MG FF cannon

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MG FF
A restored MG FF cannon
Type	Aircraft Cannon
Place of origin	Nazi Germany
Service history
Wars	World War II
Production history
Manufacturer	Ikaria
Specifications
Mass	26.3 kg (58 lb)
Length	1,337 mm (52.6 in)
Barrel length	822 mm (32.4 in)
Shell	20×80mm RB
Caliber	20 mm
Action	API blowback
Rate of fire	520-540 rpm
Muzzle velocity	585, 600 or 700 m/s
Feed system	Drum 30,45,60,90 rounds

The MG FF was a drum-fed, blowback-operated, 20 mm aircraft autocannon, developed in 1936 by Ikaria Werke Berlin of Germany. It was a derivative of the Swiss Oerlikon FF F cannon (its FF suffix indicating Flügel Fest, for a fixed-mount, wing location from the Swiss original), with the Oerlikon FF design itself a development of the Imperial German World War I Becker 20 mm cannon, and was designed to be used in space-limited, fixed mountings such as inside aircraft wings, although it saw use as both an offensive and a defensive weapon, in both fixed and flexible format. It saw widespread use in those roles by the German Luftwaffe, particularly during the early stages of World War II, although from 1941 onwards it was gradually replaced by the Mauser firm's 20 mm MG 151/20, which had both a higher rate of fire and muzzle velocity.

One major disadvantage of the MG FF cannon was its extremely low ammunition count. One cannon only carried 90 bullets, and these were fired very quickly.