Shpitalny Sh-37

Shpitalny Sh-37
TypeAutocannon
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
Used bySoviet Union
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerBoris Shpitalniy
Designed1940-1941
ManufacturerFactory no. 74
Produced1941-1942
No. built~240
Specifications
Mass375 kilograms (827 lb)
Length3,096 millimetres (121.9 in)
Barrel length2,060 millimetres (81 in)
Cartridge37×198 mm
Barrels1
Actiongas operated
Rate of fire170-rpm (ShFK)
185 rpm (MPSh)
Muzzle velocity900 m/s[1]
Feed system40 rounds (ShFK)
21 rounds magazine (MPSh)

The Shpitalny Sh-37 (Russian: Шпитальный - Ш-37) was the first indigenous Soviet 37 mm (1.5 in) aircraft cannon, designed by Boris Shpitalniy at OKB-15.[2] The gun saw limited production and was installed in few aircraft before being replaced by the competing Nudelman-Suranov NS-37 designed at OKB-16. It was installed on a military-trial basis on two short series of aircraft. Installed to fire through the hollow, gear-driven propeller shaft and fastened to the engine block of the Yak-7-37 it was known as MPSh-37, where "MP" stands for "motornaya pushka",[1] similar to the German Motorkanone term for the same mount type. As installed in the underwing gun pods of the Il-2 it was known as ShFK-37[3] (Russian: ШФК-37 - Шпитальный фюзеляжно-крыльевая калибра 37 мм),[4] literally "Shpitalny fuselage-wing(-mounted) caliber 37mm".

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference GordonKomissarov2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Широкорад А.Б. (2001) История авиационного вооружения Харвест (Shirokorad A.B. (2001) Istorya aviatsionnogo vooruzhenia Harvest. ISBN 985-433-695-6) (History of aircraft armament), pages 122-123
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference GordonKomissarov2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ В. Перов, О. Растренин, "Ил-2 Штурмовик", Авиация и Космонавтика 2001/5-6 (double issue article/monograph), pages 60-63