Introduction

A cluster projectile is an assemblage of small bombs or flares held together primarily by resilient straps and beams. It is constructed so as to be aimable projectile, and is usually fitted with a tail unit for purposes of stabilzation.

At present there are cluster projectiles for flares, incendiary bombs, smoke bombs, and small fragmentation bombs. The cluster projectiles are rapidly replacing the Small Bomb containers as the preferred method of carrying small bombs and flares. Advantages of the cluster projectiles include ease of loading and installation in the aircraft, increased number of bombs or flares contained in the same space, and increased accuracy.

A new and improved type of cluster, called the Nose Ejection Cluster, was put into production just before the end of World War II. These clusters are discussed in general at the end of this chapter, and available details listed in tabular form.

Fuzes are incorporated in the cluster projectile to disintegrate the cluster itself and so permit the individual bombs of flares to disperse and fall freely. Cluster projectiles have explosive channels and pellets so designed as to break up the cluster without injuring any of the contained bombs. Flare and incendiary clusters are fuzed either at the nose or at the tail, while fragmentation and smoke bomb clusters now in service are fuzed in the tail only. Nose ejection clusters are tail fuzed only and use two tail fuzes to insure func-tioning.

The bombs or flares are usually shipped already packed in the cluster projectiles, so that assembly of the complete round is not necessary in the field. The fuze of the clus-ter is generally installed just prior to loading the projectile on the aircraft.