MG 81 (7.92 mm)
Contents
Description
The 7.92 mm MG 81 is a German aircraft machine gun. It sees use in-game primarily as a defensive armament for larger German aircraft, though it sees rare usage as a offensive armament as well.
The MG 81 comes in either single or twin-mounted configuration. The twin-mounted configuration of the MG 81 was designated MG 81Z, with "Z" standing for Zwilling, or "twin".
Vehicles equipped with this weapon
| Vehicles equipped with this weapon | |
|---|---|
| Twin-engine fighters | Bf 110 G-2 (Defensive) · Bf 110 G-4 (Defensive) · ◐Bf 110 G-4 (Defensive) · Ju 88 C-6 (Defensive) |
| Attackers | Ju 87 G-1 (Defensive) · Ju 87 G-2 (Defensive) |
| Bombers | |
| Do 217 | Do 217 K-1 (Defensive) · Do 217 M-1 (Defensive) |
| He 111 | He 111 H-16 (Defensive) |
| He 177 | He 177 A-5 (Defensive) |
| Ju 87 | Ju 87 D-3 (Defensive) · ▄Ju 87 D-3 (Defensive) · Ju 87 D-5 (Suspended) |
| Ju 88 | Ju 88 A-4 |
| Ju 188 | Ju 188 A-2 (Defensive) |
General info
Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.
Available ammunition
The default belt is available for all planes equipped with the MG 81. Belts "Armoured targets" and "AP-T" are for defensive purposes while belts "Universal", "Tracers" and "Stealth" are for offensive purposes (Ju-88 A4 and Ju-87 D-5 only).
- Default: AP-T · Ball · Ball · AP-I · AI
- The default round that all players start with. With a mix of AP-T, AP-I and AI rounds along regular bullets, its efficiency is severely limited as it does not focus on any role but rather tries to fulfill all of them in the same belt. It keeps damaging planes until 1,500 m distance.
- Armoured targets: AP · AP · AP · AP-T
- This belt is for armoured targets due to the high content of armour-piercing rounds together with tracers to support your aim. Its damage potential drops severely beyond 500 m distance.
- AP-T: AP-I · AP-T · AP-I · AP-T
- This belt combines the benefits of armour-piercing rounds with incendiary rounds. Its damage potential drops severely beyond 1,000 m distance.
- Universal: AP-T · AP · AI · AP-I
- This belt is the best to attack both air and ground targets. It keeps damaging planes until 1,500 m distance.
- Tracers: AP-T
- This belt is uniquely composed of armour-piercing tracer shells. Its damage potential drops severely beyond 5,00 m distance.
- Stealth: AI · AP · AP · AP · AI
- This belt combines the benefits of armour-piercing rounds with incendiary rounds while packing no tracers to prevent from revealing your position. It keeps damaging planes until 1,500 m distance.
| Penetration statistics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belts | Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | |
| Default | 13 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Armoured targets | 13 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| AP-T | 13 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Universal | 13 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Tracers | 13 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Stealth | 13 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Belt details | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belt | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile Mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||
| Tracers | AP-T | 905 | 0.01 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 47° | 56° | 65° |
Comparison with analogues
| Comparable machine guns to MG 81 (7.92 mm) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Year of Creation | Mass | Rounds Per Minute | Ammunition | Feed Type | |
| ▃ | Browning (7.62 mm) | 1919 | 14 kg | 1,000 RPM | 7.62 × 63 mm | Belt |
| ▀ | MG 17 (7.92 mm) | 1934 | 10.2 kg | 1,150 RPM | 7.92 × 57 mm | Belt |
| ▀ | MG 15 (7.92 mm) | 1932 | 12.4 kg | 1,150 RPM | 7.92 × 57 mm | Drum |
| ▂ | ShKAS (7.62 mm) | 1932 | 10.5 kg | 1,800 RPM | 7.62 × 54 mm R | Belt |
| ▄ | Browning (7.7 mm) | 1919 | 14 kg | 1,000 RPM | 7.7 × 56 mm R | Belt |
| ▄ | Vickers K (7.7 mm) | 1935 | 13.4 kg | 950 RPM | 7.7 × 56 mm R | Pan |
| ▅ | Type 1 (7.92 mm) | 1932 | 12.8 kg | 1,150 RPM | 7.92 × 57 mm | Drum |
| ▅ | Type 92 navy (7.7 mm) | 1932 | 8 kg | 600 RPM | 7.7 × 56 mm R | Pan |
| ▅ | Type 98 (7.92 mm) | 1932 | 12.8 kg | 1,150 RPM | 7.92 × 57 mm | Drum |
| ▄ | Lewis (7.7 mm) | 1911 | 13 kg | 900 RPM | 7.7 × 56 mm R | Pan |
| ▄ | Breda-SAFAT (7.7 mm) | 1935 | 12.5 kg | 900 RPM | 7.7 × 56 mm R | Belt |
| ▄ | MAC 1934 (7.5 mm) | 1934 | 10.7 kg | 1,350 RPM | 7.5 × 54 mm MAS | Belt/Magazine |
| SW | Ksp m/22-37 R (8 mm) | 1919 | 11.7 kg | 1,200 RPM | 8 × 63 mm | Belt |
Usage in battles
Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.
Pros and cons
Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.
Pros:
Cons:
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
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
- German airborne MG with the same calibre
- Japanese airborne MG with the same calibre
- Other airborne MG with the same calibre
External links
Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:
- topic on the official game forum;
- encyclopedia page on the weapon;
- other literature.
| Aircraft machine guns | |
|---|---|
| USA | |
| 7.62 mm | Browning · M134 Minigun |
| 12.7 mm | GAU-19 · M2 Browning · M3 Browning |
| Germany | |
| 7.62 mm | MG3 |
| 7.92 mm | MG 15 · MG 17 · MG 81 |
| 12.7 mm | FN M3P |
| 13 mm | MG 131 |
| USSR | |
| 7.62 mm | DA · GShG-7.62 · PKT · PV-1 · ShKAS |
| 12.7 mm | A-12.7 · Berezin UB · TKB-481 · YaK-B |
| Britain | |
| 7.62 mm | FN 60.30 · L8A1 |
| 7.7 mm | Browning · Lewis · Vickers E · Vickers K |
| Japan | |
| 7.7 mm | Te-1 · Type 89 · Type 89 'special' · Type 92 · Type 97 navy |
| 7.92 mm | Type 1 · Type 98 |
| 12.7 mm | Ho-103 · Ho-104 |
| 13 mm | Type 2 |
| 13.2 mm | Type 3 |
| China | |
| 12.7 mm | QJK99-12.7-1 |
| Italy | |
| 7.7 mm | Breda-SAFAT · Lewis |
| 7.92 mm | FN Browning |
| 12.7 mm | Breda-SAFAT · FN M3M · Scotti |
| France | |
| 7.5 mm | Darne 1933 · Fabrique Nationale Mle 38 · FN Browning · MAC 1934 · MAC 1934T · Mle 33 · Mle 1923 |
| 7.62 mm | PKA |
| 7.92 mm | FN-Browning M.36 No.3 · FN-Browning M.36 No.4 |
| Sweden | |
| 7.7 mm | FN-Browning M.36 No.3 |
| 8 mm | Ksp m/22 · Ksp m/22 Fh · Ksp m/22 Fv · Ksp m/22-37 R |
| 12.7 mm | Akan m/39A · Akan m/40 · Akan m/45 · LKk/42 |
| 13.2 mm | Akan m/39 · Akan m/39A |
