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| Ho-05 cannon | |
|---|---|
 Type-97 (top), Ho-103 (middle), Ho-05 cannon (bottom) in Royal Thai Air Force Museum. | |
| Type | Aircraft autocannon |
| Place of origin | Empire of Japan |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Imperial Japanese Army Air Service Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service |
| Wars | World War II |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 37 kg (82 lb) |
| Length | 1,444 mm (56.9 in)[citation needed] |
| Barrel length | 900 mm (35 in) |
| Cartridge | 20×94mm |
| Calibre | 20 mm (0.79 in) |
| Action | Short recoil-operated |
| Rate of fire | Early version: 820 rounds/min Later version: 700-750 rounds/min 500 rounds/min (synchronized) |
| Muzzle velocity | 735 m/s (2,410 ft/s) |
| Feed system | 150-round Belt |
The Ho-5 (Army Type 2) was a Japanese aircraft autocannon used during World War II. Developed from the Ho-103 machine gun, it was a version of the American Model 1921 Browning aircraft machine gun. It replaced the Ho-1 and Ho-3 (Army Type 97) in general service. The Ho-5 was belt-fed using typical Browning-style steel disintegrating links. The cartridge used was a shortened version of the Allied 20 x 110mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404.
The Ho-5 was used mostly as wing mounts in late-war fighters, but saw limited use as cowl mounted in fighters and as flexible mounted (retrofit) in bombers.