DRP/APK cannons by L.V.Kurchewski

ther line of designation : APK, Aviatcionnaja Pushka Kurchevskogo, Cannon for aircraft by L.V.Kurchewski.

Recoilless cannon, Dynamo-Reaktivnaja Pushka. Whole family of this kind of cannons was developed by team headed by L.V.Kurchewski. Those cannons were able to fire shells up to 102mm. To eliminate recoil, two approaches were used:

another 'shell' fired in opposite directions;
gases were allowed to go freely backwards to compensate recoil.

After many years of experiments, team failed to produce a weapon with acceptable performance. Slow shells had very poor chances to hit a target, reloading problems persisted, recoil was not completely eliminated and firing of cannon sometimes caused aircraft damage.

Plus it completely lost its value with introduction of RS-82 rockets, which could be accommodate on any fighter without major modifications of the aircraft.

In February 1936 the USR NKTP was disbanded, and L.V.Kurchewski was arrested.

Used on:

ANT-23 I-12	APK-4 76mm	1931
ANT-17 TSh-1	75mm	1935
ANT-29 DIP	102mm	1935
ANT-46 DI-8	APK-11 45mm	1935
BICh-17	APK 80mm	1936

Modified July 15, 1998
by Alexandre Savine;

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