Ordnance, Explosives, and Related Items

 

Description

Fuze No. 35 Mk IV consists of a body containing an igniter mechanism, a delay system, a setting ring, magazine charge igniters, and a magazine holding a gunpowder charge. The igniter mechanism comprises a spring loaded striker and a detonator located in a horizontal channel in the fuze body. The striker is held in a firing plug by two retaining balls which engage an annular groove of the striker. The firing plug protrudes from the fuze body, and is attached to the aircraft by a fuzing link. A safety pin, screwed into the body, retains the striker in the safe position.

The delay system consists of a quantity of delay composition contained in two grooves cut into the upper and lower surfaces of the fixed-delay ring. A bridge of metal separates the ends | of each groove, and a long pellet connects the grooves. The powder in the lower groove provides a fixed minimum delay period and communicates with a firing channel located between the detonator and the exhaust plug. The fixed delay ring is secured to the fuze body by a locating pin. Its outer surface is graduated in hundreds of feet up to 800, and thereafter in thousands of feet, representing the distance of fall before the magazine is fired.

The setting ring, on which a red setting arrow is marked, contains two short igniter pellets. A hole leads from the upper pellet to an annular groove formed in the ring. This groove is aligned with an annular groove cut in a spigot, which is screwed into the fuze body. A number of long igniter pellets, arranged in the form of a cross in the spigot, communicate with the groove in the spigot. A flash channel leads down from the center of the cross, through the spigot, and into another flash channel in the fuze body. The latter channel leads to the magazine. A tensioning ring, locked in position with grub screws, determines the ease with which the setting ring may be rotated.

The magazine consists of an apertured magazine cover held in position by a base plug, which is screwed into the bottom of the fuze body. A paper disc covers the aperture in the magazine cover, and a hole leading out of the base plug is sealed with another paper disc. The magazine contains a gunpowder charge of about 30 grains.

Fuze No. 35 Mk I is identical to the Mk IV, except that the fixed delay ring is graduated from 3 1/2 to 17, representing seconds of delay. The magazine contains 50 grains of gunpowder. The No. 35 Mk I* is identical to the Mk I, except that the gunpowder charge is reduced to 30 grains. The No. 35 Mk II is identical to the Mk IV, except that the gunpowder charge in the magazine is 50 grains. The No. 35 Mks II* and III are substantially identical to the Fuze Mk IV.

Functioning

No information about functioning.

See Also

Nothing else to see.

Source(s)

OP 1665, British Explosive Ordnance (1946)