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Flechettes

I'm guessing that it is 30mm. They don't seem to suffer from their penetrator being too short.
 
Here is the movie that I have, showing just about everything you wanted to know about Cobra's firing them in Vietnam.


http://wn.com/VIETNAM,_THE_FACES_OF_WAR

Go to just above the bottom and you'll see allot of movies with their times and look for the movie entitled: "Viet­nam War: Cobra Gun­ship." Nice video, as I have it here at home on VHS.
 
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HAZORD said:
I'm guessing that it is 30mm. They don't seem to suffer from their penetrator being too short.
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I think you're right John, but I need to measure to be sure. Yeah, if you've ever seen any of their newer large caliber pieces, they sure seem to believe in length.
 
Just thought I'd add a couple of photos to this excellent thread, some darts I picked up recently.

Dave.

4th April 2011 010.jpg

4th April 2011 011.jpg
 
You didn't give measurements or place anything for scale - do you have any idea what caliber they are for?
 
Hello Jeff,

Thanks for showing your photographs of the flechette projectiles. Really spectacular!

Best regards,

Randall
 
US-Subs said:
You didn't give measurements or place anything for scale - do you have any idea what caliber they are for?
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Good point!
The smaller ones look like darts for 30mm rounds
The larger one looks like one used in the 45mm (I've got three 45mm test projectiles with similar darts).
Dave.

9th April 2011 007.jpg
9th April 2011 006.jpg
9th April 2011 008.jpg
 
Here are some interesting R&D reports with diagrams concerning flechettes, dating from the 1950's and 1960's. The first three are US and the 4th is British:http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/046688.pdf

, http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/025286.pdf , http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/518320.pdf , http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a474179.pdf


The first reference shows many different flechette designs under consideration and shot shell loadings. On page 8 of the first reference they discuss briefly the 'Alperstein Shape' projectile(?) , drag stabalized and fish shaped. Is this any relation to the so called 'Lazy Dog' flechette/missle? Just a wild gues!

Brian


 
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Haven't had time yet to look through the documents, but at a glance they look pretty good - thanks for posting. I saw several auctions including flechettes in the last week, one for 5 specialized flechettes. Anyone know who got them?
 
The 2.75 rocket had 3 flechette warheads, all had the designation od WDU (think 4 and 13 were two of the numbers. Each of these warheads had flechettes of different weights and size, one was heavy enough to be called a "Light anti armor" warhead. For some reason I can;t find my info on them now though. Also the 90 recoiless had a cannister round that used flechettes, the only other US cannister that used flechettes was the 152mm. Which reminds me I have seen photos of a 152mm APERS warhead (with combustible cart case) that was projectile shaped, not can shape. I've spent some time around the M 551 Sheridan, the only rounds I ever saw or fired were the HE, HEAT and cannister, and TP (one had a supplemental cahrge under the fuze, the other was just a big hunk of metal), so any tech data on the projectile shaped one?

Now for the semi good news. My flechette folder is 4.2 gig, alot of photos, but not so much wrtten data - so I'm looking for a flechette expert to help me out - any takers? files are too large to email though.
 
Looks a bit strange to me; never seen the lettering "FABRICATION ALLEMAN" anywhere before, even not sure what language this might be.
 
I haven't re-read the entire post so please, bare (Is this the right spelling to use?) with me. Could it be one from WWI? Dano?
 
US-Subs said:
DJ -
as requested. From the Dutch Munitions Technology Museum (MTM), here is a Soviet 122mm flechette projectile, a 152mm, a Soviet 80mm rocket warhead missing its flechettes, and an intact Soviet 57mm flechette warhead (black paint).

I would note two details, first that the two projectiles have flechettes placed inside for display only, not typical of the way flechettes have been normally observed in these projos (see earlier posts in this thread). Second, in the 122mm cut-away you can clearly see the expulsion charge, tube and pusherplate which are similar to the manner of expulsion for WWI era shrapnel projectiles.
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Nice bullets US-Subs.
This ones been on my wants list for a while, finally picked one up.
Its missing quite a few hundred flechettes but you get the general idea.
All INERT.
Dave.

IMG_4462.jpgIMG_4461.jpgIMG_4460.jpgIMG_4463.jpgIMG_4464.jpgIMG_4465.jpgIMG_4466.jpgIMG_4467.jpg
 
Dave, nice item. It just has the wrong fuze on. You'll need the DTM-75.
The one you have here is the VM-30L1 which is for AA projectiles and it has a booster while the DTM-75 has an expelling charge/low explosive.
 
EOD said:
Dave, nice item. It just has the wrong fuze on. You'll need the DTM-75.
The one you have here is the VM-30L1 which is for AA projectiles and it has a booster while the DTM-75 has an expelling charge/low explosive.
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Thanks EOD, I did wonder about the fuze as its not cut on the same line of section as the rest of the projectile, looks like someone switched fuzes sometime in the past.
Do you have a photo of the right fuze you can post so I know what to look out for please.
Thanks.
Dave.
 
I picked up this old photographic glass plate the other day.
Hard to take a picture of it due to the reflection.
Its been kept in a drawer for years. If I displayed it in the light would the image fade or would it be OK?
Dave.

IMG_1556.jpgIMG_1557.jpg
 
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