Gaspatch Models 16-32087 MK 108

The MK 108 cannon (German: Maschinenkanone) is a German 30 mm airborne automatic cannon from the Second World War. The first prototypes of this weapon were made in 1940, and serial production continued in 1943-1945. The length of the weapon was 1.06 meters, and the weight of the unloaded weapon was 58 kilograms. The theoretical rate of fire was 650 r / min, and the initial velocity of the projectile was up to 540 m / s. The MK 108 gun was designed and tested initially at the grassroots initiative of Rheinmetall-Borsig. However, in 1942, the weapon won a competition announced by the German Ministry of Aviation (RLM) for a new aviation cannon for fighters, dedicated to the destruction of Allied strategic bombers. The weapon was quickly put into mass production and began to be mounted on machines such as: Me-109 G, Me-110 G-2, but also the Me-262 jet. In the course of service, the weapon showed its very high combat qualities, but also reliability and low susceptibility to breakdowns or jams. The weapon was also relatively easy to manufacture and did not cause any operational problems.