| MK 108 | |
|---|---|
 Two MK 108 autocannon, RAF Museum Cosford (2010) | |
| Type | Autocannon |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943–1945 |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Rheinmetall-Borsig |
| Designed | 1940 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall-Borsig |
| Produced | 1943–1945 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 58 kilograms (128 lb) |
| Length | 1,057 millimetres (41.6 in) |
| Barrel length | 580 millimetres (23 in) |
| Cartridge | 30×90mmRB (330g) steel casing |
| Caliber | 30 mm |
| Action | API blowback |
| Rate of fire | 650 rounds/min MK 108A: 850 rounds/min[citation needed] |
| Muzzle velocity | 540 m/s (1,770 ft/s) |
The MK 108 (German: Maschinenkanone—"machine cannon") is a 30 mm caliber autocannon manufactured in Germany during World War II by Rheinmetall‑Borsig for use in aircraft.[1]
The cannon saw widespread use as an anti-bomber weapon during the second half of the war, first seen in 1943 in the Bf 110G-2 bomber destroyers and Bf 109G-6/U4.[1]
Four MK 108s formed the main armament of the Me 262 the next year.[2] It could be found on some versions or optional mountings on practically every other German fighter of the era.[citation needed]
- ^ a b Lepage, Jean-Denis G. G. (23 March 2009). Aircraft of the Luftwaffe, 1935-1945: An Illustrated Guide. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-5280-4.
- ^ Forsyth, Robert (19 January 2023). Me 262: Northwest Europe 1944–45. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-5053-9.