Smoke Float No. I Mks II, III, IV. and IVZ (Service)
No Image Available Filler and Weight
NA,
Body and Overall Weight
NA, 11.5 lb.
Color
Body, head and nose painted green; tail cone vanes and strut painted yellow; red ring wide around head near nose
Type of Round, DODIC
Smoke Float, NA
Description:
The Smoke Float No. 1 Mk IV comprises a cylindrical body, closed at one end by a conical head and a heavy nose. A retarding band is secured to the body adjacent to the head. A tail cone, carrying three vanes to support the vane ring, is secured to the opposite end of the body. The end of the tail cone houses a pistol adapter for the tail pistol, which is locked in place by a grub screw. Inserted in the pistol adapter is a cup, containing a cartridge base and a small quantity of flash composition, sealed with a paper disc. A sleeve leads from the bottom of the pistol adapter into the funnel-shaped, upper end of the tube, known as the container cap tube. The container for the smoke composition has a fusible cup inserted into the top of the smoke composition, which is filled with pressed priming composition, Above this is a layer of loose priming composition, and a primed cambric disc through which is threaded a length of quick match. The container is closed by a container cap. A central cylinder, provided with a ring of holes, surrounds the container. The rest of the body and the tail cone comprise a buoyancy chamber. The tail cone is provided with a sinking disc, which is scored, so that if a floating smoke float is found, the disc can be easily pierced to sink the float, the water entering the tail cone and passing into the body through the holes in the central cylinder.
Use:
The Smoke Float No. 1 Mk IV comprises a cylindrical body, closed at one end by a conical head and a heavy nose.
Functioning:
When the fused smoke float has been dropped from the aircraft, impact of the nose on the surface of the water causes the striker of the pistol to hit the cartridge base, and the ensuing flash ignites the flash composition. The flash from the flash composition passes down the container cap tube and ignites the primed cambric disc and quick match, which ignite the priming. The fusible cup melts, and the priming ignite the smoke composition. Smoke rises up the container cap tube, and as the pressure increases, bursts the seal of the tail cone. The short period between impact with water and bursting of the seal is sufficient to enable the smoke float, after submerging, to rise to the surface, owing to its buoyancy.
Munition Components:
    Data Source:
    OP 1665 Explosive Ordnance British
    Munitions Tech Data Sheet:
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