Vickers E (7.7 mm)

This page is about the British machine gun Vickers E (7.7 mm). For the Swedish light tank, see Vickers Mk.E.

Description

The 7.7 mm Vickers E is a British aircraft machine gun from World War I and the interwar period.

The first models were introduced in 1912. Modifications of the machine gun, both army and aviation, were produced from 1917 at the Vickers factories until 1940, when they began to be replaced by licensed Browning .303, which was more effective than the Vickers Class E.

The Vickers Class E became famous for being the first machine gun with a propeller synchronizer, which greatly increased its effectiveness in combat. The rate of fire is excellent 900 rounds per minute. (The average rate of fire of many machine guns in World War I was 500 rounds per minute.)

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

• Fury Mk I
• Fury Mk II
• Nimrod Mk I
• Nimrod Mk II
• Osprey Mk IV
• Swordfish Mk I
• Swordfish Mk II
• ▄Wirraway

General info

Characteristic	value
Muzzle velocity	720-730 m/s
Rate of fire	900 rounds per minute
Cartridge type	0.303 British; 7.7х56R
Capacity	600 cartridges (500 on the Osprey Mk IV)
Estimated Оverheat with Non-stop Firing	6.7 seconds (~100 rounds)

Available ammunition

• Default: T · AP · IAI · AP · I

Belt has weak incendiary and armour-piercing effect.

• Universal: T · AP · IAI · AP

Belt has weak incendiary, but good armour-piercing effect compared to default. A good choice for pilots to bring.

• Tracers: T · T · T · AP

Belt has low armour-piercing effect and no incendiary effect at all.

• Stealth: I · AP · AP · AP · IAI

Belt has impressive armour-piercing capabilities and good incendiary effect. Probably the best choice once pilots are used to the ballistics.

Comparison with analogues

Comparable machine guns to Vickers E (7.7 mm)
Country	Model	Year of Creation	Rounds Per Minute	Ammunition	Estimated Оverheat with Non-stop Firing	Muzzle velocity
USA	Browning (7.62 mm)	1919	1,000 RPM	7.62 x 63 mm	5.4 seconds (~90 rounds)	835-920 m/s
Germany	MG 17 (7.92 mm)	1934	1,200 RPM	7.92 x 57 mm	6.25 seconds (~125 rounds)	855-905 m/s
USSR	PV-1 (7.62 mm)	1926	750 RPM	7.62×54 mm R	8 seconds (~100 rounds)	800-825 m/s
Great Britain	Vickers E (7.7 mm)	1917	900 RPM	7.62 x 63 mm	6.7 seconds (~100 rounds)	720-730 m/s
Japan	Type 89 army	1932	900 RPM	7.7 x 56 mm R	6.7 seconds (~100 rounds)	811 m/s
Italy	Breda-SAFAT (7.7 mm)	1935	900 RPM	7.7 x 56 mm R	9.7 seconds (~145 rounds)	730 m/s
France	MAC 1934 (7.5 mm)	1934	1,350 RPM	7.5 x 54 mm MAS	6.2 seconds (~140 rounds)	835-920 m/s
Sweden	Ksp m/22 (8 mm)	1919	1,200 RPM	8 x 63 mm	7 seconds (~140 rounds)	750-853 m/s

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

Pros:

• Fast rate of fire
• High ammunition count
• Able to take down most planes in its BR

Cons:

• Inaccurate and little to no penetration at long range
• Cannot penetrate even light tanks and closed top SPGs

History

The Vickers E is an airborne variant of the Vickers machine gun. When Vickers Ltd. acquired the Maxim company in 1896, they acquired the design of the Maxim, the world's first machine gun which was credited for the success of the "Scramble for Africa" in the late nineteenth century. Vickers Ltd. was quick to improve on the original design, adding a muzzle booster to provide a gas boost for the recoil operated action, simplifying the action, using higher strength alloys to reduce weight, and turning the mechanism upside down. In World War I, the Vickers was the British Army's machine gun of choice and did not disappoint. In August 1916, ten machine guns were fired non-stop for 12 hours firing a million rounds with no breakdowns.

The first military aircraft in World War I were unarmed as they were intended for reconnaissance and surveillance and aviation was still in its infancy. However, the idea of machine guns on aircraft was still considered a possibility. In 1913, not long before World War I began, Vickers produced the first purpose-built combat aircraft by the request of the British Admiralty. The Vickers E.F.B. 1 was only a prototype, but did get armed with a flexible mounted Vickers gun. However, when the design evolved to the first operational fighter aircraft, the Vickers F.B.5 "Gunbus", the armament was changed to a Lewis gun. After 1916 however, sidearms were not enough for French and British fighter pilots and the Vickers was used to arm production fighters such as the Sopwith Triplane, and the French Nieuport 17 and SPAD VII. These guns were designated the Vickers E with the E indicating it was used by the pilot. While heavier than the similar Lewis gun, it benefited from being a recoil-operated gun that fired from a closed bolt, meaning it could be synchronized to fire through the blades of the propeller. The Vickers E was an air-cooled design instead of being water-cooled, as being in a flying aircraft allowed for natural cooling from low temperatures. However, the water jacket was a necessary component of the barrel-boosted recoil operation so it was left on the aircraft guns. By the late war period, the aerial arms race necessitated twin Vickers on aircraft including the famous Sopwith Camel and French SPAD XIII along with other fighters such as the Nieuport 28. The war also saw the development of the 11 mm Vickers Balloon Buster, a design that used large tracer or incendiary rounds specifically for use against observation balloons.

After World War I, the British would keep the Vickers E and used it arm their post-war biplanes however as they moved their aircraft machine guns to the wings, the British would adopt the Browning .303 as a replacement. The last fighter aircraft to be armed with the Vickers E is the Gloster Gladiator biplane though it was later also replaced with Brownings. The Vickers E still saw service during World War II however, as gun armed the Swordfish Torpedo Bombers that would remain in service throughout the entire conflict, even outlasting two attempted replacements.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

• Vickers K (7.7 mm)

External links

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