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M61 Vulcan: Difference between revisions

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="100"|'''Date'''
!align=center bgcolor=#D0E7FF width="100"|'''Date'''
|-
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| Rebel || [[Excel Saga]] || Mounted on AH-1 Cobra || 1999 - 2000
| Mobsters || [[Cowboy Bebop]] || Mounted on casino ship || 1998 - 1999
|-
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| Mobsters || [[Cowboy Bebop]] || Mounted on casino ship || 1998 - 1999
|Rebel || [[Excel Saga]] || Mounted on AH-1 Cobra || 1999 - 2000
|-
|-
| JGSDF soldiers || [[Digimon Tamers]] || Mounted on AH-1 Cobra || 2001 - 2002
| JGSDF soldiers || [[Digimon Tamers]] || Mounted on AH-1 Cobra || 2001 - 2002
|-
| | [[Sweat Punch ]] ("Beyond") || Mounted of futuristic helicopter || 2001 - 2007
|-
|-
|}
|}

Revision as of 20:03, 18 February 2011

In June 1946, the General Electric Company was awarded the contract for "Project Vulcan". In 1956 the T171 20mm gun was standardized by the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force as the M61 20mm Vulcan aircraft gun.

The M61 20mm Vulcan is an externally powered, six-barrel, rotary-fire gun having a rate of fire of up to 7,200 rounds per minute. The firing rate is selectable at 4,000 or 6,000 rounds per minute. The gun fires standard electrically primed 20mm ammunition.

Each of the gun's six barrels fires only once during each revolution of the barrel cluster. The six rotating barrels contribute to long weapon life by minimizing barrel erosion and heat generation. The gun's rate of fire, essentially 100 rounds per second, gives the pilot a shot density that will enable a "kill" when fired in one-second bursts.

The M61 20mm cannon is a proven gun, having been the US military's close-in weapon of choice dating back to the 1950s. The F-104, F-105, later models of the F-106, F-111, F-4, B-47, B-52 (until the 1990's), B-58, all used the M61, as does the Air Force's F-15 , F-16 and F-22, and the Navy's F-14 and F/A-18. The primary use of the cannon is in the extremely short range (less than 2,000 feet) air-to-air environment, where more sophisticated air-to-air missiles are ineffective. Alternately, the cannon has limited usefulness in a ground strafing role.

While originally manufactured by General Electric, it is no longer produced by them; GE Armament Systems was sold to Martin Marietta; after their merger with Lockheed, it was produced by Lockheed Martin Armament Systems, which was bought by General Dynamics in 1997.

The M61 Vulcan Cannons used in the film industry have been converted to percussion primer cases using a sub caliber cartridge adapter.

M61 Vulcan

Specifications

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GE M61Vulcan 20mm Cannon
  • General Electric M61 Vulcan Cannon.
  • Caliber: 20mm
  • Length: 73.80 inches
  • Barrel Length:
  • Weight:
    • Gun: 248 pounds
  • Muzzle Velocity: 3,380 feet per second
  • Cyclic rate of fire: 4,000-6,000 rounds per minute

Film

Actor Character Title Note Date
Colombian Army soldiers XXX Chin-mounted on Bell 212 helicopter 2002
Ben Affleck A.J. Frost Armageddon Mounted on "Armadillo" vehicles 1998
Steve Buscemi Rockhound Armageddon Mounted on "Armadillo" vehicles 1998
U.S. Navy pilots Themselves The Final Countdown Mounted in F-14A Tomcats 1980
Tyrese Gibson Joe "Machine Gun" Mason Death Race Mounted on a 2004 Dodge RAM 4WD 2008
Lone Wolf McQuade Seen in weapons shed 1983
Bill Pullman President Thomas J. Whitmore Independence Day Mounted in F/A-18 Hornet 1996
Louis Gossett Jr. Col. Charles "Chappy" Sinclair Iron Eagle Mounted in F-16 Fighting Falcon 1986
Jason Gedrick Doug Masters Iron Eagle Mounted in F-16 Fighting Falcon 1986
Tim Thomerson Col. Ted Masters Iron Eagle Mounted in F-16 Fighting Falcon 1986
Mark Humphrey Capt. Matt "Cobra" Cooper Iron Eagle II Mounted in F-16C Fighting Falcons 1988
U.S. Air Force pilots Transformers Mounted in F-22 Raptors 2007
Starscream Transformers 2007
Starscream Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 2009
Roy Scheider Officer Frank Murphy Blue Thunder Mounted in "Blue Thunder" helicopter 1983
Bank Robber Superman Returns As fictonal "BFG XP/50 Mk. II" 2006
Behind Enemy Lines Mounted in F/A-18F Super Hornet 2001

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Notation Release Date
Splinter Cell Chaos Theory Mounted on N. Korean IFV 2005
Metal Gear Solid Non-playable 1998
Battlefield 2 Mounted in F-15E Strike Eagle and F/A-18 Hornet 2005
Project Reality Mounted in anti-aircraft turret and F-16C Fighting Falcon 2005
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies Mounted in various fighters 2001
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Mounted in various fighters 2004
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Mounted in various fighters 2006
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation Mounted in various fighters 2007

Anime

Character Film Title Note Date
JGSDF soldiers Patlabor: The Movie 2 Mounted on attack helicopters and robotic guns 1993
Multipede Cannon Appleseed Two mounted on front of Multipede Cannon 1988

General Dynamics M197 Vulcan

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General Dynamics M197 Vulcan - 20mm.
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M197 Vulcan 20mm chin-mounted on an AH-1Z "Viper", a newer version of the AH-1 Cobra.

This is a three barreled version of the M61 Vulcan and most commonly seen mounted in the chin turret of the AH-1 Cobra series of attack helicopters.

Specifications

  • General Dynamics M197 Gatling Cannon
  • Caliber: 20mm
  • Length: 73.80 inches
  • Barrel Length:
  • Weight: 146.3 pounds
  • Muzzle Velocity: 3,380 feet per second
  • Cyclic rate of fire: 750 to 1,500 rounds per minute

Film

Actor Character Title Note Date
Con Air Mounted in AH-1 Cobras 1997
Enemy soldiers Iron Eagle Mounted in AH-1F Cobras 1986
US Army soldiers Courage Under Fire Mounted in AH-1 Cobras 1996
US Marines War of the Worlds Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobras 2005

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Notation Release Date
Project Reality Mounted in AH-1Z Super Cobra 2005
Battlefield 2 Mounted in AH-1Z Super Cobra 2005
Crysis Mounted on N. Korean helicopters and U.S. VTOL craft 2007

Anime

Character Film Title Note Date
Mobsters Cowboy Bebop Mounted on casino ship 1998 - 1999
Rebel Excel Saga Mounted on AH-1 Cobra 1999 - 2000
JGSDF soldiers Digimon Tamers Mounted on AH-1 Cobra 2001 - 2002
Sweat Punch ("Beyond") Mounted of futuristic helicopter 2001 - 2007

General Dynamics / Raytheon Phalanx Close-In Weapon System

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GE M61 Vulcan 20mm Cannon in a Phalanx mounting.
Land-based Phalanx C-RAM mounting on a mobile trailer

This is a powered mounting used mostly by naval vessels to engage incoming missiles, aircraft, and sea-based close-range targets. It features a distinctive white-painted cylindrical weapon control group with a domed radome at the top which results in the nickname "R2-D2" being applied to the mounting; the cylinder houses the system's tracking radar, while the dome houses the search radar. More recently a land-based version called Counter-Rocket, Artillery, Mortar [C-RAM] has been developed, and is used to protect point bases against rocket attacks. Rather than using the tungsten armour-piercing discarding sabot rounds of the naval version, the land-based version uses High-Explosive Incendiary Tracer, Self-Destruct [HEIT-SD] ammunition, which was originally designed for the M163 VADS self-propelled anti-air system.

Film

Actor Character Title Note Date
The Hunt for Red October Mounted on USS Reuben James 1990
Terrorists Under Siege Mounted on USS Missouri 1992
Behind Enemy Lines Mounted on USS Carl Vinson 2001
U.S. Navy sailors The Sum of All Fears Mounted on USS John C. Stennis 2002

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Notation Release Date
Crysis Mounted on USS Constitution, main weapon for the multiplayer auto-turrets 2007
Resident Evil 4 Mounted on a Ganados held ship 2005
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Mounted on USS Missouri 2008
Battlefield 2 Mounted on USS Essex 2005
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War Mounted on various warships, non-playable 2004

Anime

Character Film Title Note Date
Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence 2004
JMSDF sailors Asobi ni Ikuyo: Bombshells from the Sky Mounted on JMSDF warships 2010