By the way - anyone with flechettes, I'm always looking for new ones to buy or trade.... Despite my time in Europe I've only got one of the WWI style. Drop me an e-mail if you got any for sale -
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Flechettes
- Thread starter US-Subs
- Start date
Beautiful collection! Wish I had more than just a few flechettes from old 2.75" rockets in my collection. I've been looking for flechettes from the Passive Attack Weapon for a while (even in the country they were used in!)- no luck. Any ideas?
It seems that more ammo is being made in the "subprojectile carrier" class now- the Russians have pre-set timed burst charges in land-attack cannons for aircraft, and America is finalizing a 25 to 30mm projectile for AFV and APC type of weapons systems (including a programmable time-to-burst. But, rather than use flechettes, everyone uses cylinders or spheres of tungsten. I've even run across an 8" base-ejecting artillery shell filled with something like 3000 tungsten BBs.
There is, also, the (now squashed) idea of the non-nuclear strategic missile- an ICBM with tungsten bars of various sizes that are scattered at a certain height after re-entry, with the kinetic energy to take out a city block.
Kind of makes you think twice before uttering bold statements like: "then we shall fight in the shade". don't you think?
It seems that more ammo is being made in the "subprojectile carrier" class now- the Russians have pre-set timed burst charges in land-attack cannons for aircraft, and America is finalizing a 25 to 30mm projectile for AFV and APC type of weapons systems (including a programmable time-to-burst. But, rather than use flechettes, everyone uses cylinders or spheres of tungsten. I've even run across an 8" base-ejecting artillery shell filled with something like 3000 tungsten BBs.
There is, also, the (now squashed) idea of the non-nuclear strategic missile- an ICBM with tungsten bars of various sizes that are scattered at a certain height after re-entry, with the kinetic energy to take out a city block.
Kind of makes you think twice before uttering bold statements like: "then we shall fight in the shade". don't you think?
Interesting take. Talking about it with a colleague across our desks, he found this link:
http://pjm.math.berkeley.edu/jomms/2007/2-10/jomms-v2-n10-p06-p.pdf
http://pjm.math.berkeley.edu/jomms/2007/2-10/jomms-v2-n10-p06-p.pdf
Some interesting info in that thread. I would imagine you would have a hard time finding photos of anyone on the receiving end of a flechette round. I can hear all the liberals screaming from here.
I heard stories of cong nailed to trees by flechettes. I had one Huey Gunship pilot tell me how they would clear jungle with 2.75" rockets. All the helicopters would fly in formation straight line, fire a rocket, count a few seconds, and fire another till all their load was fired. I believe they could carry at least 4 lauchers each carrying 19 rockets per pod.
I heard stories of cong nailed to trees by flechettes. I had one Huey Gunship pilot tell me how they would clear jungle with 2.75" rockets. All the helicopters would fly in formation straight line, fire a rocket, count a few seconds, and fire another till all their load was fired. I believe they could carry at least 4 lauchers each carrying 19 rockets per pod.
Sounds like an effective way to clear a jungle! I once read an interview with a Green Beret who's base was being overrun- he called in nothing but flechette and WP rounds for the duration of the attack. The attack broke off, but the guy could still remember the sight and smell of the battlefield the next morning, when they had to clean it up. He kept getting "smoking boots"" from breaking up crusted over WP.
Sounds like a PR disaster- but also a VERY effective combination!
Sounds like a PR disaster- but also a VERY effective combination!
Here is the Soviet type system (what we know of it) for flechettes. The first photo is a Soviet 122mm flechette projectile, the second a Soviet 152mm with the nose removed and the wax matrix (as mentioned by Pzgr40) uncovered. The third is a similar matrix removed from a Soviet 152mm projectile, and finally a comparison in size of flechettes. The bottom is a flechette from a Soviet 152mm, middle is from a US 152mm, top is from a Soviet 122mm. The bottom flechette can be seen to still have wax stuck on it, the top is slightly mangled from its ride in a dud-fired projectile.
I'll leave the pictures of the cut-aways to Pzgr40, as that is his baby.
I'll leave the pictures of the cut-aways to Pzgr40, as that is his baby.
Attachments
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.
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.
Attachments
One little mistake I made when making these cutaway models; I should have place the flechettes in at random, instead of rows. However when I made them both I had no info about these projectiles. That's one big advantage of the ammo forums: the gaining of info.
Regards DJH
Regards DJH
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