SOV - R-23 (23mm kanón)

R-23


Text translation - page 101: (see below)
Revolver cannons A.A. Richtera
The first and only revolver-type air cannon in service in the USSR was the 23mm R-23 cannon, developed in OKB-16 under the leadership of A.A. Richter.
R-23 (factory index 261P) intended for the defensive armament of bombers and its construction scheme ensured a minimum effect of air current on the barrel of the cannon in the transverse position. Therefore, the total length of the cannon was made equal to the length of the barrel. The charge chambers are separated from the grooved part of the barrel and connected to a block which rotates about an axis parallel to the axis of the barrel. The use of such a block made it possible to place the ammunition belt in front of one of the ammunition chambers without obstructing the barrel, to make the insertion of the ammunition by its (Translation of the text - page 102) in the opposite direction to the firing direction and ejection of cartridges in the firing direction. The total length of the weapon thus became equal to the length of the grooved part of the barrel, the ammunition chamber and the electric firing system.
The design scheme took into account the interaction of the cannon mechanisms with the ammunition belt, ammunition and fired cartridge, which ensured comparable simplicity of its design, manufacture, training and use. This was achieved by using three autonomous gas engines, acting (Translation of the text - page 103) directly on the cartridge belt, the cartridge case and the fired cartridge case.
In doing so, the engine piston and the ammunition belt moved transversely to the axis of the barrel, and the block of ammunition chambers rotated in a plane parallel to the axis of the barrel, eliminating the effect of the longitudinal oscillations of the cannon during firing on automatic operation.
The conclusion is wedge-shaped, with a vertically lowered wedge and a semi-automatic mechanical (word in parentheses untranslatable - & lt; копирново & gt; - copy ???) type.
Sealing of the contact with the barrel of the ammunition chambers was achieved by an insert-seal in an assembly located at the inlet to the channel of the barrel, the sealing insert being pressed against the ammunition chamber block when firing with gas pressure in the opposite direction.
The cannon was fixed in the firing position at two points, while the front node was caught behind the drawbar rod. The automation worked with the help of three autonomous gas engines.
This unique cannon also had unique ammunition. The length of the cartridge case (260mm) is equal to the total length of the cartridge case, so the bullet is located inside the cartridge case.


R-23 cannon parameters
Caliber, mm ....................... 23x260
Missile travel length, mm ............ 1222
Number of grooves ...................... 12
Groove depth, mm .................. 0.35
Groove width, mm .................. 4.0 + 0.3
Pitch of grooves at the mouth (grooving with variable pitch), calibers ............... 27
Recoil force, kg ........... up to 4500
Maximum length, mm
cannon recoil ................... 20
cannon pre-slip ................. 12
Cannon dimensions, mm
length ............................ 1468
width ............................ 170
height ............................ 165
Cannon weight, kg .............. 58.5
Initial velocity of the projectile, m/s .. 850-860
Firing rate, rpm ........ 2500
Cannon life, ext. ......... 3000


Pyrotechnic re-tensioning, with the help of a DZ-P pyramid cartridge.
(Translation of text - page 104)
The design of the hub had its advantages and disadvantages. The weight of the ammunition was very high, and most importantly, the ammunition of the R-23 was not interchangeable with the ammunition of other Soviet air cannons. At the same time, it was in the period 1960 - 1980 that the existence of several types of 23mm rounds in the armament of VVS was constantly the subject of criticism.
Initially, the R-23 cannon was used with two types of combat rounds - with the same OFZ missiles, the difference was only in the lighter used: V-23 - warhead with delay and VD-23 - bottom


Parameters of 23mm rounds for R-23 cannon
Hub type ................... 23-OFZ-G-R ... 23-OFZ-D-R
Mass of charge, g .............. 513 .......... 505
Hub length (ie, cartridge case), mm ..... 260 ..........260
Filling weight, g ............... 65 ........... 65
Missile weight, g ............... 173 ............ 168
Mass of explosive, g .............. 18 ............. 18
Missile length, mm ................. 102 ............. 102
Lighter type ................... V-23 ............. VD-23


The cartridge case is steel, weighing 256g, later it was increased to 270 grams. Electric match EKV-23A.


The cannons of the first series could be fired with doses of 10-20 shots, and after 125 shots, a break of 15-20 minutes was required.
Cannons with reinforced retractor ?, produced by plant No.500, allowed shooting in the air in batches of doses of 50-60 shots, and after (Translation of text - page 105) 125 shots needed a break to 15-20 minutes. With such a mode, the wear of the barrel and other parts could begin after only 500 shots - that is, after consuming the entire firing range of the Tu-22. (translator's note - it means that in such a firing mode, the life of the cannon was terminated after 500 shots)
Production of the first 261P cannons began at Plant No.235 in 1957. Initially, the cannons were produced in small series. In the years 1970-1971, the Tula plant produced 22 pieces per year. In 1959, the R-23 cannon passed state tests and in 1962-1963 flight tests on the Tu-22. (end of text is missing)
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-23-23mm-kanon-t106185#379513 Version : 0
A few interesting things about this cannon:


- With a cadence of up to 2,600 rounds per minute, the Richter R-23 is the fastest single-barreled cannon in the world.


- recharging or firing of the failed charge is solved similarly to the GŠ-301 cannon - pyroptron DZ-P pierces the side wall of the cartridge and ignites the powder charge (this solution obviously comes from the R-23 cannon)


- The world probably learned about the existence of the R-23 cannon and its unique construction and ammunition only in 1986, when insurgent units seized two abandoned Libyan Tu-22s in Chad, or in 1987, when several others were shot down. According to some sources, the ammunition for the R-23 was known to Israeli specialists sometime between 1982-85, when a box of these ammunition arrived at the ammunition for the ZU-23 and was captured in Lebanon, but they could not understand what weapon the unusual ammunition actually belonged to.


- in 1973, an upgraded version of the R-23M "Brush" ("& # 1050; & # 1072; & # 1088; & # 1090; & # 1077; & # 1095;") was created, for which a new cartridge with " multi - element "(brush or shrapnel) projectile, passed the state exams, but did not see the introduction into service. It was designed for shooting at distances of 1500-2000 meters and designed against fighters and anti-aircraft missiles such as air-to-air and ground-to-air. A dose of 40-60 shots should be enough to knock out a fighter or missile with a probability of 0.95.


- The 225P cannon was derived from the R-23/261P cannon, developed in 1968. The cannon had a drum with five ammunition chambers, used AM-23 ammunition (same as GŠ-23).
The length of the weapon was 1455 mm and the weight was only 36 kg, while the rate of fire was to be an incredible 4500 rounds per minute. Although the weapon successfully passed state tests, but did not get into service, it also had several specific problems resulting from the unique design - for example, it did not have the possibility of reloading, the fired cartridge was thrown away by residual gas pressure and the like. Some Russian sources claim that it was intended only for space applications.


- cannon R-23/261P, or its version R-23M or derived cannon 225P was tested in space on the space station Almaz/Saljut-3 in 1974 (for little knowledge of the cannon Richter R-23 is often referred to as cannon NR- 23)


- The R-23U cannon was also developed in the 1960s. He was to have an extended smooth-barreled barrel and fire sub-caliber missiles or mass "shotgun" missiles. The work did not go beyond the experimental stage.


- The R-23 cannon and the entire DK-20 turret assembly on the Tu-22 were not very successful, the assembly had relatively low reliability and insufficiently high accuracy. It was either not mounted at all on later versions of the Tu-22, or was replaced in the latest versions by a tower with a GŠ-23 cannon.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-23-23mm-kanon-t106185#379562 Version : 0
Source:
- photography - catalog of Russian air weapons Rosvoružinje
- scan - A.B.Širokorad: Soviet Air Force, 2004
- more photos - Handbook of Ammo Used in Afghanistan and Surrounding Area
- ammunition photography - author's collection
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-23-23mm-kanon-t106185#379419 Version : 0
More time & # 357; The text on "naboj.jpg" (see below) belongs to some charge on the previous pages - the text refers to the description of the charge of the classic design. For the R-23 cannon, only the second paragraph below is relevant.
----------------
The charge for the R-23 cannon differs from the charge described above only by the design of the cartridge (Figure 6.4). The length of the entire cartridge case (4) surrounds its front part of the projectile (2), thus ensuring the direction of the projectile movement to the barrel in the first moments of the shot. The projectile is pressed into the neck of the cartridge case along the guide collar and fixed with sector overhangs. The steel cartridge case is covered with an anti-corrosion layer of zinc. An insert with an electric match (6) is screwed into the bottom of the cartridge case, intended for igniting the powder charge of the cartridge (5)



Image "R-23.jpg" title " 23-mm round with OFZ bullet"
I translate other terms after the table:


(1) Naming
------------
charge (literally - shot)
Lighter B-23A (there is a contradiction with the previous texts, where the lighter V-23A is mentioned)
Fill & # 328; projectile
Cartridge
Ignition agent EKV-23A
Reward


(2) Index


(3) Construction elements
------------------------
Corpus
Guide ring
Fill in:
- bottom charge
- medium charge
Fill in:
- upper charge
Dust


(4) material
(5) weight (kg)


(6) peculiarities of assembly, construction
-------------------------------
It is pressed into the cartridge case
Coating: chemical oxidation
It is pressed into the body
Bonded/bonded with ceresin
It is screwed through the paint ŠL-7-45
and secures by locking in two points
Glued/connected with lighter varnish ŠL-7-45
Coverage: galvanizing with subsequent
processed in ??? (I can't translate it correctly - stearin-acid sodium ???),
It is screwed through a UT-34 hermetic



Note: this "something" sucking from the projectile into the powder charge is a meter - a piece of lead wire
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-23-23mm-kanon-t106185#379997 Version : 0

Diskuse

I found something else in the archive, please finish ...
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-23-23mm-kanon-t106185#379751 Version : 0

Citace :

cannon R-23/261P, or its version R-23M or derived cannon 225P was tested in space at the space station Almaz/Saljut-3 in 1974 (for little knowledge of the cannon Richter R-23 is often incorrect states as cannon NR-23)



In the archive I found a short film about the armament of the Almaz/Saljut-3 station, from which I made a few screenshots.
The weapon had a supply of 32 rounds and was tested at the end of the mission, when the station was operating in unmanned mode.
The assembly resembles an automated "tower", but the cannon apparently was actually mounted as stationary (or used as stationary?) And aiming at the target was made by maneuvering the entire station using force gyroscopes and rocket motors of the orientation system.
A special workplace was set aside at the station to control the weapon system.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-23-23mm-kanon-t106185#392888 Version : 0
As for the purpose of the cannon at the station Almaz/Saljut-3, its task was to defend the station against deactivation or "dismantling" from orbit.


The cargo space of the Space Shuttle is just large enough to accommodate an Almaz/Saljut station, and the maximum payload on return to the atmosphere and landing is enough to be able to land with a "stolen" station.
In the United States, such an operation was considered quite seriously during the development of the Space Shuttle and beyond, after the Space Shuttle was commissioned in the early 1980s - even under the SDI program.
The ability of the Almaz station to defend itself against deactivation or dismantling has thus become a relatively high priority for the Soviets.
In the tested form (stationary cannon), the weapon system would probably not be able to prevent the destruction or damage of the station during an attack by an ASAT-class anti-satellite weapon and probably not against an attack by an IS/Poljot class co-orbit. However, the Space Shuttle would be quite reliably destroyed (knocked out, "fatally" damaged) - the Space Shuttle is a target approaching the co-orbit at a relatively very low speed and a single 23mm projectile hit virtually any part of the spacecraft would cause damage preventing the shuttle from returning to atmosphere.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/SOV-R-23-23mm-kanon-t106185#393057 Version : 0
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