Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30
Encyclopedia
The Nudelman-Rikhter NR-30 was a Soviet cannon
widely used in military aircraft
of the Soviet Union
and Warsaw Pact
. It was designed by A.E. Nudelman and A.A. Rikhter, entering service in 1954
.
The NR-30 was a single-barrel, short recoil operated cannon, essentially an enlarged version of the 23 mm NR-23
weapon introduced in 1949. It fired a massive projectile (more than twice the weight of the NR-23's 23 mm shell), requiring a muzzle brake
with an integrated flame damper to prevent airframe damage from its firing. Before this gun, the Soviet standard fighter armament was two 23 mm and one 37 mm gun, that were ballistically quite different. The 23 mm was quite powerful, but with a relatively low initial velocity, while the 37 mm was lacking in rate of fire and ammunition reserve.
A MiG-15
typically had 80 cartridges for each 23 mm gun and 40 for the single 37 mm NR-37
. The 30 mm gun was needed to make a weapon capable of combining the destructive power and the ballistic qualities of the 37 mm and the rate of fire typical of the 23 mm NR-23.
It had a velocity of around 800 m/s, a projectile weighing 400 gram
s (twice that of the 23 mm and half that of 37 mm guns), a rate of fire of 900 cycles per minute, even greater than NR-23, and a typical load of 70 shells for each gun. Generally it was fitted into the wings rather than in the nose. There were several types of ammunition, no less than 20 models. The most used were AP
and HEI, the latter of 40–48 g HE internal charge (several times larger than 20 mm ammunition).
It was clear that this gun was meant to fire heavy projectiles, as DEFA guns
(firing the far less powerful 30x113 ammunition) had projectiles weighing around 270 g, with similar velocity, but a better rate of fire (1200-1300 rounds per minute), more versed in air-to air engagements. DEFAs had typically 120-140 cartridges each. The NR-30 was also remarkably light, with more firepower (comparing rate of fire and projectile's weight) despite being one-third lighter. Only the GSh-301 is lighter among all the 30 mm guns. One unusual ammunition was the Chaff dispenser PRL
, with 48,000 chaff particles internally, however it is unknown how it was used practically.
The NR-30 was used mainly in the MiG-19
(before this model, MiGs had 23 and 37 mm mixed armament), early MiG-21
models, the Sukhoi Su-7
, and the Sukhoi Su-17
. It was also used on the Shenyang J-6
, the Chinese
copy of the MiG-19, with a third gun in the nose. The Chinese manufactured their own version, the Type-30, which has slightly different characteristics, but is basically similar in operation.
Although its rate of fire makes it more suited for air-to-ground use, it is, by all accounts, a formidable weapon combining reasonable accuracy and devastating hitting power. It also appears a version of the gun was modified for use in space, with successful testing on a military Almaz
station.
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
widely used in military aircraft
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Warsaw Pact
Warsaw Pact
The Warsaw Treaty Organization of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance , or more commonly referred to as the Warsaw Pact, was a mutual defense treaty subscribed to by eight communist states in Eastern Europe...
. It was designed by A.E. Nudelman and A.A. Rikhter, entering service in 1954
1954 in aviation
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1954:-January:* January 10 – A de Havilland Comet 1, operating BOAC Flight 781, crashes into the Mediterranean Sea near Elba following fatigue failure, killing all 35 people aboard.-February:...
.
The NR-30 was a single-barrel, short recoil operated cannon, essentially an enlarged version of the 23 mm NR-23
Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23
The Nudelman-Rikhter NR-23 is a Soviet cannon widely used in military aircraft of the Soviet Union and Warsaw Pact. It was designed by A. E. Nudelman and A.A. Rikhter to replace the wartime Nudelman-Suranov NS-23 and VYa cannon, entering service in 1949....
weapon introduced in 1949. It fired a massive projectile (more than twice the weight of the NR-23's 23 mm shell), requiring a muzzle brake
Muzzle brake
Muzzle brakes and recoil compensators are devices that are fitted to the muzzle of a firearm or cannon to redirect propellant gases with the effect of countering both recoil of the gun and unwanted rising of the barrel during rapid fire...
with an integrated flame damper to prevent airframe damage from its firing. Before this gun, the Soviet standard fighter armament was two 23 mm and one 37 mm gun, that were ballistically quite different. The 23 mm was quite powerful, but with a relatively low initial velocity, while the 37 mm was lacking in rate of fire and ammunition reserve.
A MiG-15
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in...
typically had 80 cartridges for each 23 mm gun and 40 for the single 37 mm NR-37
Nudelman N-37
The N-37 was a powerful, 37 mm aircraft cannon used by the Soviet Union. It was designed by V. Ya. Nemenov of A.E. Nudelman's OKB-16 to replace the wartime Nudelman-Suranov NS-37, entering service in 1946...
. The 30 mm gun was needed to make a weapon capable of combining the destructive power and the ballistic qualities of the 37 mm and the rate of fire typical of the 23 mm NR-23.
It had a velocity of around 800 m/s, a projectile weighing 400 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s (twice that of the 23 mm and half that of 37 mm guns), a rate of fire of 900 cycles per minute, even greater than NR-23, and a typical load of 70 shells for each gun. Generally it was fitted into the wings rather than in the nose. There were several types of ammunition, no less than 20 models. The most used were AP
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
and HEI, the latter of 40–48 g HE internal charge (several times larger than 20 mm ammunition).
It was clear that this gun was meant to fire heavy projectiles, as DEFA guns
DEFA cannon
The DEFA cannon is a family of widely used French-made aircraft revolver cannons firing the standard 30 mm caliber NATO rounds.-Design history:...
(firing the far less powerful 30x113 ammunition) had projectiles weighing around 270 g, with similar velocity, but a better rate of fire (1200-1300 rounds per minute), more versed in air-to air engagements. DEFAs had typically 120-140 cartridges each. The NR-30 was also remarkably light, with more firepower (comparing rate of fire and projectile's weight) despite being one-third lighter. Only the GSh-301 is lighter among all the 30 mm guns. One unusual ammunition was the Chaff dispenser PRL
Chaff (radar countermeasure)
Chaff, originally called Window by the British, and Düppel by the Second World War era German Luftwaffe , is a radar countermeasure in which aircraft or other targets spread a cloud of small, thin pieces of aluminium, metallized glass fibre or plastic, which either appears as a cluster of secondary...
, with 48,000 chaff particles internally, however it is unknown how it was used practically.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 is a Soviet second-generation, single-seat, twin jet-engined fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S...
(before this model, MiGs had 23 and 37 mm mixed armament), early MiG-21
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed "balalaika", from the aircraft's planform-view resemblance to the Russian stringed musical instrument or ołówek by Polish pilots due to...
models, the Sukhoi Su-7
Sukhoi Su-7
The Sukhoi Su-7 was a swept wing, supersonic fighter aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in 1955. Originally, it was designed as tactical, low-level dogfighter, but was not successful in this role. On the other hand, soon-introduced Su-7B series became the main Soviet fighter-bomber and...
, and the Sukhoi Su-17
Sukhoi Su-17
The Sukhoi Su-17 is a Soviet attack aircraft developed from the Sukhoi Su-7 fighter-bomber. It enjoyed a long career in Soviet, later Russian, service and was widely exported to communist and Middle Eastern air forces, under names Su-20 and Su-22.-Development:Seeking to improve low-speed and...
. It was also used on the Shenyang J-6
Shenyang J-6
The Shenyang J-6 was the Chinese-built version of the Soviet MiG-19 'Farmer' fighter aircraft.-Design and development:...
, the Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
copy of the MiG-19, with a third gun in the nose. The Chinese manufactured their own version, the Type-30, which has slightly different characteristics, but is basically similar in operation.
Although its rate of fire makes it more suited for air-to-ground use, it is, by all accounts, a formidable weapon combining reasonable accuracy and devastating hitting power. It also appears a version of the gun was modified for use in space, with successful testing on a military Almaz
Almaz
The Almaz program was a series of military space stations launched by the Soviet Union under cover of the civilian Salyut DOS-17K program after 1971....
station.
Ammunition specifications
- Caliber: 30x155mm (belted) with a brass case
- Projectile weight: 410 grams (14½ oz), 840 g (1 lb 13½ oz) complete
- Launch charge: 95 g to 99 g of 6/7fl VBP smokeless powder
- Types of ammunition: HEI, AP, TP, Chaff dispensers