amoss%batata.Huji.AC.IL%CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Amos Shapira) (06/20/89)
From: Amos Shapira <amoss%batata.Huji.AC.IL%CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> The M61 Vulcan comes in two varieties- air and ground. Both have 6 rotating barrels, 20mm AP bullets and electric firing. The two models differ in rate of fire, with the air model having settings up to 6200rpm max, while the ground version is only 4100rpm. The problem with the 20mm AP and API shells is that they are fairly "fragile" and unstable in flight. The Vulcan is a fairly good cannon for soft targets, but relies on volume of fire for damage, not destructive power of its shells. The ground model WAS used to good effect in the fighing in built up areas in Lebanon, to clear streets (using a half second burst from a M61 mounted on M113 - I think in the US it is called PIVAD), destroys buildings, little things like that :-) Marc A. Volovic, Sgt (res.) For destructive power, nothing rivals the GAU-8, not even the 75mm cannon carried by Mitchel G in WW2. Marc.