Description
The Flare Container Mk 1 Mod 0 is an electrically operated jettisonable container for carrying six aircraft parachute flares of the Mark 6 type only, which may be released one at a time by electrical impulses from a 24-volt battery. The container may be suspended from any standard single or double-hook bomb rack.
It is necessary to cock the mechanism manually before the container can be loaded or unloaded. The container holds six flares, three on each side of the vertical panel, one above the other. The dividing panel assembly supports the flares by metal arms or chocks. The flares are loaded with the fuze end aft, and the end of the lanyard is secured to the container. The energy for the operation of the container is stored in torsional springs and released by a solenoid. By wiring in series, several containers can be operated to secure an uninterrupted release of a series of more than six flares.
Functioning
When the solenoid is energized, the spring loaded plunger, which is linked mechanically to the release rack, retracts completely, thereby effecting the release of one flare. The solenoid plunger will remain retracted so long as the current is on. To release another flare, the circuit must be broken long enough to allow the spring-loaded plunger to return to the normal position before applying the next impulse. The maximum rate of release is about 10 flares per second, which is the highest rate practicable in order to prevent interference between the individual flares.
The cocking lever should always be in the “safety” position when on the ground, and only switched over to the “operational” position before the plane takes off. Correctly loaded flares arc a fire hazard, since they are always armed.
See Also
Nothing else to see.
Source(s)
OP 1664, Volume 1 - US Explosive Ordnance (1947)
USNBD - Bombs and Fuzes, Pyrotechnics (1945)
