|
|
| BRITISH EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE |
| Part 1 - Chapter 3 |
| General Purpose Bombs |
|
G.P. 500-lb., Mks IV, V and VI (Service) |
| Data |
|
Fuzing |
Mk IV – Nose Pistol No. 27, 42 or 44; Tail Pistol No. 28, 30 or 37 |
|
|
Mk V – Tail Pistol No. 17 (Long Delay) only |
|
|
MK VI – See "Remarks" |
|
Color markings |
Dark green over-all with ½-in. red band 1-in. from nose; 1-in. light green band 8 in. from nose; 1-in. by ¼-in. white line on the body base indicates that bomb has been filled. |
|
Tail No. |
No. 2 Mk I, or No. 26 Mk I or II |
|
Over-all length |
With No. 2 Tail, 70.6 in.; |
| with No. 26 Tail, 55.6 in. | |
|
Body length |
Mk IV – 37.2 in. |
| Mk V – 36.4 in. | |
|
Body diameter |
12.9 in. |
|
Wall thickness |
0.72 in. |
|
Tail length |
No. 2 Mk I, 33.4 in.; |
| No. 26 Mk I, 20.4 in. | |
|
Tail width |
12.9 in. |
|
Total weight |
470 lb. (with No. 2 tail) |
|
Charge/weight ratio |
31% (approx.) |
|
Body Construction: |
|
Mk IV – The body consists of a hollow steel casting open at each end. The nose end is internally threaded to house and exploder container, which is locked in position by a locking screw. The tail end is shaped to take the tail cone, and is provided with four equally spaced slots to locate the spring clips on the tail. A male base plate threads into the after end of the body and has two threaded holes to receive the transit base bolts. |
|
Mk V – This bomb is externally the same as the Mk IV, but has a central exploder tube instead of the exploder pocket at either end. The fuzing is in the tail only, and the nose is closed by a nose plug which has a cross cut in the end, instead of a ring as in the Bomb Mk IV. |
|
Tail Construction: The 500-lb. Tail No. 2 Mk I differs from the 250-lb. Tail No. 2 Mk I only in the weight and dimensions. The tail assembly consists of a tail cone with a cylin-drical tail strut attached to it by four fins. It is attached to the bomb body by four screws. |
|
The 500-lb. Tail Assembly No. 26 Mk I is similar to the 500-lb. Tail No. 2 Mk I, differing mainly in weight and dimensions. It is used on the 500-lb. G.P. Bomb Mk IV or Mk V when carried externally on high-speed fighter air-craft, or internally on fighter bomber of the Mosquito type. The tail and fins are shorter, and it has a two-bladed arming vane instead of the four-bladed arming vane used on the Tail No. 2 Mk I. |
|
Suspension: The bomb has a single suspension lug slightly aft of center of gravity, and secured to it by four countersunk screws. |
|
Explosive Components |
|
Detonator – (See Part 2, chap. 4, Detonators.) |
|
Exploders – Mk IV, TNT, and C.E.; Mk V, one central exploder tube instead of the nose and tail exploder container. The exploder consists of C.E. pellets and TNT. |
|
Filling – 144.5 lb. of TNT, or 143 lb. Amatol. |
|
Remarks: Bomb Mk V was manufactured to use up existing stocks of Pistol No. 17 (long delay), which are too long to fit into the Bomb Mk IV. |
|
The Anti-Disturbance Fuze No. 845, formerly incorporated in the nose when the Tail Pistol No. 37 was used, is now obsolete. |
|
Tail fins are usually painted red when a time pistol is used. |
|
The Bomb Mk VI is made in the U.S. and uses fuzes manufactured there to British de-signs: Nose Fuze Mk VII, M3; Tail Fuze Mk V, M1. |
|
|
|
Figure 11 – G.P. 500-lb. Bomb Mk IV |
|
|
