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Who knows this Fuze ?

B

Bellifortis

Well-Known Member
I hope that you all had a peaceful Christmas. today I like to share with you an unusual Fuze. We all here on this forum are too young to know it. Because of the fast pace of technological advancement, I think that it was used only for a very short time. It is a piece of what we call in Germany "Unterrichtsmunition"(school-class ammunition). The nice thing about this type of ammunition is, that it usually contains all parts like in a life item, but no energetic material. But sadly it has been so badly banged up in the past decades, that it's function can not be deduced any more. Inside parts are broken and missing. From a book I know it's designation and use, but nothing else. I would like to know it's function, to see a cut open drawing and any other information. It is russian and from the early 50s. Who can tell its designation ? And, does anybody have any info on this technically unusual fuze ? I assume that some german WW 2 technology was used in it.003.jpg
regards,
Bellifortis.
 
Could you show us all markings on that one and give a size comparison and tell the thread dimensions? Also some other views of the fuze may be helpfull.

It looks like an externally setable fuze before firing. Means this could be a rocket fuze.
 
Very good EOD. Yes, it's a rocket fuze, the V-21 for the S-21 (ARS-212) rocket. One of the first russian unguided high velocity rockets (385m/sec). It was used on Mig-15bis,-17AS,-19S,-21F-13 & Su-7B. It is a condenser type impact/ VT rocketfuze with variable delay adjusted by a Rheostat of the AP-21 "Visier". All this information I gleaned from the nice book "Soviet/Russian Aircraft weapons". I'm interested to get drawings and any type of technical info to understand the function of this fuze.
Bellifortis.
EOD said:
Could you show us all markings on that one and give a size comparison and tell the thread dimensions? Also some other views of the fuze may be helpfull.

It looks like an externally setable fuze before firing. Means this could be a rocket fuze.
Click to expand...
 
The S-21 was meant for intercepting high flying US reconnaisance aircraft. There were several modifications. The project was stopped as the rockets did not proof effectivity against aerial targets.
 
Is the designation V-21featured on the fuze?
As said can we get more images of that one please?
 

Attachments

  • S-21_Ovod_model 1953.jpg
    S-21_Ovod_model 1953.jpg
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  • S-21_Ovod-M_model 1957.jpg
    S-21_Ovod-M_model 1957.jpg
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detailed Fotos

Here you are. I hope that these will help to get some detailed info on the function and set up of this fuze.006.jpg007.jpg008.jpg009.jpg
By the way, Yefim Gordon in his book writes, that the S-21, an immediate postwar project, was developed for aerial and ground targets alike. One of this 212mm rockets detonating 15m behind a bomber was shure to bring it down. The use of rockets or cannon had to be selected on the AP-21 sight before commencing an attack. Cannon and rockets could not be used simultaneouisly.
 
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Bellifortis, thanks a lot for the additional images of that highly seldom fuze!!!

You may study the Russian publications. I Guess Gordon knew less than the Russians did as they are stating on the use against high flying reconnaisance aircraft. I think US bombers of that time were not the problem.

The S-21 variations as shown above are from 1953 and 1957 while the Russians also made other rockets with a similar looking fuze was already from 1948.

Still lots of interesting Russian ordnance to be discovered out there.
 
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Too bad it is an instructional fuze as it has no year on (often observed on this kind of Russian ammunition).

The fuze was made by Factory named after Kalinin in St. Petersburg
Very interesting that they used the factory code"34K" (Latin Z4K) still - as this one is post war for sure.
The later used letter acronym "3ИK" (Latin ZIK) was the marking the factory was bettern known for.

Here their site:
http://www.zik-spb.ru/
 
Thank you very much EOD for your instructive answer. It's info like yours that makes an old piece of junk metal tell a story and become valuable. But, I straight away have more questions : Who is yefim Gordon ? His book is the only one I know about russian historical munitions development. Info here in the west about this is rare. You mention the russian manuals, I have nobody to translate whole pages, but the legend of a drawing ok. Could you post a drawing of this fuze. The wire aatached to the top-side of the fuze is braided steel, so this seems to be more of a strop, to remove a safety for instance, like in the later radar fuzes where the strop would free the RAM air intake or exhaust. A plane at the time could carry 2 of these UNGUIDED rockets.To hit a high flying plane with these you would have to come very, very near to the target. As you mentioned there were many models, also with later radar fuzes. This fuze is a very early model and I really would like to understand its historical technology. I don't know how the condenser was charged. There is no fixture for this. Inductive charging,no, not enough space. Do you have answers ?
Regards,
Bellifortis.
EOD said:
Too bad it is an instructional fuze as it has no year on (often observed on this kind of Russian ammunition).

The fuze was made by Factory named after Kalinin in St. Petersburg
Very interesting that they used the factory code"34K" (Latin Z4K) still - as this one is post war for sure.
The later used letter acronym "3ИK" (Latin ZIK) was the marking the factory was bettern known for.

Here their site:
http://www.zik-spb.ru/
Click to expand...
 
Bellifortis, I wish I had all that info you requested. I have no documentation or schemes on this fuze.
So far I think the cable you see there should be likely an electric circuit - can you check with your specimen and see how many pins can be supported?
If the fuze does not have it's own electrlyte ampule or a dry battery for a currency source it may be that the cable was used to charge a capacitator then.

There are some Russian publications on their aircraft rockets (and others). There is one book on Russian pre 1945 developments which I consider to be the most complete and best researched publication on the subject as the authors are Russian air force officers which had full access to the completely preserved archives. After reading into some chapters I realized that we know only about one grain of sand within an own universe...
Well worth to study when you know Russian.
 
Wasn't there a German projectile fuze with a similar "socket"?
 
EOD said:
Bellifortis, I wish I had all that info you requested. I have no documentation or schemes on this fuze.
So far I think the cable you see there should be likely an electric circuit - can you check with your specimen and see how many pins can be supported?
If the fuze does not have it's own electrlyte ampule or a dry battery for a currency source it may be that the cable was used to charge a capacitator then.

There are some Russian publications on their aircraft rockets (and others). There is one book on Russian pre 1945 developments which I consider to be the most complete and best researched publication on the subject as the authors are Russian air force officers which had full access to the completely preserved archives. After reading into some chapters I realized that we know only about one grain of sand within an own universe...
Well worth to study when you know Russian.
Click to expand...
Hallo EOD,
I don't believe, that through this about 8 stranded braided steelwire electricity was charged. The fuze has been damaged badly inside by may be thousands of disinterested recruits in 50 years time. I don't want to damage the little bit Bakelit that is left inside.It can be removed only by force. The only ionfo I have is from the book of Gordon. That's why I asked who this person is. His writings about russian ordnance are very prolific. Where did he get his info from and how reliable is it ? Who knows anything about tnhis man ? I did not find any personal info on the net. He states that the fuze could be set, by a RHEOSTAT (this only needs 2 wires +and-) in the aircraft for different delays. Delays you would only need in Air to Ground work. There is no space left in the fuze for a battery. The lower part contains a wachs/oil/plastic ? impregnated papertube, the same like the ones used in german fuzes to roll the condenser on. The tube fits exactly on a short,thick detonator. In the center of the tube sits a starshaped bakelittube with 2 wires that looks like an electric igniter. all the rest is missing. The upper part contains a bakelite fixture with channels and holes similar to the german electric fuze switchblock. I can not deduce the function with so many parts missing. If you should ever glean any more oinfo on this, please keep me posted. By the way, do you have anything on the AV-139 from about the same timeframe ?
Regards,
Bellifortis.
 
There are some Russian publications on their aircraft rockets (and others). There is one book on Russian pre 1945 developments which I consider to be the most complete and best researched publication on the subject as the authors are Russian air force officers which had full access to the completely preserved archives. After reading into some chapters I realized that we know only about one grain of sand within an own universe...
Well worth to study when you know Russian.

What books (or book) is this? I would like to try and find one.

Thanks,

Joe
 
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