The Nudelman N-37 was a 37 mm (1.46 in) aircraft autocannon used by the Soviet Union. It was designed during World War II by V. Ya. Nemenov of A.E. Nudelman's OKB-16 to replace the earlier Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 and entered service in 1946. It was 30% lighter than its predecessor at the cost of a 23% lower muzzle velocity.
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2013) |
| Nudelman N-37 | |
|---|---|
 Chinese N-37 at the Beijing Military Museum | |
| Type | Single-barrel autocannon |
| Place of origin | USSR |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1946 - |
| Used by | Soviet armed forces and export customers |
| Wars |
|
| Production history | |
| Designer | V. Ya. Nemenov |
| Designed | 1945 |
| Manufacturer | OKB-16 |
| Produced | 1946 – ca.1960 |
| Variants |
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 103 kg (227 lb) |
| Length | 2,455 millimetres (96.7 in) (N-37D) |
| Barrel length | 1,361 millimetres (53.6 in) |
| Cartridge | 37x155mm |
| Cartridge weight | 735 g/26 oz HEI-T, 760 g/27 oz AP-T |
| Caliber | 37 mm (1.46 in) |
| Barrels | 1 |
| Action | Short recoil |
| Rate of fire | 400 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 690 m/s (2,260 ft/s) |
The N-37 was a sizable weapon firing a massive (735 g/26 oz HEI-T, 760 g/27 oz AP-T) shell. Its muzzle velocity was still considerable, but its rate of fire was only 400 rounds per minute. The weapon's considerable recoil and waste gases were problematic for turbojet fighter aircraft, as was finding space for the gun and a useful amount of ammunition, but a single shell was often sufficient to destroy a bomber.
The N-37 was used in the MiG-9, MiG-15, MiG-17, and early MiG-19 fighters, the Yakovlev Yak-25, and others. Production lasted through the late 1950s, although it remained in service for many years afterwards.
Variants
- N-37
- Basic version without muzzle brake
- N-37D
- N-37 with muzzle brake
- N-37L
- N-37 with 1950mm long barrel (had no muzzle brake)
- NN-37
- Improved N-37L developed during the late 1950s for the Yak-27 reconnaissance aircraft. The NN-37 differed from the N-37L in having a pneumatic counter-recoil accelerator, therefore achieving a rate of fire of 600–700rpm. The ammunition feed mechanism was redesigned as well on this version.
- Type 37 aircraft cannon
- Chinese licensed / copy production
Production
The Soviet archives detail the following production numbers by year:[1]
- 1947 — 518
- 1948 — 508
- 1949 — 1,314
- 1950 — 3,043
- 1951 — 3,885
- 1952 — 4,433
- 1953 — 4,600
- 1954 — 1,700
- 1956 — 285
Comparable Weapons
See also
References
Bibliography
External links
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