Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Vickers K machine gun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Vickers Gas Operated | |
|---|---|
 Vickers K machine gun on a Fairey Battle bomber. |
|
| Type | Machine gun |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United Kingdom |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Vickers-Armstrongs |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 29.5 lb (13.4 kg) |
| Length | 37 in (0.93 m) |
|
|
|
| Cartridge | .303 British |
| Calibre | 0.303 in (7.7 mm) |
| Action | gas |
| Rate of fire | 950 round/min |
| Feed system | drum 60/100 rounds |
The Vickers K gun, known as the Vickers Gas Operated (VGO) in British service, was a rapid-firing machine gun developed and manufactured for use in aircraft by Vickers-Armstrongs. The high rate of fire was needed for the short window of opportunity when the gunner would be able to fire at an attacking aircraft.
The Vickers K was a development of the Vickers-Berthier (VB) light machine gun. When the Browning Model 1919 machine gun was selected as the standard machine-gun armament for British aircraft, VBs became redundant.
The Vickers K was fitted to a number of two- and three-seater aircraft in British service such as the Fairey Swordfish, Fairey Battle and Handley Page Hampden. It was also used in gun turrets, such as the dorsal turret in the Bristol Blenheim or the nose turret in the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley.
The Vickers K was used in a limited way by British ground forces. The Special Air Service adopted it for their hit and run tactics, mounting it in pairs on their jeeps. In a similar manner, the Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron of the Reconnaissance Corps had VGO's on their jeeps when they were attached to the 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market-Garden in September 1944. Royal Marine and Army Commandos used the VGO in an infantry support role/squad automatic weapon briefly around D-Day. In military terminology it was known as Gun, Machine, Vickers G.O. .303-inch.
|
|
|
|---|---|
| General | Timeline of aviation · Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines |
| Military | Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft |
| Notable incidents and accidents |
Military aviation · Airliners · General aviation · Famous aviation-related deaths |
| Records | Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft |