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| MG 81 | |
|---|---|
 MG 81 (upper) and MG 81Z (in box) | |
| Type | Machine gun |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Variants | MG 81Z |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 6.5 kg (14.33 lb) |
| Length | 965 mm (38.0 in) (with flash hider) |
| Barrel length | 475 mm (18.7 in) |
| Cartridge | 7.92×57mm Mauser 7.62×51mm NATO (post-war) |
| Caliber | 7,9 (7,92+0,04)[1] |
| Action | Recoil-operated, gas assisted,open-bolt |
| Rate of fire | 1,400–1,600 rounds/min |
| Muzzle velocity | 705 m/s (2,310 ft/s) (sS ball ammunition) |
| Feed system | Belt-fed |
TheMG 81 is a German belt fed7.92×57mm Mausermachine gun which was used in flexible installations inWorld War IILuftwaffeaircraft, in which capacity it replaced the older drum magazine-fedMG 15.
The MG 81 was developed byMauser as a derivative of their successfulMG 34general-purpose machine gun. Development focus was to reduce production cost and time and to optimize the machine gun for use in aircraft. Developed in 1938/1939, it was in production from 1940 to 1945.
A special twin-mount MG 81Z (theZ suffix stands forZwilling, meaning "twin") was introduced in 1942. It paired up two of the weapons on one mount to provide even more firepower with a maximum cyclic rate of fire of 3,200 rounds per minute without requiring much more space than a standard machine gun.Towards the end of the war many specimens were delivered to the army and equipped for use in ground battles with shoulder rest and bipod.
AfterWest Germany's entry intoNATO in May 1955, Mauser offered the MG 81 chambered in7.62×51mm NATO. The twin-barrel MG 81Z was marketed for helicopter fixed mount with theoretical firepower of 6,800–7,000 rounds per minute for a MG 81Z mounted on each side of the helicopter. The MG 81 was also marketed for infantry use with bipod, wood buttstock, and reduced fire rate of 1,200 rounds per minute.[2]
The MG 81Z was found in many unique installations in Luftwaffe combat aircraft, such as a pair of MG 81Z (for a total of four guns) installed in the hollow tail cone of theDornier Do 217 K-2. Designated R19 (R forRüstsatz) as a factory designed field conversion/upgrade kit, it allowed the pilot of the Do 217 to shoot at pursuers.
Another application was theGießkanne (Watering can), anexternally mounted pod with three gun pairs, making a total of six guns and their ammunition. Able to fire at a cyclic rate of 9,000 rounds per minute, this was attached toJunkers Ju 87 orJu 88 in an underwing mount and used to strafe ground targets.[3]
