Mk 1 (Obsolete)

Length, inches

Diameter, inches

Weight, pounds

Burning time, minutes

Intensity, candlepower

280,000

Use: The flare provides a target for both day and night practice firing of antiaircraft guns.

Description: The flare consists of an illuminant tube and a cable-container tube made of rocket paper. These are joined end-to-end under the external metal reinfocring band. Both ends are closed by chip-board discs held in place with tape. The cable ring is atta-ched to the snubbler cable at the end which protrudes through the cover disc of the flare assembly. The snubber cable is attached to the base block with staples.

Friction wire is attached to the end of the snubber cable and extends through the pri-mer composition, which is adjacent to the quick match which runs through a cardboard tube in the center of the illuminant. At the end of the quick-match tube is a firecracker fuse terminating in the first fire composition, which is in contact with the main illuminant charge.

Streaming: The flare may be streamed from any airplane from which an aircraft or antiaircraft target reel can be mounted.

Operation: The flare slides back along the tow cable until the cable ring is stopped by the target release mechanism. Force exerted on the snubber cable pulls off the end of the cable-container tube, and the five solder snubbers are stripped off. The staples hol-ding the snubber block to the base block are withdrawn by the pull exerted. Friction wire attached to the end of the snubber block is pulled through the primer. The flame from the primer ignites the quick match, which in turn ignites the firecracker fuse igniting the first fire charge. The first fire composition ignites the illuminant.

Figure 188. A.A. Target Flare Mk 1