FLARE HEAD, NO. 1 MKS I & II, NO. 2 MK I

OVERALL LENGTH

DIAMETER

TOTAL WEIGHT

FUZING

TAIL PROPELLING, ROCKET. 2", MK VI

OVERALL LENGTH

DIAMETER

WIDTH OF FINS

TOTAL WEIGHT

PROPELLANT

PROPELLANT WEIGHT

BURNING TIME

0.9 seconds at 60° F.

GENERAL:

This flare is used to illuminate enemy targets at night. It is used in conjunction with medium caliber cannon, a flare launcher being mounted on either side of the gun shield at a fixed angle of 30 degrees. This arrangement makes it possible to kepp a target illu-minated and at the same time engage it with the main armamant.

DESCRIPTION:

Rocket, Flare Head, 2": The flare head consists of a cylindrical tinned-plate contai-ner, with two cannelures near the base. Inserted in the container is a metal canister, which houses the illuminating candle and attached parachute assembly. A ballistic cap is fitted to the forward end of the container, to which it is secured with adhesive tape. A base socket is secured to the other end of the container by indenting the cannelu-res. The base socket screws into the shell ring of the rocket motor and contains the thermal ejector. This latter consists of a steel base plate, in the center of which is a metal septum of accurately machined thickness. The lower end of a length of safety fuse (primary delay), cut to burn approximately 22 seconds, makes intimate contact with 2-1/2 grains of lead-dinitro-resorcinate (LDNR), which is stemmed into the septum recess. The upper end of the safety fuse extends into a magazine containing about 40 grains of G.12 gunpowder (primary ejection charge). Protruding from the base end of the canister is a short lenght of safety fuse (secondary delay) cut to burn 3 seconds. The lower end of this secondary delay is in close proximity to the primary ejection charge, and its upper end projects into a magazine containing about 40 grains of G.12 gunpowder (secondary ejection charge).

Tail, Propelling, Rocket, 2", Mk VI: This motor is identical to the Mk III motor descri-bed on page 25, except that the obturator of the latter is perforated, while that of the former is not, but rather is rust-proofed to allow free conduction of heat to the termal fuze in the flare head. For this reason, Mk VI motors are marked "T.H.", indicating their use with termal initiators. No other motor may be used with the flare head.

The complste round (flare head and motor) weighs 12.25 lbs. and measures 51 in-ches in overall length.

Proposed new nomenclature for the rocket motor is "Motor, Rocket, 2", No. 1 Mk VI".

OPERATION:

When the rocket is fired, heat from the burning propellant grain is transmitted through the head obturator and the thin septum of the thermal ejector, igniting the LDNR and initiating the lower end of the primary delay. After 22 seconds the primary ejection charge is ignited, and the canister is ejected from the container in a forward direction. The secondary delay is initiated by the flash from the primary ejection charge and after three seconds initiates the secondary ejection charge, which ignites the candle and ejects the parachute, cable, and candle in a forward direction from the canister. The parachute opens when ejected from the canister, and the lighted flare candle is suspended in mid-air.

The purpose of the secondary delay is to allow the velocity of the canister to fall to a speed at which the flare and parachute assembly may be ejected without danger of break-up.

The flare is ejected at a range of about 5000 yards and an altitude of about 2000 feet. The duration of burning of the flare is about 70 secs.

REMARKS:

(1) The different flare heags vary only in the Ejector, Contents employed, as fol-lows:

Flare Head

No. 1 Mk I

No. 1 Mk II

No. 2 Mk I

No. 5 Mk I (with 9 sec. delay)