Heligun EX17.pdf - Forgotten Weapons

HELIGUN FEATURES
HTC-AD 66-29
The performance of the Heligun, including flight demonstration in the
OH-6A helicopter, has proven that it is a major advance in state-of-the­
art in light machine guns. It weighs 30 pounds, and fires the standard
7. 62mm NATO round with M-13 link at 6000 shots per minute. The gun
is self-powered with recoil and gun gas energy, and employs the same
Marquardt principle as proven in the HTC-AD-developed Navy 20mm
Mk 11 gun. As in its 20mm counterpart, the Heligun delivers more
firepower per pound than any gun in its caliber, is easy and light to install,
and has a small frontal area for low drag and inherently low trunnion
reaction as a result of recoil momentum cancellation. It has unique
safety features, simple quick-disconnect maintenance, and low cost.
Being self-powered, it can also be used off of the aircraft or in places
where power is not available.
The instant start-stop feature of the Heligun makes it ideal where short
bursts are required for maximum accuracy or ammunition conservation.
The reliability achieved to date is exceptional, considering the limited
funding available for concentration on this phase of the development. The
results confirm the design concepts of the gun and are evidence that its
simplicity will produce high reliability. Problem areas have been defined
and involve minor design change for solution (Appendix A).
Comparison with the XM-134 Minigun is made in this report, since this
is the existing high-rate-of-fire Service weapon. HTC-AD is currently
designing and will produce the XM-27El armament system employing the
XM-134 gun for the helicopter, and is conducting extensive gun firing of
it at the Culver City facility.
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