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M61 Vulcan

From Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games
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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, X-32, F-14, 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/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 M61 Vulcan Cannon - 20mm
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M167 VADS (Vulcan Air Defence System) - 20mm HE. This is the towed variant; the VADS version mounted on the M113 APC is M163.
  • 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
U.S. Navy pilots Battleship Mounted in F/A-18 Hornets 2012
Starscream Transformers: Dark of the Moon 2011
Starscream Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen 2009
Tyrese Gibson Joe "Machine Gun" Mason Death Race Mounted on 2004 Dodge RAM 4WD 2008
U.S. Air Force pilots Transformers Mounted in F-22 Raptors 2007
Starscream Transformers 2007
Stealth M167 VADS towed mounting 2005
Colombian Army soldiers XXX Chin-mounted on Bell 212 helicopter 2002
Behind Enemy Lines Mounted in F/A-18F Super Hornet 2001
Ben Affleck A.J. Frost Armageddon Mounted on "Armadillo" vehicles 1998
Steve Buscemi Rockhound Armageddon Mounted on "Armadillo" vehicles 1998
US Air Force pilots Air Force One Mounted on F-15 Eagles 1997
Bill Pullman President Thomas J. Whitmore Independence Day Mounted in F/A-18 Hornet 1996
Mark Humphrey Capt. Matt "Cobra" Cooper Iron Eagle II Mounted in F-16C Fighting Falcons 1988
Soviet pilots Iron Eagle II Mounted in F-4E Phantom IIs 1988
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
Michael Douglas Jack Colton The Jewel of the Nile Mounted in F-16 Fighting Falcon 1985
Roy Scheider Officer Frank Murphy Blue Thunder Mounted in "Blue Thunder" helicopter 1983
Lone Wolf McQuade Seen in weapons shed 1983
U.S. Navy pilots Themselves The Final Countdown Mounted in F-14A Tomcats 1980

Television

Actor Character Title / Episode Note Date
Ultimate Weapons on AC-130A Project Gunship II 2009 - 2012

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Notation Release Date
Enemy Engaged: Apache/Havoc Mounted in F-16C Fighting Falcon, F/A-18C Hornet, & M163 VADS, non-playable 1998
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-18A Hornet 2005
Project Reality Mounted in M167 VADS anti-aircraft turret and F-16C Fighting Falcon 2005
Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies Mounted in various fighters 2001
Top Gun: Combat Zones 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
Ace Combat: Assault Horizon Mounted in various fighters 2011
Homefront Sentry tower Untapered, short barrel cluster 2011
Battlefield 3 Mounted in F/A-18E & F/A-18F Super Hornet 2011
World in Conflict Mounted in M167 & M163 VADS 2007
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames Mounted on various vehicles 2008
Project Reality: Vietnam Mounted on M163 VADS 2012

Anime

Character Film Title Note Date
Multipede Cannon Appleseed Two mounted on front of Multipede Cannon 1988
Leona New Dominion Tank Police Mounted on Bonaparte mini-tank 1993
FAF forces Yukikaze Mounted on APCs 2002 - 2005
JSDA soldiers Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig Mounted on Jigabachi attack helicopters 2004 - 2005

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
Enemy soldiers Iron Eagle Mounted in AH-1F Cobras 1986
US Army soldiers In the Army Now Mounted in AH-1F Cobra (stock news footage) 1994
US Army soldiers Courage Under Fire Mounted in AH-1 Cobras 1996
Con Air Mounted in AH-1 Cobras 1997
US Marines War of the Worlds Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobras 2005
US Marines Battle: Los Angeles Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobras 2011

Video Games

Game Title Appears as Mods Notation Release Date
Armored Fist 3 Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobra 1999
Project Reality Mounted in AH-1Z Super Cobra 2005
Battlefield 2 Mounted in AH-1Z Super Cobra 2005
Close Combat: First to Fight Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobra 2005
Black Stock footage: mounted on AH-1 Super Cobra 2006
Crysis Mounted on N. Korean helicopters and U.S. VTOL craft 2007
World in Conflict Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobras and Agusta A129 Mangustas 2007
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames mounted on vehicles part of a RWS 2008
Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising Mounted on AH-1Z Super Cobra 2009
Lost Planet 2 VS Gatling Gun Can be wielded by infantry using a "chainsaw grip," large ammo drum attached to rear of weapon Used on "Vital Suit" modular mounts and gun turrets 2010
Marines: Modern Urban Combat Mounted on AH-1Z Super Cobra 2010
Homefront Seen only in stock footage of AH-1 Supercobra 2011
Battlefield 3 Mounted in AH-1Z Super Cobra 2011
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Mounted in AH-1W Super Cobra 2011

Anime

Character Film Title Note Date
JGSDF soldiers Memories Mounted on AH-1S Cobra 1995
Mobsters Cowboy Bebop Mounted on casino ship 1998 - 1999
US Marines Geobreeders Mounted on AH-1W Super Cobra 1999 - 2000
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
JMSDF soldiers Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex Mounted on Oniyama assault helicopters 2002 - 2003
JMSDF pilots Zipang Mounted on MVSA-32J Umidori tilt-rotor aircraft 2004

General Dynamics / Raytheon Phalanx Close-In Weapon System

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GE M61 Vulcan in a Phalanx mounting - 20mm
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
Stealth Mounted on USS Abraham Lincoln 2005
U.S. Navy sailors Battleship Mounted on US Navy warships 2012
JMSDF sailors Battleship Mounted on JDS Myoko 2012

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
Battlefield 3 Mounted on various warships, playable in multiplayer only 2011
Battlefield 3 C-RAM Multiplayer mode only 2011
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Seen in a screenshot mounted on an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer 2011

Anime

Character Title Note Date
Memories ("Stink Bomb") Mounted on JMSDF warship 1995
Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex Mounted on aircraft carrier 2002 - 2003
Yukikaze Mounted on battleships 2002 - 2005
Ghost In The Shell 2: Innocence 2004
The Place Promised in Our Early Days Mounted on battleship 2004
JMSDF sailors Zipang Mounted on JDS Mirai 2004
JMSDF sailors Asobi ni Ikuyo: Bombshells from the Sky Mounted on JMSDF warships 2010