B-20 20mm cannon

Designed by M.Ye.Berezin.

This gun was a development of Berezin's 12.7mm UB family. It began to replace the 20mm ShVAK cannon in the very last months of the Great Patriotic War (as the Second World War was called by the Soviets). Its performance data were generally similar to this gun, but it weighed about 50% less, was much simpler and more reliable. It was one of the lightest 20mm aircraft gun ever built.

The design work was initiated in 1944. Like its UB predecessor the B-20 was gas-operated, using the standard Soviet 20mm ammunition. It was built in synchronized, wing-mounted and turret-mounted versions. After the Second World War the gun was used in the PV-20 defensive systems (with up to four guns) for heavy bombers. In documents can be found also a variant called B-20E, but it is not clear whether this denotes the flexibly mounted version or an improved variant.

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References:

• "History of aircraft construction in the USSR" Vol.2 p.451;

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Modified May 6, 2000 by ;

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