User:U6883713/30 mm ADEN autocannon

This will become a user made history and data article on the 30 mm ADEN autocannon.

History

WIP: The ADEN autocannon (acronym for of Armament Development Enfield) is a basically a German 30 mm MK 216 revolver cannon reworked to be produced in British factoriers. Britain, along with the allies, captured the prototypes of the WIP 30 mm MK 216 in Germany at the end of the war and decided to finish the development for their own use. The US developed the gun into the 20 mm FMC T-160 (later redesignated to 20 mm M39) and the French developed it into the 30 mm DEFA series.

The British ADEN was originally more or less just a 1-1 copy of the German 30 mm MK 216, even using the 30×90mm RB cartridge but in the end it entered service with a 30×86mm cartridge (later with the suffix A).

Variants

• 30 mm ADEN Mk1 – 30x86mm A variant
• 30 mm ADEN Mk2 – 30x86mm B variant
• 30 mm ADEN Mk3 – 30x111mm variant
• 30 mm ADEN Mk4 – 30x113mm variant
• 30 mm ADEN Mk5 – Mk4 with raised ROF
• 30 mm ADEN Mk6 – unknown changes
• 25 mm ADEN – 25x137mm variant

Specifications

25-30 mm ADEN autocannon specifications
Variant	30 mm Mk1	30 mm Mk2	30 mm Mk3	30 mm Mk4	30 mm Mk5	30 mm Mk6	25 mm ADEN
Design
Type	Single-barrel aircraft autocannon
Action	Revolver drum with 5 chambers						?
Operation	Gas operation				?	?	?
Cocking-system	Pneumatic				?	?	?
Priming	Electric
Firing system	?	?	?	24 volts Direct current (DC) 115 volts Alternate current (AC)			?
Data
Cartridge	30 × 86 mm A	30 × 86 mm B	30 × 111 mm	30 × 113 mm			25 × 137 mm
Rifling	?	?	?	Progressive RH parabolic twist, 16 grooves			?
Length of complete weapon	?	?	1590 mm	1639 mm			?
Weight of complete weapon	?	?	?	87.1 kg	?	?	?
Length of barrel	?	?	?	1080 mm			?
Weight of barrel	?	?	?	12.25 kg			?
Recoil load (normal)	?	?	?	22.4 kN			?
Recoil load (max)	?	?	?	31.4 kN			?
Rate of fire (effective)	1,380 rpm				1,600 rpm		?
Rate of fire (minimum)	1,200 rpm				1,500 rpm		?
Rate of fire (maximum)	1,500 rpm				1,700 rpm		?

Ammunition

30 × 111 mm (High Velocity)

30 × 111 mm HV – explosive shell cartridges
Cartridges	RAF designation	Cartridge, 30mm, Aden gun,
	SAF designation	30 mm sk ptr m/55
Projectiles	RAF designation	HE Mk.3Z	HE Mk.5Z	HE Mk.6Z
	SAF designation	30 mm mgr m/55	n/a	30 mm mgr m/55
	Projectile type	HEHC	HEHC	HEHC
	Charge type	Torpex 5 (Hexatonal)	Torpex 5 (Hexatonal)	Torpex 5 (Hexatonal)
Fuzes	RAF designation	FP, D.A., No. 933, Mk. 1	FP, D.A., No. 944, Mk. 1	FP, D.A., No. 933, Mk. 1
	SAF designation	ö k sar m/55	n/a	ö k sar m/55
	Type	Nose fuze
Propellant type		British NC powder	British NC powder	ÅKB 106 or NC 1058
Casing type		Brass	Brass	Passivated
Dimensions
Cartridge length		199 mm	200 mm	199 mm
Shell length (total)		115 mm	117 mm	115 mm
Shell length (external)		89 mm	90 mm	89 mm
Casing length		111 mm
Weights
Cartridge weight		438 g	496 g	440 g
Projectile weight		226 g	270 g	220 g
Main charge weight		56 g	48 g	52.5 g
Fuze weight		28 g	?	28 g
Propellant weight		46 g	46.5 g	46 g
Casing weight		166 g	166 g	174 g
Net explosive content of cartridge		102 g	95 g	98.5 g
Net explosive content of projectile		56 g	48 g	52.5 g
Performance
Copper units of pressure		2930 Bar	2930 Bar	2930 Bar
Muzzle velocity		795 m/s (at +20° C)	720 m/s (at +20° C)	795 m/s (at +20° C)

30 × 111 mm HV – solid projectile cartridges
Cartridges	RAF designation	Cartridge, 30mm, Aden gun,
	SAF designation	30 mm sk ptr m/55
Projectiles	RAF designation	n/a		P Mk.2Z	P Mk.4Z
	SAF designation	30 mm pprj m/55		30 mm övnprj m/55	30 mm övnprj m/55
	Projectile type	APCR-BC		TP (Inert HEHC)	TP (Inert HEHC)
	Core type	Tungsten penetrator		Solid metal plug in place of fuze and explosive charge
Propellant type		British NC powder		British NC powder	ÅKB 106
Casing type		Brass (early)	Passivated (late)	Brass	Passivated
Dimensions
Cartridge length		199 mm		199 mm	199 mm
Shell length (total)		115 mm		105 mm	115 mm
Shell length (external)		89 mm		89 mm	89 mm
Casing length		111 mm
Weights
Cartridge weight		483 g (early)	491 g (late)	438 g	440 g
Projectile weight		270 g		226 g	220 g
Core weight		150 g		80.5 g
Propellant weight		47 g		46 g	46 g
Casing weight		166 g (early)	174 g (late)	166 g	174 g
Net explosive content of cartridge		47 g		46 g	46 g
Performance
Copper units of pressure		2930 Bar		2930 Bar	2930 Bar
Muzzle velocity		720 m/s (at +20° C)		795 m/s (at +20° C)	795 m/s (at +20° C)

Abbreviations

Royal Air Force

• HE = High Explosive
• HEHC = High-Explosive, High-Capacity (Mine shell, aka Minengeschoß)
• AP = Armor Piercing
• APCR = Armor-Piercing, Composite Rigid
• P = Practice
• TP = Target Practice
• FP = Fuze, Percussion

Swedish Air Force

• sk ptr = skarp patron (live cartridge)
• mgr = mingranat (high explosive, high capacity shell)
• pprj = pansarprojektil (armor piercing projectile)
• övnprj = övningsprojectil (practice projectile)
• ö k sar = ögonblickligt känsligt spetsanslagsrör (instant, sensitive, nose contact fuze)