Aircraft Illuminator Flare No. 1 Mks I and II (Service)

Description: The flare consists of a cylindrical body, which houses three illuminating stars. At the lower end of the body is a conical wooden nose, which insure easy entry of the flare into the funnel tube of an ignition chute. The upper end of the body is closed by a wooden plug and a metalic disc, the weight of which facilitates the passage of the flare through the chute and off-sets the up-draught and air drag as the flare leaves the aircraft.

Each star is primed at both ends and has a short strip of primed fabric wrapped around the star and held in position by two threads. A long strip of primed fabric extends along the sides of the three stars and is held in position by three additional threads, one around each star, at a position between the threads securing the short strip.

Between the metal disc and the top of the upper star is an apertured feld washer which contains a charge of gunpowder. A primed fabric disc is loacted between the bot-tom of the lower star and the upper surface of the nose. Vent holes are provided in the nose, whose open ends are sealed with paper sealing discs.

Two copper strips pass along the outside of the body beneath a paper wrapper sur-rounding the body. Their lower ends are connected to the leads from teh electric fuze, and their upper ends emerge from, and are secured by, wire staples to the wrapper. The portion of the outer surface of the paper wrapper surrounding the staples is sprayed with zinc to form contact bands.

The Flare No. 1 Mk II is identical to the Flare No. 1 Mk I, with the following excepti-ons. The upper end of the body is closed by a metal cap, and the nose is made of moul-ded plastic material. A pellet of delay composition is used instead of the length of delay safety fuse, and a length of quickmatch is located between the bottom of the lowest star and the priming composition.

Functioning: When the flare is launched through the ignition chute, the contact bands make rubbing contact with the spring wiper contact in the chute, and the electric fuze is fired. This fuze ignites the delay safety fuse, igniting the priming composition, which in turn fires the long primed fabric strip. This strip initates the short primed fabric strips, igniting the stars. The gunpowder charge ejects the stars from the body.

When the Flare Mk II is launched, the electric fuze fires the pellet of delay composi-tion, initiating the priming composition. This ignites the quickmatch, which in turn fires the long primed fabric strip.

Remarks: A delay of approximately two seconds occurs between the release of the flare and its ignition.

Figure 82 – Aircraft Illuminator Flare No. 1 Mk II