Introduction

This chapter includes data of flame floats, marine marker, smoke floats, sea markers, and smoke generators dropped from aircraft.

Flame floats and marine markers are devices designed to give off a flame to illuminate surrounding areas of water. Generally calcium phosphide is used as the filler for flame floats. When moistened, this chemical gives off phosphine, a gas spontaneously inflamm-able on contact with air.

Smoke floats generate smoke by the combustion of a smoke-composition filler. The smoke so produced may be used for indicating a position, for obsurement, or for signal-ling. Although all smoke floats are designed primarily for use at sea, they differs from each other in construction and design according to the purpose for which the smoke is intended. There are three essential types of smoke floats in use, one for each of the fol-lowing purposes: to mark a position at sea for navigation or bombing purposes; to create a smoke screen; and to be thrown by hand from a plane or dinghy to attract attention following a forced landing.

Sea markers are designed to be dropped at sea to produce a distinctive surface patch on the water readily visible from the air in daylight for purposes of navigation or identifi-cation. Generally, alluminum powder with stearic acid is used as the filling to form a slick.

Smoke generators are designed to emit smoke, sometimes colored, upon ignition of their filling. Only one type of generator is discussed, since it is the only one intended to be dropped from aircraft in flight.