Looking for a cutaway of the MK 118 Mod 0 and Mod 1 bomblets.

[Dragontooth]

The original one which was dropped on the Vietcong and NVA...

Question: since it has a selectable fuze is this also capable of an antipersonnel role? Is the liner pre-scored by chance? Or a pure AT weapon?

Thanks.
Dave

 

[HAZORD]

I'm thinking you are confusing the fuze that opens the dispenser with the impact fuze on each submunition. The submunitions are packaged in a dispenser and do not have selectable fuzes. Better know as the "Rockeye", this submunition is designed to pierce armor, but will also have an antipersonnel effect due to fragmentation and blast. If you read the explanation of the submuniton fuze functioning in the first hyperlink below, you will see that the fuzing is designed to sense hard or soft targets, functioning immediately on hard targets, and delaying on soft targets to allow penetration before detonation.

http://www.tpub.com/content/aviation/14313/css/14313_46.htm

There is a sectioned photo in this post:

http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/73186-Unknown-Practice-Drill-Bomblet?highlight=rockeye

If you look at the sectioned item, you can see that the body is thin sheet metal and is not pre-scored. The BLU-97 CEM is of a more recent design, and has a pre-scored liner and zirconium insert for incendiary and antipersonnel effect.

 

[US-Subs]

The BLU-77 is frequently mistaken for a Rockeye - it has a dual role with a fuze that is not selectable, but target discriminating. If it hits a hard target it functions in an anti-armor role, if it hits a soft target it bounds back up into the air in an anti-personnel/materiel role. As I recall the BLU-77 has both a fragmentation liner and a pyrophoric pellet.

 

[Dragontooth]

Outstanding, gentlemen. Thank you, I really needed that cleared up. I did search for MK 118 on this site but did not get lucky. Had I seen the cutaway I may have been able to answer my own question.

Yes, the BLU-77 APAM looks (to my untrained eyes) identical to the Rockeye. According to globalsecurity the successor to the Rockeye, the Rockeye II was indeed APAM.
Ordata has a nice external view.
http://maic.jmu.edu/ordata/FullImage.asp?Image=images\T\T0989U01.JPG

Does one of you have a cutaway of the BLU-77? I cannot find one here...
What was the pyrophoric material of the BLU-77?

And BTW, how does the bounding mechanism work?

 

[US-Subs]

I don't have a cutaway, but someplace I've got some parts and pieces. DJ might have one - we'll have to see if he weighs in on this thread.

The BLU-77 is not the Rockeye II, the MK118 Rockeye is the Rockeye II. Rockeye I was a developmental piece, effectively a HEAT 2.75-inch rocket warhead with four pop-out drag fins. Too bulky, too heavy, fuzing issues - Rockeye II was born and adopted into service. I've attached a couple of older photos, my newer stuff is in the Bombatorium and it's locked up for the night. The first shows a comparison of my BLU-77s and my Rockeyes, Rockeyes are on the right. The second is of the Rockeye I's, shown in the center between the BLU-97 and the T57.

As I recall the pyrophoric material was zirconium, could have also been titanium sponge. The target discriminator was tioed into a mechanical push-type switch that stuck out beside the nose.

 

[pzgr40]

http://www.wk2ammo.com/showthread.php?t=4927

regards, DJH

 

[Dragontooth]

Wow, I really learned something this morning. Thank you guys, the cutaway was very useful. A rather ingenious method of functioning, no?
Was BLU-77 already used in Vietnam or did it not see action there?

 

[US-Subs]

Most tech docs don't give any reference to when an item hit service, so without test documents it's hard to say. I doubt it though. Rockeye made it, being tested on AA emplacements numerous times.

 

[pzgr40]

Wow, I really learned something this morning. Thank you guys, the cutaway was very useful. A rather ingenious method of functioning, no?
Was BLU-77 already used in Vietnam or did it not see action there?

True, the system with the vibrating vane was new to me, never saw it before. In fact the hard/soft target discrimination is very simple, two shear pins descide how it's going to function ; either AP or AT

 

[Dragontooth]

Most tech docs don't give any reference to when an item hit service, so without test documents it's hard to say. I doubt it though. Rockeye made it, being tested on AA emplacements numerous times.

Hmm, Jeff, you wouldn't happen to have any test docs anywhere would you? ;-)

 

[US-Subs]

I've got a number of historic test documents, mostly from WWII through Viet Nam. You can find some incredible stuff in the US National Archive, all it takes is time. And a hotel room, travel, food. But it's a fantastic place.