Tag: bomb

Categories
German

PC 1000 Rs: Rocket-Propelled Bomb

PC 1000 Rs: Rocket-Propelled Bomb

The German 1,000 kg. (actual wt. 2,176 lb.) armor-piercing bomb (PC 1000 Rs) is a rocket-propelled type designed primarily for use against ships or similar targets The rocket, which is used to increase terminal velocity and armor penetration qualities of the bomb, consist of 19 sticks of propellant contained in a separate compartment at the base of the bomb. Gases generated by the propellant escape from the rocket container through six propulsion venturi tubes which are sealed with pitch until combustion is effected. The compartment is provided with a spring-loaded pressure release valve at the base. It is reported that the minimum height for release is 4,000 ft., and that the rocket burns for approximately three seconds after ignition, leaving a trail of flame 150 ft. long.

The bomb which is filled with alternate layers of good and poor quality TNT, and a very pure cast TNT in an aluminum container in the nose, is fuzed through the baseplate. A charging head, located in a distance piece between the bomb and the rocket container, has a junction box with connections leading to a pyrotechnic and an impact fuze through two pin plugs. These plugs are colored black and red respectively. The pyrotechnic fuze has a 2 1/2-second delay, and consists of an igniter bridge (which functions when an electrical impulse from the charging plate is received at the time of the bomb’s release), and a pyrotechnic train calculated to give a safe interval between the time of release and ignition of the rocket element.

The bomb fuze, of the electrical impact type, is also armed by the electrical impulse from the charging head.

There are three other bombs of the same general type: PC 500 Rs; a lighter version of the PC 1000 Rs; PC 1000 Rs Ex, for practice or experimental use (it has no main filling, no baseplate or bomb fuze and the weight is made up by the extra thickness of the bomb casing); and the PC 1800 Rs.

SPECIFICATIONS

Total weight       2,176 lbs.
Weight of case1,470 lbs.
Weight of explosive119 lbs.
Overall length7 ft., 2 3/4 ins.
Length of bomb3 ft., 9 ins.
Diameter of bomb1 ft., 3 1/2 ins.
Diameter of tail fins
   Large2 ft. 4 ins.
   Small1 ft., 10 ins.
Dimensions of Propellant
        6  22 1/2 ins. long x 2 15/16 ins. diameter
      12  20 7/8 ins. long x 2 15/16 ins. diameter
        1  11 1/4 ins. long x 2 15/16 ins. diameter
FillingT.N.T.
ColorSky-blue

German: p. 316

Categories
German

H. s. 293: Radio-Controlled Glider Bomb

Henschel Hs 293: Radio-Controlled Glider Bomb

The German high explosive bomb, H. s. 293, is a radio-controlled, jet-propelled glider, designed primarily for use against merchant ships and naval craft. It is usually released when the plane is in level flight at an altitude of from 3,000 to 5,000 feet, and at a distance of from 3 to 5 miles from the target. However, the bomb is not launched directly at the target, but is released during flight on a course parallel to that of the target. Upon release, the jet propulsion automatically goes into action, and thereafter the flight of the bomb is controlled from the airplane by radio. It is apparently aimed by eye alone and, as an aid to visibility, the tail is provided with flares and an electric lamp for night use.

H. s. 293 is made up of six main parts: the bomb which forms the forward part of the fuselage; the rear portion of the fuselage containing the radio control unit, a gyro, and a destructor; the jet propulsion unit (slung from the base of the bomb); the wings, or planes; the tail plane; and the tail tracer unit. The bomb case is of forged steel and is filled with approximately 600 pounds of 60/40 poured Amatol. A cylinder of compressed T.N.T. pellets lies in this filling, running forward from the fuze pocket. The control unit consists of a radio receiver, a motor generator, and a relay unit. A radio destruction device is located directly under the radio receiver and consists of a small charge with a clockwork fuze.

Propulsion is accomplished by means of a bi-liquid rocket unit. Wings and tail planes are of aerofoil section and the skin is of thin sheet alloy. Ailerons are provided for lateral control, and an elevator is concealed in the tail plane. Five flare candles burning consecutively make up the tail tracer unit.

SPECIFICATIONS

Overall length       148 ins.
Length of bomb 60 3/4 ins.
Diameter of bombV18 1/2 ins.
Total weight (approx.) 1,980 lbs.
Span of mainplanes 122 5/8 ins.
Span of tailplanes 43 3/4 ins.
Diameter of jet-propulsion unit (approx.) 12 ins.
Weight of bomb (approx.) 1,320 lbs.
Color Sky-blue

German: p. 315