MG 81 machine gun
Encyclopedia
The MG 81 was a German belt fed 7.9 mm machine gun
, used in flexible installations in World War II
Luftwaffe
aircraft, replacing the older drum magazine-fed MG 15.
The MG 81 was developed by Mauser
as a derivative of their successful MG 34
infantry machine gun. Development focus was to reduce production cost and time and to optimize for use in aircraft. Developed in 1938/1939, it was in production from 1940 to 1945.
A special twin-mount MG 81Z (Zwilling-twin) was introduced in 1942, which paired up two of the weapons on one mount, to provide even more firepower with max 3200 rounds/min without requiring much more space than a standard machine gun.
. Designated R19 (R for Rüstsätze) for the factory designed field kit, it allows the pilot of the Do 217 to shoot at pursuers. Another application was the "Watering can", an externally mounted pod with 3 sets of guns and ammo meant to be attached to a Junkers Ju 88
and used to strafe ground targets.
MG 81Z
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
, used in flexible installations in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aircraft, replacing the older drum magazine-fed MG 15.
The MG 81 was developed by Mauser
Mauser
Mauser was a German arms manufacturer of a line of bolt-action rifles and pistols from the 1870s to 1995. Mauser designs were built for the German armed forces...
as a derivative of their successful MG 34
MG 34
The Maschinengewehr 34, or MG 34, is a German air-cooled machine gun that was first produced and accepted into service in 1934, and first issued to units in 1935. It accepts the 8x57mm IS cartridge....
infantry machine gun. Development focus was to reduce production cost and time and to optimize for use in aircraft. Developed in 1938/1939, it was in production from 1940 to 1945.
A special twin-mount MG 81Z (Zwilling-twin) was introduced in 1942, which paired up two of the weapons on one mount, to provide even more firepower with max 3200 rounds/min without requiring much more space than a standard machine gun.
Applications
The MG 81Z can be found in many unique installations in the Luftwaffe. Some of the more known applications, are a pair of MG 81Z's installed in the hollow tail cone of the Dornier Do 217Dornier Do 217
The Dornier Do 217 was a bomber used by German Luftwaffe during World War II as a more powerful version of the Dornier Do 17, known as the Fliegender Bleistift . Designed in 1937 and 1938 as a heavy bomber, its design was refined during 1939 and production began in late 1940...
. Designated R19 (R for Rüstsätze) for the factory designed field kit, it allows the pilot of the Do 217 to shoot at pursuers. Another application was the "Watering can", an externally mounted pod with 3 sets of guns and ammo meant to be attached to a Junkers Ju 88
Junkers Ju 88
The Junkers Ju 88 was a World War II German Luftwaffe twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Designed by Hugo Junkers' company through the services of two American aviation engineers in the mid-1930s, it suffered from a number of technical problems during the later stages of its development and early...
and used to strafe ground targets.
Specifications
MG 81- Weight : 6.5 kg
- Length : 915 mm (965 mm with flash hider)
- Muzzle velocity: 705 m/s (sS ammo), 760, 785 or 790 m/s, depending on ammo type
- Rate of fire: 1400 - 1600 rpm (sS ammo)
MG 81Z
- Weight: 12.9 kg
- Length : 915 mm (965 mm with flash hider)
- Muzzle velocity: 705 m/s (sS ammo), 760, 785 or 790 m/s, depending on ammo type
- Rate of fire: 2800 - 3200 rpm (sS ammo)
