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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0129.PDF
28 January 1955 129 MISSILES AND PROJECTILES Continued from page 122) trench, covered with a blanket, can survive uninjured the flashheat of a napalm burst. A tank, if battened down and properly managed, would suffer only superficial damage. However, napalmremains distinctly effective against soft-skinned targets. To ensure the proper flame spread the dropping aircraft must make a fairlyfast run as low as possible, thus achieving surprise and providing a difficult target for A.A. defences. Release at too high a speedcauses such a spread of flame as to reduce effectiveness. The American-type napalm tanks commonly used by theRepublic Thunderjet must be released from a greater height than is possible with made-up British tanks (stocks are not normallyheld by the R.A.F.) because of the particular fusing arrangements. A possible load of the North American F-100 is two "750 lbnapalm bombs" and small tanks of 40 U.S. gal capacity have been developed for the Fletcher Defender light ground-attack aircraft. Napalm tanks used by the R.A.F. in a 1954 demonstrationwere auxiliary fuel tanks filled with inflammable material, differ- ing somewhat from the American napalm. The limiting speedfor height and release were quoted as 350 kt and 50ft, and detona- tion was achieved by means of a phosphorus grenade, with anall-ways fuse placed into the tank itself. Anti-personnel Darts. Anti-personnel (fragmentation) bombsand clusters continue in service, but a post-war U.S.A.F. develop- ment—apparently having a very restricted application—is an anti-personnel missile developed at the Armament Centre, Eglin Air Force Base. Recalling the flechettes of the First World War andknown as Lazy Dog, this is a steel dart, a few inches long and resembling a tiny bomb. It is intended for use against troopconcentrations from low-flying aircraft. H. F. K. Republic F-84F Thunderstreok releasing napalm after a previous attack. U.S. Marines leave their fox-holes during tactical atom-bomb tests in the Nevada Desert. (Above, left) HVARs and napalm tanks on a tip- tanked Martin fi-57 night intruder. (Above) 1,000-lb mine and four American-type sonobuoys on a Fairey Firefly. (Below) Filling 110-U.S.-gallon napalm tanks on an F.84E.
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