Over-all length on container: 26 1/4 inches.

Diameter of container: 2 7/8 inches.

Diameter of flare body: 2 7/16 inches.

Material of wall: Sheet steel.

Type of suspension: Thrown by hand from plane.

Color and markings: Container is blue over all.

Flare body is a natural steel color.

Type of filling: A black powder ignition charge and a main filling of an illuminating compo- sition of barium chlorate 75.2 percent, gum 24.8 percent.

Weight of filling: Illuminant, 4 pounds.

Total weight of flare: 8 pounds (approximately).

Description: Each flare is packed in a blue-tinned steel container which is opened by a tear off strip. Housed within the container is a split cardboard cylinder closed at one end with a can and hinged at the other end. The cylinder contains a parachute and flare unit. The flare unit consists of a pull igniter, dealy train, ignition charge and illuminating composition in a sheet-steel tube. The pull igniter wire is attached to the parachute shrouds.

The flare proper houses a pull-type igniter which is activated by the initial jerk at the opening of the parachute. The striker is spring loaded. Two arms pivoted on the striker release grip the eye on the end of the striker. The flare body is formed from vanished steel rolled and soldered into the form of a cylinder. The case of the flare (furthest from the parachute) is serrated and the teeth crimped over the perforated disk. Two fiber washer and a steel cap held on by tape protect the network of powder strips. The end of the central tube passes through a hole in the center of the perforated disk and is crimped over it. An aluminum casting fits into the central tube and guides some of the powder strips in the disk through grooves in its face over the strips within the ignition tube. At the top of the flare is a wooden spacer drilled centrally to accommodate the central tube. A steel closing disk rests on the spacer and is soldered to the end of the central tube. The case is crimped over this disk. A conical cap with a hole in the apex to accimmodate the pull wire is fastened to the case and spacer with three wood screws.

The main filling extends from the wooden spacer down to the ignition charge and is pres-sed into the flare case. Several coils of copper wire around the central tube prevent the filling from falling out of the base when the flare is burning in the air. The ignition charge is packed unevenly below the main filling.

Operation: The tear strip is removed and the cardboard cylinder slipped out. The cap is removed from the cylinder, binding tapes untied and the flare is dropped from the plane. The resultant tug from the opening of the parachute pulls the igniter wire. The striker hits the cap which ignites the delay train which fires the ignition charge which in turn ignites the illuminating composition. Several coils of copper wire in the illuminating pre-vent the filling from failling out of the base while the flare is burning in the air.

The flare burns for 2 minutes and 40 seconds with an intense greenish-white flame.

Figure 18 - Type 90 Small Model Parachute Flare.