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| U.S.N.B.D. - UNITED STATES - BOMBS AND FUZES; PYROTECHNICS |
| SECTION I - HIGH EXPLOSIVE BOMBS |
| PART IV - U.S. ARMY-NAVY "AN" SERIES BOMBS |
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DATA: |
U.S. ARMY CLUSTER ADAPTER |
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M15 |
M16 |
M15, M16 |
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OVERALL LENGTH |
47.35 in. | 59.635 in. | |
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BODY DIAMETER |
8.0 in. | 13.89 in. | |
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TAIL WIDTH |
11.0 in. | 18.9 in | |
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WEIGHT LOADED |
115 lbs. | 415 lbs. |
M15A1 |
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FUZING: |
M15A2 |
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M155 (replacing M111A2) |
M16A1 |
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AN-M145 (subsitute für M155) |
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M111A2 (to be used if neither M155 and |
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M145 available. Partially arm by |
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rotating vanes 130 turns clock- |
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wise). |
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GENERAL: |
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The M15 is a cylindrical sheet metal case which opens longitudinally, being hin-ged at the rear and closed by a nose cup. When loaded it contains twenty-four 4 lb. frag. bombs, forming the M28 cluster. The cluster is designed to fit 100 lb. bomb stations. |
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The M16 is similar to the M15 except for size. The M16 contains ninety 4 lb. frag. bombs when loaded and forms the M29 cluster. The adapter is loaded with bombs in wafer form, each wafer being comprised of 10 bombs. The cluster can be carried on any 500 lb. bomb station. It has a third lug for suspension in British plan-es. |
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OPERATION: |
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Clusters are released from altitude of not less than 3000 ft. and not more than 5000 ft. Fuze settings for functioning after release are varied from 5 seconds at mi-nimum release altitude to 8 seconds at maximum release altitude. When the fuze fi-res it releases the nose closing cup, allowing the adapter to open and release the bombs. The bombs scatter to form a pattern over an area of approximately 300 by 200 ft. |
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REMARKS: |
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The M28A1 cluster is the same as the M28 except that it incoroperation a spoiler ring around the nose and a drag plate secured to the tail by four screws. These two devices were added because the dropping altitude for the M28 was limited by the high velovity attained by the clusters at high altitudes, resulting in damage to the butterfly when the clusters opened. When drag plates and spoiler rings are used, the recommended release altitude is 1500 feet with a six second fuze setting, or any higher altitude which will open the cluster at a height between 1000 and 2500 feet. |
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The M28A2 and M29A1 clusters modify the M28A1 and M29A1 clusters by newly designed locking cups, which are secured to the cluster adapter by two slotted screws. The M15 cluster adapter becomes the M16A1 and the M15A1 becomes the M15A2. |
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M28A1 CLUSTER, SHOWING SPOILER RING AND DRAG PLATE |
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