bomb release device

[F0031]

Can anyone identify this device I acquired at Stoneleigh. Looks like a bomb release mechanism for a small bomb (50kg or less?), but which aircraft I don't know. It is small; the main steel casing is 214mm x 70mm x 22mm and the two cradles are 174mm apart. It's a little past its sell-by date but one can see how it works. A rod inside the cylindrical part moves a small hook, which releases a larger hook, which then releases the main hook. The two holes are presumably for inspection - to see that the first two hooks are properly engaged.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[hicky1300]

Hi Tony
Definitely a bomb release mechanism - but at type/origin etc cannot help further.
One of the holes may have been for the installation of a safety (pip) pin.
This would be installed upon loading bomb into rack - then removed on pre-flight (assuming aircraft was around long enough to warrant pin!!)

 

[Rockteer]

Visited Flixston museum in Norfolk last October, and they had one of these displayed, seem to remember it was British origin.

Dan

 

[F0031]

Latest information I have is that it is definitely RAF. Probably Bristol Blenheim or similar. Thanks to aircraft parts man at Victory 2012.

Tony.

 

[ramc181]

You're welcome Tony.

Looking at it again it's not the type I originally thought, but appears to be somewhat earlier.
I'll keep an eye on the manuals in case a match turns up.

All the best,
PB

 

[Dreamk]

This is definitively not a British bomb rack - British bomb racks (or more correctly "carriers") were standardized and rather different - same for teh French they were standardized and very typical. Any way this one is made for single lug horizontal suspension bombs - in practice European bombs (including British and German). It is very similar to the early ww2 bomb racksthat you could find on US made fighters delivered to the British such as the Buffalo or the early Mustangs. I'll try to get a more definitive identification using the dimensions given.

 

[Dreamk]

After further checks, it is indeed very similar to the early versions of the USN Mk50 bomb rack - single release (25lbs to 500lbs) - it may well be a version of the earlier USN Mk41 (100lbs - single release) that equipped "naval fighters" such as the F2A and the F4F aimed at the European export market (UK, Nederlands, Finland) but the "holes" positioning and the the height to length ratio seem to differ.

Mk 50 early

Buffalo bomb rack (the following drawing and the photo refer to different versions of the rack)

late version of the MK50 (mod 5 from 1943 onwards)

 

[John D. Bartleson Jr.]

It appears to be a U.s. 14 inch suspension with sway braces.
John

 

[Dreamk]

U.S. 14 inch suspension are double release racks - this one is a single release one.

 

[F0031]

Thanks for all your ideas, gentlemen. The plot thickens. Here are the details I have so far and some more pictures.

Bomb release mechanism (shackle) for a smallish bomb. Steel object; the main rectangular steel casing has dimensions 214mm x 70mm x 22mm and is supported by a steel cylinder 265mm long 20mm diameter running through the upper part. Inside the cylinder is a thin rod the pulling (or pushing?) of which initiates the release of the bomb. The rod is connected to a small hook, which releases the extension arm of the next hook, which then releases the extension arm of the hook that carries the bomb. The bomb suspension eye is hooked in place at 79mm from one end of the casing and the mechanism for releasing the bomb is clearly visible inside. Two 9mm diameter inspection holes in the casing enable one to verify the proper engagement of the first two hooks in the chain, or maybe for inserting a safety pin or two. There are two bomb support cradles 174mm apart and both would have been adjustable.

Condition: a rusty relic with all moving parts except the main hook locked; there are traces of brownish green paint.

This looks like it is used where a number of horizontally orientated bombs are loaded in the bomb bay vertically. Each bomb has its own release gear. The protruding cylindrical parts act as bearings and allow the device to be mounted with rotational freedom between two vertical rails. When a bomb is released, the device swings back to leave a clear path for the next bomb above it.

Identified by knowledgeable air enthusiast at Victory, 8 Sep 2012 as an RAF piece used on the smaller bombers such as Blenheim Bristol. It will handle bombs of up to about 250 lb, perhaps more.

Tony.

 

[kahu1]

The USN MK50 style racks i've seen are all nickel or stainless steel construction ,and wouldn't rust or corrode to the extent of your example.

cheers
Bob

 

[Dreamk]

A swivel bomb shackle makes sense, but whether it's British, allow me to disagree. British bombers were not equipped with swivel bomb shackles but with bomb racks ("carriers"). Even in the internal bomb bay, bombs were set on a single horizontal layer (something that caused problems to the Fins when they wanted to use their Tolfvan bombs on Bristol Blenheim bombers). This had a purpose, as there were small access panels in the floor at each bomb rack location and it was possible to manually release a hung up bomb that failed to release for electrical reasons.
Lancaster bomb bay

Wellington bomb bay

Only some late versions of the Wellington seem to have had some kind of of vertically superposed bomb arrangement - but apparently intended for "simultaneous salvo" release rather than a swivel type shackle.

The only swivel bomb shackles used on Allied ww2 bombers were French (Alkan vertical bomb racks) and American. The US bomb shackles were quite different from what is shown here. These shackles had the two mating hooks for the lugs on the bomb, and in the center was a smaller receptacle for the arming wires that were run through the nose and tail fuse. If the bomb was to be released "armed", the wires were retained and would be flapping all over the bomb bay,after bomb release. If the bomb was dumped "unarmed", the wires would be released with the bomb and the fuses would not be armed, as the wire would stay affixed to the fuse.
The most commonly used shackle was the B7 bomb shackle, for carrying 100 to 1100lb bombs. The B10 bomb shackle was used for carrying 1600lb bombs and was also interchangeable with the B7. The D-6 bomb shackle carried a 2,000lb or 4,000lb bomb.
About ww2 us bomb shackles see: http://aafcollection.info/items/documents/view.php?file=000022-01-08.pdf
and the following photos (i'm posting the links instead of directly the pics themselves due to size limitations of this post)
B-24 bomb shackle
http://b-24.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/4/5/2445276/7304183.jpg?448x307
B-29 bomb shackle
http://www.aircraftarchaeology.com/B-29 Texas/shackle 001.jpg
B-17 outboard bomb rack showing the hooks for the bomb shackles
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/awa01/101-200/awa164-B-17/part2/images_Karl_Hauffe/rack12.jpg
B-7 bomb release shackle
http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/for...ttach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=450930
http://archives.sercap.us/resources/internal/file_views/1041/1_H_Base9_009.jpg
B-10 bomb shackle
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k227/ramc181/GF1.jpg