The Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 (russian: Нудельман - Суранов НС-37) was a aircraft cannon, which replaced the unreliable
Shpitalny Sh-37
The Shpitalny Sh-37 (russian: Шпитальный - Ш-37) was the first indigenous Soviet aircraft cannon, designed by Boris Shpitalniy at OKB-15.Широкорад А.Б. (2001) ''История авиационного вооружения'' ...
gun. Large caliber was planned to allow destruction of both ground targets (including armoured ones) and planes (ability to shoot down a bomber with a single hit).
Developed by
A. E. Nudelman and A. Suranov from
OKB-16
The JSC Precision Engineering Design Bureau named after A. E. Nudelman (russian: Конструкторское бюро точного машиностроения им. А. Э. Нудельмана, Konstruktorskoye Byuro Tochnogo Mashinostroeni ...
Construction Bureau from 1941, it was tested at the front in 1943 and subsequently ordered into production, which lasted until 1945. It was used on the
LaGG-3
The Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 (Лавочкин-Горбунов-Гудков ЛаГГ-3) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a refinement of the earlier LaGG-1 and was one of the most modern aircraft available to the Sov ...
and
Yak-9T fighter planes (mounted between the vee of the engine, in ''motornaya pushka'' mounts) and
Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 (Russian language, Russian: Илью́шин Ил-2) is a Ground attack aircraft, ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the World War II, Second World War. The word ''shturmovík'' (C ...
ground attack planes (in underwing pods).
Although the heavy round offered large firepower, the relatively low rate of fire and heavy recoil made hitting targets difficult. While pilots were trained to fire short bursts, on light aircraft only the first shot was truly aimed. Additionally, penetration of medium and heavy tanks' top armour was possible only
at high angles (above 40 degrees), which was hard to achieve in battle conditions. For these reasons it was soon replaced in 1946 by the
N-37 autocannon, which used a lighter 37×155 mm round.
See also
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Nudelman-Suranov NS-45
The Nudelman-Suranov NS-45 was an enlarged version of the Soviet Union, Soviet Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 aircraft autocannon. It was evaluated for service on 44 Yakovlev Yak-9K aircraft during World War II, but proved to stress the airframes too much ...
: larger Soviet version
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Nudelman N-37
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 1 ...
: postwar Soviet version
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
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Vickers S
The Vickers 40 mm Class S gun, also known simply as the "S gun", was a 40 mm (1.57 in) airborne autocannon designed by Vickers-Armstrongs for use as aircraft armament.
It was primarily used during World War II by British aircr ...
: 40-mm British equivalent
*
M4 cannon
The 37 mm Automatic Gun, M4, known as the T9 during development, was a 37 mm (1.46 in) recoil-operated autocannon designed by Browning Arms Company. The weapon, which was built by Colt, entered service in 1942. It was primarily mo ...
: US equivalent
*
BK 37
The Bordkanone 3,7 (BK 3,7) ("on-board cannon 3.7") was a German anti-tank/bomber autocannon of World War II and based on the earlier 3.7 cm Flak 18 made by Rheinmetall.
It was mounted on Luftwaffe aircraft such as the Junkers Ju 87 G-1 and G ...
: German equivalent
*
Ho-203 cannon
Ho-203 was a Japanese autocannon that saw considerable use during World War II. It was a long-recoil automation of the Year 11 Type direct-fire infantry gun. It was fed by a 15-round closed-loop ammunition belt. It was operationally used only as ...
: Japanese equivalent
References
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External links
NS-37 on RAMSchematic (in Russian)
{{Russian and Soviet Aircraft Ordnance
External links
history and description
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37 mm artillery
Autocannons of the Soviet Union
Aircraft guns of the Soviet Union
Izhevsk machine-building plant products
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1942