Difference between revisions of "XM140 (30 mm)"

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(History: added history)
(Undo revision 182684 by U137319744 (talk))
 
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== History ==
 
== History ==
The Vietnam War proved to be the conflict where the principle of attack helicopters came into proper fruition. [[UH-1 (Family)|UH-1 Iroquois]], or “Huey”, was used to test multiple weapon systems throughout the conflict. One of these weapons was the XM140, a 30mm autocannon. Development of the XM140 autocannon and XM552 round started in 1963, initially proposed for use with the [[AH-1G|Cobra attack helicopter]], but was scrapped because it was too heavy for the Cobra. The XM140 on the [[UH-1C XM-30]] had a fire rate of 425 RPM, with 600 rounds per gun.
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''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>.''
 
 
The XM552 was developed alongside the XM140 until the project's cancellation. The projectile had a quirk where penetration was optimal at 1,000 meters, with steep drop-offs in penetration both above and below that distance. This was due to the design of the projectile and the rate of spin. Penetration at 1,000m was limited to 3/4 of an inch at 60 degrees. During development, efforts were made to improve penetration, resulting in a new recessed 42 degree fluted liner. This resulted in improved penetration up to an inch at ranges of 600 meters or 1,500 meters. To fit the XM140 on the UH-1C, the helicopter was modified with the process reinforcing the plexiglass in both the pilot and copilot's doors, reinforcing the leading edge of the synchronized elevator, and adding a blast deflector strip along the outside, aft frame of the pilot and copilot's doors. Further modifications included the installation of XM156/M156 universal mounts, allowing for two XM140 30mm autocannons to be placed either side of the helicopter.
 
 
 
=== Sources ===
 
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/827184.pdf
 
 
 
https://www.archives.gov/files/declassification/iscap/pdf/2013-027-doc9.pdf
 
 
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._helicopter_armament_subsystems#UH-1_Iroquois
 
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
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;Images
 
;Images
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
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<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="200">
 
File:30 mm XM140.jpg|<small>XM140 on the UH-1C</small>
 
File:30 mm XM140.jpg|<small>XM140 on the UH-1C</small>
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>

Latest revision as of 02:40, 11 March 2024

Description

The 30 mm XM140 is an American belt-fed externally-mounted helicopter autocannon.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

General info

The XM140 and XM552 development started in 1963 as an option to satisfy the need for a high-penetrating gun for the Cobra attack helicopter. The XM140 is used on the UH-1C XM-30, a modified UH-1C, where two XM140 autocannons mounted in the fully flexible XM156/M156 universal mounts to create the XM-30 system.

Available ammunition

Describe the shells that are available for the weapon and their features and purpose. If it concerns autocannons or machine guns, write about different ammo belts and what is inside (which types of shells).

Comparison with analogues

  • M230E-1 (30 mm): 30 mm American chain cannon found on the Apache, has access to a similar HEDP round but with better penetration and accuracy.
  • M195 (20 mm): 20 mm American rotary cannon seen on the AH-1G attack helicopter, completes the same tasks as the XM140, but with 20 mm rounds and a way higher rate of fire.

Usage in battles

The cannon offers the pilot a versatile high power gun that can deal with lightly armoured targets including planes and other helicopters where the HEDP round can cause critical damage. Pilots may also be able to exploit the weak roof armour of some medium tanks as well as disable engines by penetrating the engine decks of heavy tanks or MBTs.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • The gun offers high versatility
  • Accurate up to 1,000 m away

Cons:

  • Mediocre penetration on medium tanks and MBTs
  • Slow rate of fire

History

Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref></ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <references />.

Media

Images

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the article about the variant of the cannon/machine gun;
  • references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


USA aircraft cannons
20 mm  AN/M2 · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 0 · Browning-Colt Mk12 Mod 3 · FMC T-160
  M3 · M24A1 · M39 · M39A1 · M39A2 · M39A3 · M61A1 · M195 · M197 · Mk 11 · Mk 11 mod 5 · T31
30 mm  M230E-1 · XM140 · GAU-8/A · GAU-13/A · LR30
37 mm  M4 · M9 · M10
40 mm  M75 · M129
75 mm  M10 · T13E1
  Foreign:
20 mm  Hispano 404 (France) · Hispano Mk.II (Britain) · MG 151 (Germany) · Type 99 Model 1 (Japan)
30 mm  ADEN Mk.4 (Britain)