FUZING

COLOR

CONTENTS

TAIL NO.

OVERALL LENGTH

MAX. BODY DIAMETER

TAIL LENGTH

TAIL WIDTH

TOTAL WEIGHT

DESCRIPTION:

This cluster consists of eight faggots of seven 8 lb. F bombs each. The faggots are retained by top and bottom beams, front and rear end plates, side fairings, and four tensioning straps. The tensioning straps are held by lateral pegs on the release rod, which is located in the top beam. The release rod is connected to a lever and piston mechanism, the cylinder of which also serves as the adapter for the barometric fuze and is located on the rear end plate. Before the fuze is fitted, the adapter is closed by the inverted cup portion of the safety device for the release mechanism.

To convert the cluster into an similar cluster, a bluff nose fairing and drum type tail are fitted to the front and rear end plates, respectively. A special streamline nose fair-ing is provided for usw when the cluster is to be stowed externally on the plane.

OPERATION:

On release from the aircraft, the cluster falls until the fuze functions. The explosion of the magazine forces the piston foreward in its housing and causes a rocking motion of the pivoted lever. The sudden movement of the lever exerts a pull on the retaining bar and breaks the shear wire, disengaging the lateral pins from the tabs of the tens-ioning straps. The straps are thus released and fly outwards, releasing the bombs.