User:blockhaj/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 – (1945) Variant chambered for the 30 x 86 mm A low velocity (LV) cartridge
• 30 mm ADEN Mk2 – (1952) Variant chambered for the 30 x 86 mm B low velocity (LV) cartridge
• 30 mm ADEN Mk3 – (1954) Variant chambered for the 30 x 111 mm J high velocity (HV) cartridge
• 30 mm ADEN Mk4 – (1957) Variant chambered for the 30 x 113 mm ADEN/DEFA cartridge
• 30 mm ADEN Mk5 – (198X) Variant based on the ADEN Mk4 with raised rate of fire
• 30 mm ADEN Mk6 – (198X) Variant based on the ADEN Mk4 with unknown changes
• 25 mm ADEN – (199X) Improved variant chambered for the 25 x 137 mm NATO STANAG 4173 cartridge (cancelled 1999)

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)			?
Rifling	?	?	?	Progressive RH parabolic twist			?
Number of grooves	?	?	?	16			?
Cartridge	30 mm ADEN Type A (LV)	30 mm ADEN Type B (LV)	30 mm ADEN Type J (HV)	30 mm ADEN/DEFA			25 mm NATO STANAG 4173
Dimensions
Cartridge dimensions	30 × 86 mm	30 × 86 mm	30 × 111 mm	30 × 113 mm			25 × 137 mm
Max width of gun (complete)	?	?	?	241.3 mm			249.94 mm
Max height of gun (complete)	?	?	?	266.7 mm			246.13 mm
Length of gun (complete)	?	?	1590 mm	1638.3 mm			2284.44 mm
Length of gun (without barrel)	?	?	?	?			789.44 mm
Length of barrel	?	?	?	1080 mm			1495 mm
Weights
Weight of gun (complete)	?	?	?	87.1 kg	?	?	92.1 kg
Weight of gun (without barrel)	?	?	?	75 kg	?	?	?
Weight of barrel	?	?	?	12.25 kg			?
Performance
Recoil load (normal)	?	?	?	22.4 kN			?
Recoil load (max)	?	?	?	31.4 kN			?
Rate of fire (effective)	1,380 rpm				1,600 rpm		1,717 rpm
Rate of fire (minimum)	1,200 rpm				1,500 rpm		1,492 rpm
Rate of fire (maximum)	1,500 rpm				1,700 rpm		1,742 rpm
Effective velocity	604 m/s		790 m/s	790 m/s			985 m/s

Ammunition

30 × 111 mm J (High Velocity)

30 × 111 mm J (HV) – explosive shell cartridges
Designations
RAF designations	Cartridge	Cartridge, 30mm, Aden gun,
	Projectile	HE Mk.3Z	HE Mk.5Z	HE Mk.6Z
	Fuze	FP, D.A., No. 933, Mk. 1	FP, D.A., No. 944, Mk. 1	FP, D.A., No. 933, Mk. 1
SAF designations	Cartridge	30 mm sk ptr m/55
	Projectile	30 mm mgr m/55	n/a	30 mm mgr m/55
	Fuze	ö k sar m/55	n/a	ö k sar m/55
Specifications
Projectile type		HEHC	HEHC	HEHC
Charge type		Torpex 5 (Hexatonal)	Torpex 5 (Hexatonal)	Torpex 5 (Hexatonal)
Fuze 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 J (HV) – solid projectile cartridges
Designations
RAF designations	Cartridge	Cartridge, 30mm, Aden gun,
	Projectile	n/a		P Mk.2Z	P Mk.4Z
SAF designations	Cartridge	30 mm sk ptr m/55
	Projectile	30 mm pprj m/55		30 mm övnprj m/55	30 mm övnprj m/55
Specifications
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
• LV = Low Velocity
• HV = High Velocity

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)