DATA:

OVERALL LENGTH

DIAMETER OF CASE

WEIGHT

BURNING TIME

INTENSITY

COLOR

EFFECTIVE RELEASE ALTITUDE

TERMINAL VELOCITY (Before

ignition)

RATE OF FALL (After ignition)

450 ft./min.

USE:

To illuminate a large area for reconnoitering and bombing, and also as a blinding effect on the operators of anti-aircraft weapons.

DESCRIPTION:

The complete flare consists of the illuminant, a parachute, and an auxiliary para-chute, contained in a shellac impregnated chipboard case. The case is closed on the parachute end by several layers of chipboard discs held in place by gummed cloth tape and sealed with paraffin and on the illuminant end by an Ensign Bickford time fuze and a metal cover. To the snap cord of the Ensign Bickford fuze is attached the rip cord which is taped down along the side of the flare case. There are two metal steadying bands around the case against which the steadying forks or away braces of the bomb racks rest. The flare is issued in a water-proof metal container and should be kept there at all times when not installed in an aircraft.

RELEASING METHODS:

1. Aircraft-Flare container - see page 301.

2. Bomb Rack or Shackles - Mk 50 and Mods Racks; Mk 3 and Mods Shackles; Mk 51 Mods Racks; Mk 4 and Mods Shackles; Mk 5 and Mods Shackles.

For this type of release, support bands are required, which are shipped with the flare and attached in positions on the flare. The flare is suspended on the racks and shack-les with the fuze and forward. The Mk 35 and Mk 41 racks are not designed to operate with a load less than 100 lbs., and should not be used with this flare.

3. Adapter Release - Due to the size of this flare, it cannot be installed in the flare adapter used for the Mk 5 flare.

4. Cockpit Release - (Not Recommended except in emergency) - An additional 10 feet of rip cord is attached to the arming plate on the rip cord and the other end is se-cured to some substantiel part in the plane. The flare is launched by throwing it over the side in a vertical position with the fuze end up.

OPERATION:

When the flare is released, the arming plate is retained by the plane and the rip cord is torn from the side of the case, flipping the metal cover off of the Ensign Bickford fuze. (The operation of the fuze is the same as given in the Mk 5 flare).

The gases evolved when the ignition composition begins to burn, forces the end out of the flare case, followed by the auxiliary parachute, the parachute in its case, and the illuminant. The flare case falls clear. The auxiliary parachute opens and retards the parachute in its case to which it is attached, and the illuminate pulls the parachute out of its case. The auxiliary parachute and parachute case fall away and the parachute opens.

REMARKS:

This flare also incorporates a shock absorber as used in the Mk 5 with either lead balls passing through a hole of smaller diameter than the lead balls, or a special con-nection utilizing friction to absorb shock of the parachute opening.

The AN-Mk 5 Mod 5 differs from the Mk 6 in that the arming wire has swivel loops in-stead of an arming plate; the AN-Mk 6 Mod 5 will replace the AN-M26.