200 Rounds Per Minute
Defence Council, AP110J-0104-1 ADEN 30mm Guns, 1972, Chapter 5, page 20

27

Above: The Breech Cylinder Housing (BCH), showing the T slots which form the rear portion of the recoil train. The Gas Cylinder and Gas Piston.

Left: Front view of the ADEN Gun looking into the chamber where the firing pin hole can be seen. The front face of the sealing sleeve bears against the rear face of the barrel when it is fitted into the trunion. The two nuts on the front face lock the Recoil Units to the Cradle. The tube on this gun leads to the Pneumatic Cocking Unit. The basic Cradle is asymmetric to allow for the interchange of parts for Left and Right hand feed guns.

28

Figure 15. Enlargement of curves showing displacements before and after firing
Defence Council, AP110J-0104-1 ADEN 30mm Guns, 1972 Chapter 5,

29

Above: Front and Rear Slides. The protrusion on the left of the front slide is the deflector cam which assists rotation of the Breech Cylinder. Right: The five chamber Breech Cylinder with the five rollers for rotation. Below: The Feed mechanism, dismounted, with the Return Springs to the left and the Gas Plug behind.

30

The ADEN gun from the right rear quarter without the feed mechanism fitted, showing the position of the rear slide primary rammer in relation to the chambers. On the left side of the BCH is the Mal-Ejection Bracket to prevent rotation of the chambers should a case fail to eject. On top of the BCH is the Electric Firing Unit which feeds the firing voltage to the firing pin, just visible above the splined center shaft. The grooved bracket on the rear of the cradle is the fastening device for the feed mechanism.

31

THE AMMUNITION FOR THE ADEN GUN

Initially the British 30mm ADEN gun was designed to fire the brass cased cartridges produced by Royal Ordnance factories throughout the United Kingdom, such as ROF Chorley (manufacturers designation code CY) and ROF Radway Green (manufacturers designation code RG) in Lancashire, England. Present export versions of the gun can fire steel cased ammunition; however, minor modifications to the gun components are required to allow this with the minimum of stoppages. The British users of the gun continue to use only brass cased ammunition. Brass cased ammunition versus steel cased ammunition has been in contention for many years. Both types have their advantages and their disadvantages, however, for the purpose of this study it is not necessary to delve too deep into this argument. The ammunition case for the 30mm ADEN gun has the same requirements as that of most types of ammunition in that it; must withstand blows, deformation and, above all, corrosion. It must also possess certain mechanical properties, namely: elasticity, variable tensile strength along its length and limited malleability which, together with corrosion resistance, make up its four fundamental properties. 11 Brass was originally chosen for its malleability when manufacturing small caliber cases, also reaction is good when obturation is required to seal the breech at the moment of firing. Immediately after firing the case must return to its original condition to allow extraction of the case from the chamber. Steel, on the other hand, is a substantially cheaper material. Steel, whilst being equally cheap to produce as brass, requires extra manufacturing processes to produce cases, such as coating or galvanizing, and a series of heat treatments and hardening phases to produce the four fundamental requirements. Steel inevitably includes impurities owing to its nature, the basic ores required for its production and the manufacturing process. Low Velocity Ammunition Low Velocity ammunition was used with the early ADEN guns and consisted of Type A cases from 1945 and Type B cases from 1952. Both cartridge cases were approximately 3.37 inches (85.8mm) long with a projectile of approximately 5.5 inches (139.7mm) in length; they differed only in the rim diameters of 1.256 and 1.311 inches (31.9mm and 33.3mm). The use of this ammunition was restricted to guns fitted with Mk.1, low velocity barrels only, however, no other changes were required to the gun to fire high or low velocity ammunition. The muzzle velocity of this type of ammunition was approximately 2000 feet per second. Various types of this ammunition were produced and are listed in Table 3. The low velocity of this ammunition gave a limited range to the projectile, which as aerial warfare technology progressed, became insufficient for its design function. The increase in size and propellant capacity of the cartridge case gave a consequent increase in muzzle velocity, increasing the range of the projectile to its present optimum effective range of approximately 1950 feet (594.36m). TABLE 3. TYPES OF LOW VELOCITY AMMUNITION Type Practice Mk.1Z Projectile Construction Projectile Markings Shell body and nose painted Black Case type

Practice Mk.2Z

High Explosive Mk.2Z

High Explosive Mk.3Z

Hollow steel shell with a flat nosed Brass. 3.70 alloy dummy fuze nosepiece. Copper driving band. Hollow steel shell with dumb-bell Shell body and Brass. 3.70 shaped blunt nose firing plug. Copper nose painted Black driving band. Hollow steel shell filled with high Shell and fuze Brass. 3.70 explosive charge of RDX/TNT/AL painted Buff. (30/50/20) with a No.914 fuze fitted into the nose. Copper driving band. Similar to H.E.2Z but with a No.933 Shell and fuze Brass. 3.70 fuze fitted into the nose. Copper painted Buff. driving band. Air Ministry, AP3196, Sect 2 Chapter 3, para 31, A.L.30

11

Unknown, Brass vs. Steel Cases in Artillery Ammunition, June 1983, Armada International. Page 23

32

High Velocity Ammunition The high velocity ammunition used for later marks of guns and through to the present, had Type C and Type D cartridge case that at 4.744inches (120.5mm) and 4.378 inches (111.2 mm) were longer than the low velocity version giving extra volume of propellant in the cartridge case. Development trials resulted in the adoption of the 4.378 inch (111.2mm) long case that was then designated the Type J cartridge case. Ammunition cartridge cases are belted to prevent over ramming of the round and both LV and HV ammunition has remained at a constant overall round length of 7.835 inches (199.0mm). High Velocity ammunition has been produced by a number of manufacturers and in many types, details of some of these types are provided in Table 4. Whilst there are a great number of types of ammunition manufactured for the 30mm ADEN gun or its equivalents, the list in Table 4 shows the most common types that have been used up to the present time. It should be remembered that the British ammunition was designed specifically for the ADEN gun and is, therefore, subject to a lower stoppage rate that that of the foreign manufactured ammunition, which was primarily developed for the DEFA gun. TABLE 4. TYPES OF HIGH VELOCITY AMMUNITION

Type of ammunition.
Practice Mk.2Z

Projectile Construction
Hollow Steel shell with a tapered steel nose-plug. The shell body contains an aluminum alloy plug secured in position by knurling. Copper driving band Hollow steel shell filled with Torpex 5. Nose of shell closed with a No. 933 DA percussion fuze. Copper driving band Hollow steel shell filled with Torpex 5. Nose of shell closed with a No. 944 DA percussion fuze. Copper driving band Hollow steel shell filled with Torpex 5. Nose of shell closed with a No. 933 DA percussion fuze. Copper driving band

Markings
Shell body & nose originally painted Black, later changed to Deep Saxe Blue. Shell body and fuze painted Buff Shell body and fuze painted Deep Bronze Green later NATO Yellow Shell body and fuze painted Buff

Case type
Brass. 4.4

High Explosive Mk.3Z

Brass. 4.4 Brass. 4.4

High Explosive Mk.5Z

High Explosive Mk.6Z

Brass. 4.4

Drill Mk.1 Special test cartridge, 30mm ADEN gun round, circuit testing. Ballast Mk.1 Armor Piercing High Explosive Incendiary. (HEI) Type 5468 (78M1 primer) Type 5469 (52RM1 primer) High Explosive Incendiary. (HEI) Combat DEFA/A Type 5478 (78M1 primer) Type 5479 (52RM1 primer)

Steel shell brazed to steel case Steel shell brazed to steel case

Natural metal Natural metal

Steel. Steel with a removable screwed base fitted with a 100 resistance tester. Cast Alloy Brass.4.4 Steel. Type MR8 ElectrolyticZinc coating. 113mm

Cast Alloy Combined Case and Projectile Aluminum Alloy shell with Tungsten steel core. Copper driving band. Hollow steel shell filled with compressed Hexal/Aluminum high explosive. Nose fuze Type 1520 or1520A direct acting impact fuze. Sintered iron driving band. Hollow steel shell filled with Hexogen / Aluminum compressed high explosive. Nose fuze Type MR3001 impact fuze. Sintered iron driving band.

Natural metal. No protective finish Shell body and nose painted Black Shell body painted Deep Bronze Green with red band. Nose fuze natural alloy. Shell body painted Yellow with red band. Nose fuze natural alloy.

Steel. Type MR8 ElectrolyticZinc coating. 113mm

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High Explosive Incendiary. (HEI) Combat DEFA/A Type 7478 (78M1 primer) Type 7479 (52RM1 primer) Armour-piercing Tracer. AP-T. DEFA/A Type 5878 (78M1 primer) Type 5879 (52RM1 primer)

Hollow steel shell filled with Hexogen/Aluminum compressed high explosive Nose fuze Type MR391 impact fuze. A self-destruct facility was incorporated. Sintered iron driving band. Hollow light aluminum alloy shell body with a piercing core made of high-density alloy. Ballistic cap made of light aluminum alloy. Sintered iron driving band. Tracer plug in rear of shell.

Shell body painted Yellow with red band. Nose fuze natural alloy.

Steel. Type MR8 ElectrolyticZinc coating. 113mm

Shell body and nose painted Black

Steel. Type MR8 ElectrolyticZinc coating. 113mm

Air Ministry, AP3196, Sect 2 Chapter 3. RD1038/4,Matra-Manurhin Defense, 1990

Left Mk.1 Low Velocity Round - 30x86B

This was developed for the first generation of British Aden aircraft revolver cannon, known as the "low velocity" type. It bears a close resemblance to the 30x85B cartridge being developed at the end of WW2 for the Mauser MG 213C/30 cannon. The 30x86B saw service in the mid-1950s before being replaced by the 30x113B.

Center Practice Ball - 30x97B

The French also copied the Mauser MG 213C but they chose to lengthen the case to 97mm for the DEFA 540 series cannon.

Right High Explosive Incendiary (HEI) - 30x113B

Around the end of the 1950s, both the 30x86B and the 30x97B were replaced by the 30x113B, the subject of an Anglo-French agreement to standardise cartridge dimensions. This, however, neglected to specify other aspects of performance, such as the pressure curve, electrical impulse for primer actuation, or belt link characteristics, so ammunition for the Aden (Mk 4) and DEFA (550 series) is not interchangeable. A more obvious difference is that the DEFA ammunition is steel-cased, Aden rounds are almost always brass-cased. The 30x86B, 30x97B and 30x113B are all the same overall cartridge length of 199mm so that the guns required only minor modifications to take the later cartridges. The cases were lengthened to increase the propellant capacity in order to boost the muzzle velocity at the expense of shell weight, to improve their hit probability. The projectiles (or, at least, the part of them which is visible above the driving band) were reduced in length accordingly).
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN/ MAIN USE UK F NAME/ WEAPONS CHAMBERED IN Aden 3M (Low Velocity) DEFA 30M541 aircraft (Brass or Steel case) 30mm Aden/DEFA M 552/3/4, GIAT 30M781 (alloy case) M230

METRIC CALIBRE 30x86B 30x97B

RIM DIAM. MM 33.2 33.2

BODY DIAM. MM 32.3 32.0

PROJECTILE TYPE/ WEIGHT GM HE/273 HE/296

MUZZLE VELOCITY M/SEC 604 670

MUZZLE ENERGY JOULES 49,800 66,400

30x113B

33.3

32.3

UK/F/USA

HEI/247

810

81,000

Above:Practice Ball 2Z -30x111 This is the standard British made ammunition for the 30mm ADEN gun. The case is Brass and the projectile is crimped into position at the neck of the case with a canalure crimp. The projectile was a thin cased shell filled with an inert filling (Ball), TNT (HE) or a Tungsten core (AP). The fuze was screwed into the body of the projectile. Ball and AP projectiles had machined aluminium, HE held a centrifugal fuze and gaine.

34

35

36

The illustration above shows the flaking of the ammunition into the ammunition container and depicts 30mm low velocity rounds. The hook end of the spring steel belt links is the first into the container and the eye end is fed into the gun. Standard capacity of each of the four compartments in the ammunition tank was 150 rounds of 30mm belted ammunition giving a total of 600 rounds or 7.5 seconds firing per gun, although a more commonly used quantity was 120 rounds giving 480 rounds or 6 seconds of firing per gun at 1200 rpm.

37

Hunter Gun Pack with front cover removed to show position of the ADEN guns inside. Note also the ammunition feed chutes leading into the guns. The electrical connections at the top are for the outboard guns while the inboard guns are connected at the bottom. The dome shaped covers on the front conceal the high pressure air connectors for initial cocking of the guns when they are loaded. Location spigots and locking devices are seen on the sides of the gunpack.
Photo: Hugh Ramsey

30mm ADEN Cannon Mk.4, four of which were used in the Hunter Removeable Gun Pack
Photo: AEI

38

Above and below; A former Honington training aid, cutaway 30mm ADEN Cannon on transport and storage trolley displayed at the Wattisham Museum alongside Hawker Hunter F.Mk.6, XG194.
Photo: Author

30mm ADEN Cannon on display at the Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, Manston, Kent
Photo: Author

39

40

41

42

43

44

Gun Pack installation by Hawker employees into the prototype Sapphire powered Hawker Hunter F.Mk.2, WB202 at Dunsfold. Note the three type C hoists in position. The hoists on the fuselage sides are attached to a protective plate screwed into a support hole. The barrels are already fitted to the aircraft (the stowage on the gun pack trolley is empty). This appears to be a staged photo and there is no hoist operator on the starboard hoist. Note that the forward panels have been removed and the radio bay doors do not have the Sabrinas that would be common on later marks of Hunter
Photo: HAL

A rare photograph of a Hunter T.Mk.7 gun lowered for access into the gun bay and radio compartment. The gun, when the barrel was pulled forward and the pins through the rear harmonization unit were disconnected, swiveled on the trunnion and hung vertically. With the gun hanging, it allowed access to remove the ammunition tank from the aircraft. In this picture the Engineering Officer at RAF Chivenor in 1971, Flt. Lt. Ray Ward is seen discussing a servicing problem with one of the Engineering wing staff.
Photo: RAF Chivenor from the 1971 Air Day programme

45

The aircraft taxies in to the flight-line where it is marshaled carefully onto the centerline..

.. and the marshaller will signal to apply brakes. The pilot is met by the crew chief and the ground crew move in to start the turn around.
The armourers have already removed the radio-bay panels and are preparing the gun-pack for changing.

The spent ammunition belt links that were collected in the Sabrinas are removed the forward panels are removed and all four of the gun barrels are turned and pulled forwards using the Hockey Stick tool The armourer on the right is pulling the barrels forward while the armourer on the left, holds the barrel lock open.

46

An empty gun-pack cradle in a gunpack trolley is positioned under the gun-pack. The re-arm team attach the three Type-C hoists, hook up the gun pack lifting strap and after the gun-pack locks are released, the gun pack is lowered..

Being careful not to catch the ammunition tank on the bulkhead the pack is angled slightly backwards while being lowered. The front winchman is responsible for calling out the orders to the side winchmen to keep the lowering level and equal.

The gun-pack, lowered into the cradle, is disconnected from the winches and using the gun-pack trolley, it is wheeled away. The barrels are removed and stowed into the sides of the cradle. A full gun-pack is wheeled in to replace the empty one.

47

The reverse procedure is used to install the gun-pack, remembering to take the stowed barrels from the new cradle and fit them to the aircraft first. In the meantime, other members of the servicing team complete their work.

.. the gun-pack is locked to the airframe the team complete the paneling up and finish the job. All thats left is the paperwork always the paperwork!

The aircraft has been loaded and the empty gun pack is ready to be reloaded. A good re-arming team could change a gun-pack in under five minutes.
This series of photographs of Chilean Hunter operations was downloaded from http://razonyfuerza.mforos.com where it had been posted free by RZN

48

49

ADEN gun pack is seen here suspended from a front fuselage section that is attached to a jig, the purpose of which is unknown but which looks like a factory jig. The fuselage section appears to be new but the gunpack surface shows much use and handling. The type of trolley for handling the gun pack is not typical and would not normally be used as there is no way the pack could be re-armed on this trolley. The lack of wear on the tyres indicate that this trolley is not normally used outside the hangar/factory location; it is for handling only. The side hoist is seen clearly attached to the lifting strap positioned under the rear of the gun pack. The strap consisted of 4 steel cables in a canvas sleeve attached at each end to a triangular plate which attached to a machined bracket that incorporated a rubber support pad and the hoist attachment point.

50

51

Frame

Frame

Frame

Key to diagram of the 30mm ADEN cannon installation in the Export Hunter Trainer.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Link chute (upper) Canvas link catcher (separating the spent links and live ammunition) Ammunition container lids (x 2) Guide roller (to assist with positioning when loading to aircraft) Ammunition box containing 2 x 150 rounds Rear gun mounting and harmonization unit Empty cartridge case chute (feeds into the fired cartridge case containers) Ammunition feed chute Feed mechanism Link chute (Lower) Breech Cylinder Housing Group Electric Firing Unit and Slide Contacts Gun Cradle Front gun mounting Barrel mounting Gun Barrel Forward gun fairing Center gun fairing and access panel Radio Bay door with rear gun fairing Fired cartridge case containers

The twin 30mm ADEN Cannon installation and including the fairings and panels in the Hawker Hunter export twoseater, illustrated from the Hawker Hunter Technical Manual

52

The Type C hoist - The left side square drive winding attachment was for lowering the store slowly. The round protrusion above the square drive is the stowage locator for the winding handle. The lever to the right of the square drive in the middle of the carrying handle was a cable release to allow the cable to be pulled out freely.

The Type C hoist - The right side square drive winding attachment was for raising the store rapidly. The thumb operated clutch and the adjustable brake tensioner can be seen next to the winding handle. The extension tube could be extended to enable use for different types of stores. The hook on the end of the extension arm attaches to the airframe and the hook on the cable to the hoisting sling. The ring at the front end of the carrying handle was the location for stowing thev winding handle when not in use. The handle was removed by operating the spring-loaded detent (visible just below the placard Keep Rope Clean) on the handle and pulling it off the square drive.

53

The Hunter Gun Pack harmonization sight kit. This would be used in the ADEN gun bay for harmonization of the guns into the gun pack. The sights fit into the locking holes on the gunpack at each of its four corners these are locked into place using the gunpack locking tool shown to the left in the photograph. The sights are lined up on the harmonization board 1,000 (83 4) from the front of the gun pack. It was this distance that dictated the size of the ADEN gun servicing bay as sufficient clearance was required for the operation.

26FX/95153 - The Gun, Front Nut Wrench tool used to tighten or unfasten the front gun nut from the trunnion. This nut locked the gun to the front support in the gun pack after which the two pinch nuts were adjusted.

54

Rocket Projectile Types

Hispano SURA R80 Rocket Projectiles

80mm Hispano SURA R80 rocket projectile (RP) installation on Qatar Emiri Air Force Hunter F(GA).78.
Photo: QEAF

Four banks of four 80mm Hispano SURA R80 rocket projectile (RP) fitted to a standard Mk.12 rocket rail installation on Swiss Air Force Hunter F.Mk.58.
Photo: Oerlikon

Up to 32 rockets could be carried, sixteen on each outer wing in tiers of four on four Mk.12 rocket rails. When outboard pylons were fitted, a rocket rail fitted to an adapter could be loaded to the pylon.

SURA R80 rockets on pylon-mounted rocket rail adapter

55

SURA R80 rockets on post-mounted launch rails Diagram: Oerlikon manual

56

The SURA R80 could be fitted with Incendiary, Fragmentation High Explosive or hollow charge warheads. Dummy or practice heads were used for training purposes.
SURA-D rocket type Warhead weight Explosive Weight of propulsion unit Complete rocket Velocity, m/s RAK 053 HE FRAG 3 kg (7 lb) 0.87 kg (2 lb) RAK 050 HE FRAG 4.5 kg (10 lb) 1.0 kg (2 lb) RAK 052 HE-I RAK 047 HC RAK 049 MKR 4.5 kg (10 lb) n/a RAK 051 TNG 3 kg (7 lb) 0 kg (0 lb) RAK 048 TNG 4.5 kg (10 lb) 0 kg (0 lb)

3 kg (7 lb) 3 kg (7 lb) 1.5 kg (3 lb) n/a

8.4 kg (19 lb) 11.4 kg (25 lb) 12.9 kg (28 lb) 11.4 kg (25 lb) 11.4 kg (25 lb) 530 - 595 12.9 kg (28 lb) 11.4 kg (25 lb) 12.9 kg (28 lb)

The rockets could be fired as a ripple or salvo in groups of 2, 4, 6 or 8 selectable from the cockpit.

SURA R80 rockets firing order

The SURA rocket showing the method of attachment to each rocket and to the rocket rail. The rear latching and release system can be seen in the diagram on the previous page. Photo: Oerlikon

57

58

68mm SNEB Rocket Projectiles

68mm SNEB RPs can be carried in either of two types of launcher - the Single-use Type 116M and the operational/training Type 155 Matra pod. These would have been carried on the inboard or outboard pylons. The Type 116M launchers were lightweight low-cost expendable units with a frangible nose cone, housing 19 SNEB 68mm rockets, which are fired in a single rippled 0.5 second salvo with a time interval of 33 milliseconds between each rocket firing, the intervalometer to control the firing was housed in a compartment under a bulged panel at the rear side of the launcher; the launcher was automatically jettisoned after all the rockets were expended. The Type 155 Matra launcher was a reusable device constructed entirely of metal and with a fluted nose cone through which the RPs were fired. It was loaded with 18 68mm SNEB RPs which were preselected on the ground to fire either singly or as a rippled salvo of 18. When fired as a salvo, each rocket was separated by a time interval of 33 milliseconds. The Type 155 Matra was used in both operational and training roles. The nose cone was fluted with 18 rocket tubes and could be fitted with a replaceable thin fiberglass cone sandwiched between the main body and an overlaying retaining cone. This enabled streamlining and helped to prevent aerodynamic heating of the warheads.

59

Standard Matra 155 Rocket laucher with 18 launch tubes. Some versions, such as the Indian Air Force, had cut down tail fairings.
Photo: Tino Mogenthal

Matra 155 fitted to a SAAB Draken at Newark Air Museum. Note the fiberglass conical blast shield fitted under the nose fairing to reduce drag and prevent ram air heating of the warhead.
Photo: Author

60

Business end of a standard Matra 155 Rocket laucher with 18 launch tubes. the aluminium membrane to protect the warheads can be seen in this shot. A fibre-glass cone could also be fitted that covered the entire nose and then a metal retaining cone with openings would be fitted over that.
Photo: Tino Mogenthal

61

3" Rockets

This is the Hunter installation showing the suspension of the rockets under the wings.

62

3 rocket with 60lb head - a display in the RAF Museum Hendon

63

Loading the 3" rocket with a 60lb concrete warhead in Khormaksar always involved at least two armourers (and invariably a mug of tea) in this case its Fred Rawson and Larry Forster in 1963.
Photos: Ray Deacon

64

H.V.A.R - 5 inch (127mm)

(High Velocity Aircraft Rocket) FFAR 3.5 and 5 inches Their history begins with the FFAR 3.5 and 5 inches (Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets). The first 5-inch rocket propulsion rocket launched from the U.S. Navy was a derivative of an earlier FFAR 3.5-inches, developed by the Navy in 06-43, and used extensively by aircraft equipped for ASW (Anti Submarine Warfare). The FFAR 3.5 inches was considered sufficiently accurate for use against surface ships and land targets, but required a larger explosive warhead for these missions. The 3.5" rocket motor was fitted with a warhead of 5 inches diameter. The result was the 5-inch FFAR, which entered service in 12-43. Because of the increased weight, the speed of the 5-inch FFAR was only 780 km / h. H.V.A.R - 5 inch (127mm). Because there was arequirement for greater velocity from the FFAR 5 inches, a new version was proposed and a larger 5" rocket was developed. Initial test firings were made in 12-43. The rocket reached a speed of 1,530 mph, making it a powerful weapon for the time. It was officially designated as 5-inch HVAR (High-Velocity Aircraft Rocket). It has been operational since July 1944. The HVAR was normally expected to be used to attack tanks, trains, boats and bunkers. Two different versions of HVAR has been built during the Second World War. One was a generalpurpose missile base with rockets and nose, and the other was a semi-piercing warhead. After the Second World War, the new versions included a new type of general use with a proximity fuse, and a shaped-charge warhead for use against tanks.

5" FFAR

5" HVAR

65

Specifications
Data for 5-inch FFAR, 5-inch HVAR 5" FFAR Length Weight Diameter Speed Range Propulsion Warhead 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) 36 kg (80 lb) Warhead: 12.7 cm (5 in) Motor: 8.9 cm (3.5 in) 780 km/h (485 mph) < 1.6 km (1 mile) Caltech 3.5-in. rocket 5" HVAR 1.83 m (6 ft) 64 kg (140 lb) 12.7 cm (5 in) 1530 km/h (950 mph) 5 km (3 miles) Solid-fueled rocket

20 kg (45 lb) HE warhead (& others)

5" HVAR

66

Air-to-Air Missiles
AIM-9 Sidewinder

The Sidewinder AIM-9 is a supersonic, heat-seeking, short range, air-to-air missile capable of being launched from a vast array of aircraft types. The Sidewinders main components are an infrared (IR) homing guidance section, an active optical target-detector, a high-explosive warhead and a rocket motor. The in-built IR seeker allows the pilot to launch the missile, then leave the area, or take evasive action, while the missile guides itself to impact by homing on the engine exhaust of the target aircraft. IR homing allows the missile to be used by day or by night and in electronic countermeasure conditions. The Sidewinder is the most widely used air-to-air missile in the world and is one of the oldest, least expensive and most successful missiles ever produced. The Sidewinder has been continually updated over the years and the AIM-9L and AIM-9L/I versions used by the RAF have enhanced guidance characteristics, which give them the ability to attack targets from all angles, including head-on. Installation of a conical scan-system increased the seekers sensitivity, improved tracking stability and gave the missile a much improved resistance to IR decoys. The Sidewinder is a within-visual-range missile, slaved to the target either manually by the pilot, or by using one of the aircrafts sensors. It is a dogfight missile and so launches and arms itself very quickly, thus allowing it to be employed at very short range. Once launched, the missile is guided to the target using IR homing and the annular blastfragmentation warhead is detonated once the target is inside the missiles lethal radius. The Sidewinder is a fire-andforget missile, allowing the pilot to fire several missiles at different targets within a very short time frame. In Swedish service as; -9J. -9L, sometimes called the Rb 24L.

A Swedish Air Force Hunter J34. Testing the Rb-24 missile launcher with the AN/ASM-11 Guided Missile Launcher Test Set; manufactured by Neptune Electronics. The technician in the cockpit is checking for a target acquistion tone.
Photo: ke Hall

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The concept of fitting Sidewinders to the Gun Pack was devised by David Lockspeiser, Hawker Test Pilot involved in Weapons Development. This would have entailed removing the two outer guns from the gun pack and a wiring loom fitted to the aircraft for controlling the arming and firing circuits for the Sidewinder. Fitting of the Sidewinders would have freed the underwing pylons for carriage of stores and provided extra capability for the Hunter. Tests showed that the engine would not have been affected by the rocket plume. It was, however, ultimately decided not to adopt this method of carriage, instead, aircraft would be fitted with missiles fitted to underwing pylons.
Photo: Hawker

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AA-2 ATOLL

The 24 September 1958 Chinese acquisition of an American AIM-9B Sidewinder missile marked the beginning of a breakthrough in the development of Soviet air-to-air missiles. The missile, fired from a Taiwanese F-86 Sabre aircraft, lodged without exploding in a Chinese MiG-17. The missile was sent to Toropov's engineering office to be copied, and the product the K-13, long the most popular Soviet air-to-air missile. The Sidewinder had a number of valuable features, not least of which was the modular construction that facilitated ease in production and operation. The simplicity of the AIM-9 was in marked contrast to the complexity of contemporary Soviet missiles. The Sidewinder's infrared-guided homing head contained a free-running gyroscope and was much smaller than Soviet counterparts, and the steering and in-flight stabilization system were equally superior. Gennadiy Sokolovskiy, later chief engineer at the Vympel team, said that "the Sidewinder missile was to us a university offering a course in missile construction technology which has upgraded our engineering education and updated our approach to production of future missiles." The Soviets soon made advances over the original Sidewinder model, making dozen of modifications to the initial design. In 1960 series-production of the K-13 missile (also called R-3 or Object 310) began. In 1962 the R-3S (K13A or Object 310) became the first version to be produced in large numbers, though its homing operation took much more time (22 seconds instead of 11 seconds). In 1961 development began of the high-altitude K-13R (R-3R or Object 320) with a semiactive radar head, which was entered service with combat aircraft in 1966. The training versions were the R3U missiles ("uchebnaya", barrel with a homing set, not fired from an aircraft) and the R-3P ("prakticheskaya" differing from the combat version by absence of an explosive charge). The RM-3V (RM denoting "raketa-mishen" [targetmissile] served as an aerial target. During late 1960s the Vympel team began working on the K-13M (R-13M, Object 380) modification of the K-13 missile, which in 1973 was certified as an operational weapon. It has a cooled homing head, a radio rather than optical closing-in igniter, and a more potent warhead. Analogous modifications of the R-55 resulted in the R-55M missile. The last version of the K-13 is the R-13M1 with a mofified steering apparatus. The K-13 missile was produced in China as the PL-2 (updated versions PL-3 and PL-5) and also in Romania as the A91. The PL-5E [Pili = Thunderbolt, or Pen Lung = Air Dragon] air-to-air missile has a maximum mobility overload of 40g, exceeding the 35g of the AIM-9L of the United States. Mobility overload a unit for measuring the mobility of aircraft. The larger the value the better the aircraft can adapt to violent mid-air mobility. An air-to-air missile with a great overload means that the attacked side is less likely to escape the attack). The speed of the missile is Mach 2.5 (2.5 times sound speed) and its maximum range is 14,000 meters.

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FAIREY FIREFLASH

Produced in response to a Ministry of Supply requirement for a guided air-to-air missile. The project began in 1949 under the name Blue Sky. It was initially developed under the designation Pink Hawk. Blue Sky itself was a derated version of the Red Hawk missile. About 300 missiles were produced by 1955, but the Royal Air Force (RAF) soon decided it was untenable. The missiles were used for testing purposes by 6 JSTU at RAF Valley and Woomera, South Australia from 1955-1957 using Meteor NF11 trials aircraft and subsequently by the Supermarine Swift and Hawker Hunter fighters of No. 1 Guided Weapons Development Squadron at RAF Valley. The RAF chose to introduce the later de Havilland Firestreak instead. Fireflash was a beam-riding missile, relying on radar command guidance from the launch aircraft. It had a very unusual configuration: the missile was propelled by a pair of solid rocket boosters on the forward fuselage, which were jettisoned 1.5 seconds after launch, leaving the missile to coast into its target. This configuration was developed for fear that ionised particles from a rocket motor would interfere with the guidance radar signals. However, this configuration drastically limited both range and flight duration; further, continued domestic and international development showed that command guidance could function through a rocket exhaust plume

Advertisement for the RAF showing the Fireflash fitted to a Supermarine Swift.
Photo: RAF Flying Review

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While these photographs of XF310 appear to have been retouched and the insignia airbrushed out, the aircraft was displayed at Farnborough in 1956 without insignia so as not to give the impression that the missile was endorsed by the Royal Air Force who had already decided not to pursue this particular missile system for its aircraft, taking on the DeHavilland Firestreak and later, Red Top.

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A preserved example at the Midland Air Museum, Coventry.

Photo: Author

A preserved example at the Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford

Photo: Author

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A preserved example at the Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford

Photo: Author

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De HAVILLAND BLUE JAY / FIRESTREAK

Specifications
Weight Length Diameter Warhead Detonation mechanism Engine Wingspan Operational range Speed Guidance system Steering system 136 kg (300 lb) 3.19 m (10 ft 5 in) 0.223 m (8.75 in) 22.7 kg (50 lb) annular blast fragmentation proximity infrared Magpie solid fuel motor 0.75 m (29.4 in) 6400 m (3.98 miles) Mach 3 rear-aspect infrared control surface

The de Havilland Propellers Firestreak is a British first-generation, passive infrared homing air-to-air missile. It was developed by de Havilland in the early 1950s and was the first such weapon to enter active service with the Royal Air Force and Fleet Air Arm, equipping the English Electric Lightning, de Havilland Sea Vixen and Gloster Javelin. It was a rear-aspect, fire and forget pursuit weapon, with a field of attack of 20 degrees either side of the target and was replaced in service by a developed variant, the Hawker Siddeley Red Top. The Firestreak was the result of a series of projects that began with the OR.1056 Red Hawk missile. When this proved too ambitious for the then state-of-the-art, a lower performance specification was released in 1951 as OR.1117, and given the Ministry of Supply rainbow codename Blue Jay. Blue Jay developed as a fairly conventional-looking missile with cropped delta wings mounted just rear of the midpoint and small rectangular control surfaces in tandem towards the rear. Internally, things were considerably more complex. The rear-mounted controls were operated by nose-mounted actuators via long pushrods. The actuators were powered by compressed air from bottles at the rear. The warhead was also at the rear, wrapped around the exhaust of the Magpie rocket. The lead-tellurium (PbTe) IR seeker was mounted under an eight-faceted conical arsenic trisulphide "pencil" nose and was cooled to -180 C (-292 F) by anhydrous ammonia to improve the signal to noise ratio. The use of the faceted conical nose was dictated when it was found that the originally designed dome shaped nose was succeptable to icing build-up. There were two rows of triangular windows in bands around the forward fuselage, behind which sat the optical proximity fuses for the warhead. The warhead was located at the rear of the missile. The first airborne launch of Blue Jay took place in 1955 from a de Havilland Venom, the target drone - a Fairey Firefly - being destroyed. Blue Jay Mk.1 entered service in 1957 with the RAF, where it was named the Firestreak. For launch, the launch aircraft's AI.20 radar was linked to the Ferranti AIRPASS system. Lock was achieved and the weapon was launched, leaving the interceptor free to acquire another target. Firestreak electronics used thermionic valves, which were "wired in" to the control / guidance electronics and required a system of cooling pipes to remove the heat generated by the valve filaments. For this reason, the Firestreak missile on ground test was cooled by Arcton and on the aircraft by the ammonia, pumped through the missile from the parent aircraft. Trials with the Hawker P.1109 aircraft were completed at Hatfield and at RAF Valley during 1957. The aircraft being completely fitted with the missile system.

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The De Havilland Firestreak missile displayed at the RAF Museum, Cosford in the Cold War Exhibition hall

A Test Firestreak missile fitted to a specially designed inboard pylon on Hawker Hunter P.1109B, XF378

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AGM-65 Maverick

Swiss Maverick missile as fitted to the F(GA). Mk.58 with a low-drag bomb behind.
Photo: Hugh Ramsey

Air-to-surface tactical missile designed for close air support, interdiction, and defense suppression. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel storage facilities. Air-to-surface tactical missile designed for close air support, interdiction, and defense suppression. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel storage facilities. The AGM-65F (infrared targeting) used by the Navy has a larger (300 pound; 136 kg) penetrating warhead vice the 125 pound (57 kg) shaped charge used by Marine and Air Force) and infrared guidance system optimized for ship tracking. The AGM-65 has two types of warheads, one with a contact fuse in the nose, the other a heavyweight warhead with a delayed fuse, which penetrates the target with its kinetic energy before firing. The latter is very effective against large, hard targets. The propulsion system for both types is a solid-rocket motor behind the warhead. Primary Function: Air-to-surface laser guided missile; attack and destroy armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation, and fuel installations. Power Plant: Thiokol TX-481 two stage, solid propellent, rocket motor 76

Length: 8 feet, 2 inches (2.49 meters) Launch Weight: From 462 pounds (207.9 kilograms) to 670 pounds (301.5 kilograms) depending upon model and warhead weight Diameter: 12 inches (30.48 centimeters) Wing Span: 2 feet, 4 inches (71.12 centimeters) Range: 17+ miles (12 nautical miles/27 km) Speed: Classified Guidance: Electro-optical in A and B models; infrared imaging in D and G models; laser guided in E models; infrared homing in F models. Warhead: Contact fuse, 300 pounds (135 kilograms); delayed fuse penetrator, heavyweight, 300 pounds (135 kilograms). Unit Cost: $180,000 Date Deployed: August 1972

The AGM-65 Maverick is a tactical, air-to-surface guided missile designed for close air support, interdiction and defense suppression mission. It provides stand-off capability and high probability of strike against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, transportation equipment and fuel storage facilities. Maverick A and B models have an electro-optical television guidance system. After the protective dome cover is automatically removed from the nose of the missile and its video circuitry activated, the scene viewed by the guidance system appears on a cockpit television screen. The pilot selects the target, centers cross hairs on it, locks on, then launches the missile. Although the Maverick B is similar to the A model, the television guidance system has a screen magnification capability that enables the pilot to identify and lock on smaller and more distant targets. The Maverick D has an imaging infrared guidance system, operated much like that of the A and B models, except that infrared video overcomes the daylightonly, adverse weather limitations of the other systems. The infrared Maverick D can track heat generated by a target and provide the pilot a pictorial display of the target during darkness and hazy or inclement weather. The Maverick G model essentially has the same guidance system as the D, with some software modifications that track larger targets. The G model's major difference is its heavyweight penetrator warhead, while Maverick A, B and D models employ the shaped-charge warhead.

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GENERAL ARMAMENT NOTES It should be remembered that one of the major things about the carriage of underwing stores and weapons on the Hunter is that they required a single suspension attachment to the main wing pylon. Modifications carried out by Swiss and Singaporean Air Forces adapted for the carriage of weapons on other than these original stores positions and the suspension characteristics are different, being twin suspension at 14" centers rather than the single suspension system. Originally, the Hunter was designed with Electro-Mechanical Release Units (EMRU's) in the underwing pylons, this was then changed to EMRU's in the outboard pylons and No.1 Mk.1 Explosive Release Unit (ERU) were installed in the Inboard pylons mainly for the carriage of 230gal fuel tanks and 1000lb bombs. Later, the No.1 Mk.2 ERU was introduced for both the inboard and outboard pylons although, because of the length of the barrel, this necessitated a blister panel over the outboard pylon station to accommodate the protruding breech cap. A small removeable panel was fitted to this blister to allow access to the goose-neck electrical connector. Dutch, Somali and Swedish Hunters carried the Sidewinder (or Atoll in the case of Somalia) missiles attached to the outboard pylons. Singaporean and Omani Hunters carried the Sidewinder on a Singapore designed pylon inboard of the inboard pylons. Swiss Hunters utilized a Swiss designed pylon again inboard of the inboard pylons. Sidewinders were carried on LAU-7A launchers. Omani Hunters were modified by Tracor Corporation with Tracor designed AN/ALE40 flare and chaff dispenser systems on either side of the rear fuselage. Swiss Hunters carried their flare and chaff dispensers in lengthened link collector blisters either side of the lower nose section. UK Hunters fired the brass cased 30mm ADEN gun ammunition as did many of the early export Hunters. Oman used the steel cased 30mm DEFA ammunition that initially caused a number of problems, including early arming that resulted in the rounds exploding as they left the barrel when the fuze detent pin ejected from the fuze body with centrifugal force. Ball, or Practice ammunition of all types, also caused problems when they ricocheted from the targets into the aircraft. It was recommended that all four guns not be fired together. This could produce an engine flameout and would also significantly retard the speed of the aircraft and increase vibration throughout the airframe. The pilots had the ability to select pairs of guns for firing. The MASB, or Master Armament Safety Break, could be found in the underside of the port intake stub wing, under a D-Door accessed with a quick release push fastener. A ground-crew technician would connect or disconnect the MASB prior to and immediately after flight, usually at the end of the runway. Some aircraft were fitted with a pilot operated MASB in the cockpit. A Butt Test Key/Switch could also be fitted to a socket on the starboard instrument shelf in the cockpit. This would overide the weight-on switch operated when the aircraft had its wheels lowered or was on the ground. The purpose of this device was to allow armament and electrical technicians to complete ground tests on the aircraft - after ensuring that all weapons were disconnected of course. As with all aircraft, prior to loading any weapons or when testing the systems following maintenance, 'No-Volts' checks were always carried out on any electrically operated weapons systems.

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General Purpose Bombs

1000lb MC Bomb

Freefall or retarded, unguided bomb

The 1000lb general-purpose bomb has a simple and robust design, little changed from those weapons released in World War II, and has a unitary warhead, providing blast and fragmentation effects. The unguided high explosive bomb has been in the RAF's inventory in various marks for decades and its basic design dates back to those used in the Second World War, adapted for use on modern strike aircraft. The types generally associated with use on the Hunter are the Mk.11, Mk.12 and Mk.13 with a single suspension lug fitted. Nose and tail fuzing was available with these bombs. An unguided 1000lb general purpose bomb is sometimes referred to as a dumb bomb and is fitted either with a freefall or a retarded tail. A freefall (or slick) tail allows the weapon to be delivered with a degree of stand-off from the target, whilst a retarded tail allows the weapon to be released at low level in close proximity to the target, so making the bomb more accurate. The retarded tail is used to reduce the bombs speed during flight to permit the delivery aircraft to escape the effects of the bombs blast. The General Purpose 1000lb bomb forms the basic warhead with different tail units fitted for the role. Freefall bombs are generally fitted with a No.105, No.107 or No.114 tail unit, the retarded delivery bombs are fitted with the Type 117 retarded tail unit. The 1000lb weapon uses a unitary blast warhead it is filled with a mixture of RDX/TNT/AL and can be dropped as freefall bomb or fitted with a retarder unit, which rapidly slows the bomb in flight, allowing aircraft to drop a bomb at low level over the target and get clear before detonation. Various fuzes or pistols could be fitted to the bomb either in the nose or tail pockets depending on the role required. The 1000lb general-purpose bomb can be detonated in one of three modes: airburst, impact or post-impact delay. In the airburst mode, the bomb is fused to detonate a short distance above the ground, to provide the maximum fragmentation effect, and is therefore most suited to attacking unprotected targets. In impact mode, the bomb is detonated as it hits the target, which optimises the weapons blast effects against unprotected installations. In post-impact delay mode, the bomb fuse is set to detonate shortly after impact to allow the weapon to penetrate the target structure; the degree of delay is varied for each target to obtain maximum penetration before detonation. The standard Marks of bomb used with the Hunter were the Mk.11 or Mk.12 although later marks could be used provided there was a center suspension lug well, this applied also to the carriage of underwing tanks. The Hunter stores carriage system uses a single suspension lug that provides for the store to be crutched up to the pylon. Most NATO stores carriage systems use the 14" or 21" double lug suspension system. Data plate from a Mk.13 1000lb Medium Capacity bomb produced in 1968 and filled in 1970. This plate is normally found fastened around the rear fuze pocket casting on the base of the bomb casing.

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450kg GOLF BOMB

This bomb, developed for and by the Rhodesian Air Force, was employed operationally from early 1977. The 450kg version was designed for use by the Hawker Hunter F(GA).9. The proboscis of the Golf Bomb was designed to detonate the bomb above ground in a manner that limited energy losses to ground and upper airmass. Simultaneous initiation at front and rear of the explosive charge provided a 'squeeze' effect that concentrated energy low and flat across target ground. The 450kg Golf Bomb employed double steel plating to sandwich thousands of pieces of chopped 10mm steel rod. The double skin and chopped rod driven by the high-volume gas generating explosive, Anfo, when added to shredded vegetation proved Golf Bomb to be a truly devastating weapon. A pair of these bombs gave a bush flattening-pattern 90 metres wide by 135 metres in the line of attack with lethal effects extending beyond. Background to the Golf Bomb Group Capt. 'PB' Peter Petter-Bowyer MLM (Ops) DCD, MFC (Ops) was head of the project for the Rhodesian Air Force. These projects were named sequentially Alpha, Bravo etc. Project Golf was initiated by making a direct comparison between an imported 500 lb. TNT-filled medium-capacity bomb and an ANFO-filled 6mm steel casing having equal mass. Both units were mounted vertically on three-foot stands pointing nose down for command detonation from a safe distance. The imported bomb was detonated first. It went off with the usual bright flash, black smoke and a very loud bang with plenty of dust drifting away on the wind. The ANFO bomb was nothing like as impressive to the eye or ear. The explosive flash was nowhere near as bright as the TNT bomb and pasty-grey smoke mingled with dust was drifting off before a deep Crrrrump was followed immediately by a second Crrump. Inspection of the sites showed clearly that they had a winner in ANFO. Loud bangs, such as thunder from lightning, are the product of huge energy releases to atmosphere. In the case of bombs filled with high flame-rate explosives, bright flashes and loud bangs of surface bursts are products of wasted energy following the disintegration of steel casings. When used against buildings, bunkers and other targets where detonation occurs within confined structures, the same energy is highly destructive, but not so in the unconfined conditions of open bush. In the case of ANFO, the steel containers swell in size, as do the high-explosive containers; but ANFO, having a much slower flame-rate, continues its heaving detonation well beyond case disintegration. An ANFO mix, when confined in a steel container and given a hefty thump by an initiator charge such as Pentolite, ignites spontaneously to generate enormous amounts of high-pressure gas in a heaving explosion which forces air outwards from the generated gas bubble. The gas cools immediately, creating a void into which the air flows at supersonic speed, causing an implosion. The implosion following an atomic bomb blast causes more damage to structure that the initial explosion. In the case of ANFO, explosion and implosion are equally damaging. The production of ANFO, a commonly used mining explosive, simply involves the thorough mixing of a small quantity of diesel fuel into prilled ammonium nitrate fertiliser. In the beginning this was done very basically with a shovel in a wheelbarrow. The process later progressed to a simple motor-driven concrete mixer for large quantity production. ANFO offered a special advantage. From the start the Rhodesians realised that it would not be necessary to use special ammunition dumps for the safe keeping of ANFO bombs. Unlike standard high explosive units that had to be filled in specialised conditions, ANFO bombs could be stacked in the open and only filled when they were needed. Further static 500 lb. ANFO trials were conducted before making a direct comparison between an imported 1000 lb. bomb and an ANFO unit of equivalent mass. The imported bomb explosion had no noticeable effect on the pressure pots and pressure discs beyond 15 metres. Following detonation of the ANFO unit the pressure pots within 25 meters suffered distortion and satisfactory over-pressure readings extended out to 35 metres. Following detonation of the ANFO unit, the Rhodesians had a medical examine the bodies of snakes and frogs that were found on the surface following every single ANFO detonation. All of these cold-blooded creatures, though dead, appeared perfectly normal until dissected. Over-pressure had destroyed their lungs and other vital organs without any damage to outer skin. The frogs, which lived more than one foot below surface, were always found on top of the powdered earth lying belly up. Our first ANFO bombs produced weighed 450 kg, which was equivalent to the imported 1000 lb. bombs. Canberras and Hawker Hunters released these in a series of tests. Although the tests themselves were successful, the Rhodesians were not at all happy with the loss of energy evidenced by large craters in the ground where they detonated. Operational considerations clearly identified Hawker Hunters as the main user of high-pressure bombs, so they turned all their attention to fighter/bomber style steep-dive (60-degree) profile attacks. To maximise blast effect each bomb was fitted with a one-metre long proboscis to ensure airburst. To minimise energy losses downward and upward, and to maximise ground over-pressure, simultaneous initiation of Pentolite booster charges at the front and rear of the ANFO charge resulted in a very satisfactory squeeze effect. In doing this, each bomb flattened everything around the point of contact and no energy was lost to punching out ground craters. The entire tailpiece was usually found at the centre of detonation proving that almost no energy was going skyward.

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During early tests each pair of bombs landed close together; so the Rhodesians decided to improve the 90-metre diameter bush-clearing effect by retarding one bomb to force it to fall short of the un-retarded one. Spring-loaded metal paddles were used initially but these were clumsy and inefficient. They were discarded as soon as the Rhodesians learned how to absorb the high shock loading involved in deploying their own designed and manufactured drogue chutes. The drogue chutes worked well and forced the retarded bomb to fall about 35 metres short of the streamlined unit. From then on a pair of ANFO bombs gave a bush flattening-pattern 90 metres wide by 135 metres in the line of attack. 450 kg Golf bombs were cleared for operational use in March 1977. Testing continued for some time thereafter, resulting in the ANFO bombs being upgraded with double steel cylinders sandwiching thousands of pieces of chopped 10mm steel rod to give lethal shrapnel effect beyond the over-pressure boundaries. Although officially termed 450 kg HP bombs, the project title stuck and everyone knew them as Golf Bombs.
This information is extracted from Winds of Destruction by P.J.H. Petter-Bowyer

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600lb BL755 CLUSTER BOMB

The BL755 looks similar to a standard 1,000 lb (450 kg) general purpose bomb but with a hard "saddle" on the spine for ejector release and crutching pad loads and a distinctive large turbine-like air arming vane on the nose. The four rear fins are squared off in appearance, but on closer inspection can be seen to be hollow and telescopic. A central extruded aluminum skeleton provides seven bays long by seven bays around, each containing 21 submunitions (147 total). The submunitions are ejected by means of a central cartridge and individual inflatable bladders for each bay, operating in a similar manner to a car airbag. Ejection on the original BL755 bomb is triggered by the rotation of the arming vane, driven by the airflow. Each submunition is contained within its own SAFU (Safety Arming Fuzing Unit) and is telescoped shut. Upon release, the submunition is expanded by a spring on release. A focal distance stand off and detonating device deploys at the front and a fan of stabilising fins at the rear. Each has a shaped charge HEAT warhead for armour penetration, the casing of which is constructed from wound tessellated square wire, which produces around 1,400 anti-personnel fragments. A single cluster bomb produces a total of more than two hundred thousand fragments. The weapon was developed in the early 1970s by Hunting Engineering, Ltd., now known as INSYS Ltd. of Ampthill, Bedfordshire but manufactured elsewhere at their production facility. Filling of the munitions was carried out at the ROF in Glascoed, near Usk, S.Wales. The 272kg (600lb) BL-755 comprises a finned casing containing 147 High Explosive Anti Tank (HEAT) bomblets packed in seven sections of 21 rounds each. Following separation from the aircraft the outer casing covers are jettisoned by a gas ejector at one of four pre-set times. The bomblets are then ejected sideways as much as 18m (60ft) at pre-set intervals. Each of the ejected submunitions are then orientated by the deployment of a parachute while a spring mounted base plate is activated to give the correct stand-off for the shaped charge. The warhead is designed to explode on impact, being triggered by a simple piezo-electric crystal sending a charge to the igniter fuze which is located under the base plate. Upon detonation the shaped charge produces a jet of high velocity, high temperature plasma which can punch through up to 250mm armour. In addition the release of 2000 pieces of shrapnel produces a secondary antipersonnel effect. The British-made BL755 bomblets primary function is to attack armour and other hard targets which is achieved through a series of technical functions which begin when it is ejected from the carrier bomb, as follows: Bomblets are ejected from the bomb by gas pressure The bomblet clears the carrier bomb and deploys its crown or parachute retarder, the timer is initiated The probe is erected The detonator begins to be moved from the SAFE to ARMED position by the timer When the bomblet reaches a pre-determined critical airspeed the detonator moves to the fully armed position On impact at the target an electric charge from the piezo-electric sensor ignites the detonator and initiates an explosive chain concluding with the firing of the main charge. The shaped charge produces a plasma jet capable of penetrating 250mm of armour The notched steel wire which is wound around the outside of the casing is driven outwards at ballistic speed segmenting into more than 2,000 steel fragments.

BL755 Cluster Bomb loaded onto a Hunter

Photo: Colin Sayce

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Cutaway BL755 600lb bomb displayed at the RAF Museum Hendon

SAFU (Safety, Arming and Fuzing Unit) in the nose of the bomb. This unit provides the safety mechanism that maintains the integrity of the bomb on the aircraft , provides the initial response to release with timings and operates to fire the cartridge to initiate the unlocking jacks and mechanism to release the outer skins.

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With the outer skins shed the gases from the Primary cartridge fill the central tube and feed into the ejection bags in each bomblet bay, when the pressure builds sufficiently to shear the retention strips, the 147 bomblets will be ejected from their compartments

The bomblets are contained in units of three in seven groups in seven bays (3 x 7 x 7 = 147 bomblets). As the individual bomblets eject from the bomb body they deploy their front and rear portions under spring pressure and are armed.

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The tail unit contains a Spring motor which allows the gas to operate the tail fin extension units. It also allows the bomb to be dropped safe.

Bomblets deployed

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25 lb Practice Bomb
The early standard 25lb Practice Bomb is virtually unchanged from its original form that was introduced to the RAF between the two world wars in the 1930's. The main body is solid metal with a hold drilled lengthwise for the striker pin. The tail section, which is detachable is constructed of sheet metal and contains the smoke and flash composition and a detonator or flash cartridge. The rear of the tail unit may be cruciform sheet metal or a shrouded cruciform shape. A safety pin is provided in the nose of the bomb to secure the striker pin prior to flight and a shear wire holds the striker pin away from the detonator when the safety pin is removed. The more modern types of Practice bombs contain the smoke and flash charge in a cartridge the central tube which exhausts through the tail tube.

BDU-33
Practice ordnance includes 25-pound BDU-33 bombs having a spotting charge that releases a cloud of smoke on impact. The BDU-33 is used to simulate the MK 82 in low drag configuration. The BDU-33 is a small cast-iron and steel non-explosive ordnance that is used in training to simulate actual bombs. These training munitions, by design, have similar flight and delivery behavior to war shot munitions. They may contain signal devices to aid visual scoring. Generally signals can be grouped as hot or cold. Hot signals normally use a phosphorous component expelled upon impact with the force of a shotgun. The phosphorous causes a narrow flame lasting a fraction of a second followed by white smoke. This signal can be scored by day or night. Cold signals normally use titanium tetrachloride and only produce smoke; night scoring is hampered by absence of visible light. Training aircraft ammunition used for air-to-ground strafing consists of bullets without explosive components. The propellant is consumed within the gun when the round is fired and only a steel or aluminum-capped steel slug is projected to the target.

Mk 76 Practice Bomb
The Mk 76 is a 11.3 kilogram practice bomb used for training purposes as a low-cost low-risk alternative to live munitions. This 25 pound training weapon is non-explosive and has a smoke cartridge to mark the point of impact. It simulates 500, 1000 and 2000 pound bombs.

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Rhodesian weapons displays

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Hawker Hunter F.Mk.6 displayed with a variety of weapons, some of which were never to be used operationally with the Hunter. It appears that the Hawker Siddeley Group logo is in the process of being applied to the nose of the aircraft, but is as yet unfinished.
Photo: Hawker Aircraft Ltd.

Hawker Hunter F.Mk.6 displayed with a variety of weapons, some of which were never to be used operationally with the Hunter. Type C hoists for gun pack removal, are fitted on the fuselage sides. It would appear that a young boy has infiltrated the secure zone around the aircraft and is approaching under the port wing to examine the weapons on display.
Photo: Hawker Aircraft Ltd.

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Above - Airwork Deputy Chief Engineer (Armament) Dave (Warlock) Bryant Above and below: Omani Hawker Hunter weapons displays

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Somalian Hawker Hunter Weapons display including Atoll missiles.

Hawker Aircraft Ltd publicity shot of a Hunter with its possible loads. Pictured at Dunsfold.

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This Hawker Hunter F.Mk.6 is loaded with 1000lb Freefall bombs on each of the inboard pylons and 24 x 3" rockets on the outboard stations.
Photo: HAL

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