I was fortunate to get invited to sit in on a recent 3-day training class at Dillon Aero in Scottsdale, Arizona. (My timing was off, though, because apparently this week some of the Dillon Aero/Blue Press calendar models are scheduled to be there for a photo shoot with the Aero).
Day 1 covered basic operation and immediate action drills on the minigun, as well as how to properly load the ammunition cans to keep rounds from tilting inside (which would lead to feed jams in the feeder/delinker and possibly hand-off jams between the feeder/delinker and the minigun itself).
We spent Day 2 on the range firing from a Huey while the AH-6 Little Bird alternated gun runs with its dual miniguns. Then later on the ground we fired the Dillon Aero once again, along with various other weapons (such as the M2HB, AK47 and AK74, and a 1911 machine pistol). My girlfriend got to accompany us to the range, and she loved it, especially considering she initially did not even want to come along.
We fired approximately 37,000 rounds through the Dillon Aero minigun that day without a single stoppage, hangfire or cook-off. At one point they even scooped up a handful of dirt and dust from the Arizona desert and literally dumped it into the open port of the top cover/safing sector, and the Dillon Aero just kept on firing! This is clearly a testament to the redesigned Dillon Aero parts, which are a vast improvement over the original General Electric M134 parts and make for an extremely reliable weapon system (minigun, feeder/delinker, motor assembly, clutch/solenoid, GCU, ammo boxes of various capacities, feed chute and round repositioner).
Day 3 was hands-on back in the classroom learning inspection, maintenance and repair procedures; we got to completely tear down several miniguns, inspect them for damage and wear, and reassemble and properly lube all the parts.
Thanks to Mike Dillon and kudos to the great crew and all the other gracious hosts at Dillon Aero, as well as Dillon Precision in the other half of their building. I hope to make it back one day to get a ride and some trigger time in the Little Bird, as well as in the modified SUV with the Dillon Aero in its top hatch.
Here are a few photos and two videos (firing at 3000 rpm, or 50 shots per second):
Day 1 covered basic operation and immediate action drills on the minigun, as well as how to properly load the ammunition cans to keep rounds from tilting inside (which would lead to feed jams in the feeder/delinker and possibly hand-off jams between the feeder/delinker and the minigun itself).
We spent Day 2 on the range firing from a Huey while the AH-6 Little Bird alternated gun runs with its dual miniguns. Then later on the ground we fired the Dillon Aero once again, along with various other weapons (such as the M2HB, AK47 and AK74, and a 1911 machine pistol). My girlfriend got to accompany us to the range, and she loved it, especially considering she initially did not even want to come along.
We fired approximately 37,000 rounds through the Dillon Aero minigun that day without a single stoppage, hangfire or cook-off. At one point they even scooped up a handful of dirt and dust from the Arizona desert and literally dumped it into the open port of the top cover/safing sector, and the Dillon Aero just kept on firing! This is clearly a testament to the redesigned Dillon Aero parts, which are a vast improvement over the original General Electric M134 parts and make for an extremely reliable weapon system (minigun, feeder/delinker, motor assembly, clutch/solenoid, GCU, ammo boxes of various capacities, feed chute and round repositioner).
Day 3 was hands-on back in the classroom learning inspection, maintenance and repair procedures; we got to completely tear down several miniguns, inspect them for damage and wear, and reassemble and properly lube all the parts.
Thanks to Mike Dillon and kudos to the great crew and all the other gracious hosts at Dillon Aero, as well as Dillon Precision in the other half of their building. I hope to make it back one day to get a ride and some trigger time in the Little Bird, as well as in the modified SUV with the Dillon Aero in its top hatch.
Here are a few photos and two videos (firing at 3000 rpm, or 50 shots per second):
