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ALLIED BOMBS AND FUZES |
| BRITISH FUZES |
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FUZE DATA |
FILE NO.: 2214.T10 |
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NATIONALY: BRITISH |
INFORMATION DATE: February 1944 |
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DESIGNATION |
PRINCIPAL MARKING |
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Fuze No. 42 |
CLASSIFICATION |
Fuze, Aerial Burst, Pyrotechnic |
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Mks. I & II |
TYPE OF MISSILE |
Aircraft Flares |
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MARKINGS: |
No. 42 II & Lot No. |
BOMBS USED IN: |
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embossed on base. "Lock" and "Unlock" |
4,5" Raconnaissance Flares Mks. I to V. |
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with arrows appear on fuze shoulder. |
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LEGEND |
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1 |
Striker |
8 |
Delay capsule |
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2 |
Striker spring |
9 |
Burster |
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3 |
Cotter key |
10 |
Safety shutter |
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4 |
Retainer balls |
11 |
Screw |
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5 |
Pull-off cup |
12 |
Body |
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6 |
Pull wire |
13 |
Base plug |
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7 |
Primer |
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DATA |
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COLOR |
Unpainted |
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OVERALL LENGTH |
5.25 inches (approximately) |
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OVERALL WIDTH |
3.0 inches (approximately) |
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MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION |
Steel. |
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DESCRIPTION |
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The fuze body (12) is held to a base plug (13) by screws (11). The base plug contains the burster (9). A dome-shaped cover with a long bell-shaped throat fits over the fuze body a bayonet joint. A spring-loaded striker (1) is lodged in the throat. The striker is held in position by a cotter key (3) through the body and by retainer balls (4) at the head of the striker. The retainer balls are housed in holes in a cap (5) and bear against the walls of the throat. The cap has a pull wire (6) extending from its top to which a drilled plate attaches. Below the striker is housed the explosive train. |
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OPERATION |
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The cotter key (3) is removed when the flare is loaded. When the flare is dropped, the drilled plate is held in the plane, thus causing an outward pull on the cap (5). As the cap is withdrawn, the bell-shaped walls of the throat allow the retainer balls (4) to fall outboard from the slotted striker head, thus allowing the striker (1) to hit the percus-sion cap (7), igniting the delay train (8) which in turn explodes the burster. |
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POSITION & METHOD OF FIXED IN BOMB |
Screw into nose of flare by means of six right-hand threads. |
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FUZES LIKELY TO BE FOUND WITH |
None. |
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COMPONENTS OF EXPLOSIVE TRAIN |
Primer (7), powder delay capsule (8), and black powder burster (9). |
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ARMING TIME |
Fires on release from plane. |
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REMARKS |
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1. Several delay capsules are available, regulated to produce flare action at from 3000 to 20,000 feet below the plane. (If Mk. V flare is used, it must be recalled that this flare contains a two minute delay in itself.) |
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2. The Mk. I differs only in that a wire loop is substituted for the drilled plate, and that the fuze is of weaker construction. |
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3. A safety shutter (10) holds the magazine aperture safe prior to installing the delay capsule. |
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