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| U.S.N.B.D. - BRITISH BOMBS AND FUZES; PYROTECHNICS; DETONATORS |
| AIRCRAFT PYROTECHNICS |
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BRITISH BOMB |
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OVERALL LENGTH (extended) |
17 in. |
FLAME FLOAT |
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OVERALL LENGTH (collapsed) |
8 in. | |
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MAX. BODY DIAMETER |
3.7 in. | |
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FILLER |
Calcium phosphide | |
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FILLER WEIGHT |
2 lbs. |
Aircraft, Navigation, Mk I |
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TOTAL WEIGHT |
3.2 lbs. |
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EFFECTIVE ILLUMINATION |
5 min. |
(Obsolescent) |
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COLOR |
Cylinder painted red |
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with yellow label on lid |
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DESCRIPTION: |
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Cylindrical tinplate canister with a tinplate lid having a central aperture soldered over the top of the canister and a slotted brass sealing patch soldered over the aperture. Soldered to the lid is an iron gauze tube, which extends axially nearly to the bottom of the canister, and is closed at its lower end. The annular space outside the gauze tube is filled with granualr calcium phosphide. At its base the canister is closed by a cap which fits over its outside. The canister is surrounded by an outer fabric bag, which is considerably longer than the canister. Secured by a double row of stitching inside the outer fabric bag, above the canister, is a second fabric bag, termed the inner fabric bag. Above the top of the canister, in the walls of the inner and outer fabric bags, at different levels, are two eyelets. The pull-off line passes through the aperture in the leather patch at the top of the inner fabric bag and through the neck of the outer fab-ric bag, the aperture being a fairly snug fit on the line. |
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FUNCTIONING: |
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When the flame float has been prepared for use by removing the brass sealing patch and has been dropped into the sea, water passes through the eyelets and enters the canister trough the aperture in its lid. The water enters the gauze tube through which is penetrates into the calcium phosphide filling. Phosphine is then evolved, inflating the inner fabric bag, and providing sufficient buoyancy to bring the flame float to the sur-face of the sea. The gas escapes from the neck of the outer fabric bag, and takes fire spontaneously in contact with the air, producing a highly luminous flame. |
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REMARKS: |
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It may be dropped from any height and gives a reasonably steady and bright flame for about five minutes. A flame continues for a further 15 minutes, but it becomes in-crasingly feeble and intermittent. |
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If the sealing patch of the canister has been removed, the flame float must be drop-ped or removed to a safe place for disposal. |
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