Cutaway model of a 89mm AP/AV F1 LRAC rocket. LRAC is the abriviation for Lance Roquette Anti Char/ Anti tank rocket. When the american 3,5 inch (88mm) Superbazooka became obsolete in the French army, a replacement was designed and produced by the French Luchaire SA. The LRAC is a lightweight, sub sonic rocket , capable of accurate anti tank fire up to 400meters.
The rocket is packed in a watertight container that is attached to the back end of the launcher. Only when the rear plug of the container is removed it is ready to fire.
There are four types of rockets available : HEAT –with a 400mm armour penetration @ 0degr.)- Smoke, Illuminating, and AP/AV.
The rocket depicted in this posting is the AP/AV F1 (Anti Personel/ Anti Vehicular) type; it has a 100mm armour penetration @ 0degr, and a lethal fragmentation radius of 20 mtrs. minimum.
The rocket consists of three main parts: the warhead, the fuze and the rocket motor.
The warhead consists of a top and bottom half of hardened steel balls cast in plastic resign, glued together. The upper half houses the red copper shaped charge cone. In the two halves, the explosive charge of 530 grams hexolite 50/50 is placed.
The lower half is placed in an aluminium housing which is threaded on the inside to receive the Type F14 fuze. A black plastic sleeve covers the aluminium housing. On top of this the plastic nose cone is placed.
The fuze used is the mechanical “Mecanique a inertie TYPE F14” fuze (picture 03). This fuze is armed partly by the gas pressure of the motor, partly by inertia upon launch.
A lead weight strip (01), placed in an aluminium disc with a rim (02) keeps a masking plate(03) forced inward. This masking plate prevents the firing pin (04) from moving forward. Upon launch, inertia moves the lead strip backward, bending the aluminium disc with rim backward, so the masking plate is forced outward by it’s spring (05), allowing the firing pin to move forward upon impact.
The firing pin is prevented from moving forward by two balls(06) that are placed before a rim on the base of the firing pin. Upon launch, the gas pressure from the motor pushed forward a piston (07) with a wider part on the inside. When pushed forward this allows the balls to move outward and release the firing pin to move forward upon impact.
A third safety consists of a rotating shutter (08) (picture 04). The firing cap (09) is placed out of line with the firing pin and has to rotate 180 degrees to be placed in line. The rotation speed of the spring driven rotating shutter is governed by a small gearwheel (10) connected to an escapement (11). The rotating shutter is fixated by a steel pin(12) , placed in a tooth of the tooth rack. This pin protrudes through the firing pin housing (13), and is pushed forward by the piston (07) upon launch, releasing the toothgear, allowing the rotating shutter to rotate the firing cap in line.
Upon impact, inertia swings the firing pin forward into the firing cap of the rotating shutter, igniting the firing cap, the detonator (red, picture 3) above it, the booster charge (grey) and the main charge.
Although this rocket has a full mechanical fuze, strange enough it has a disused pieze electric element with electric wires in the nose cone, as if a design change was descided upon later on. Maybe someone knows the reason for this.
The rocket motor is a rolled aluminium pipe with a closing cap screwed in the top, and a venturi screwed to the base. A thin aluminium plate with a small can of electric ignited black powder composition is placed between venturi end motor. This ignites the main charge of the motor, which consists of 160 tube shaped powdersticks of 149mm long.
Length complete rocket: 580mm
Diameter: 89mm
Weight : 2,64 kg
Vo: 300 mtrs/sec
Regards, DJH
The rocket is packed in a watertight container that is attached to the back end of the launcher. Only when the rear plug of the container is removed it is ready to fire.
There are four types of rockets available : HEAT –with a 400mm armour penetration @ 0degr.)- Smoke, Illuminating, and AP/AV.
The rocket depicted in this posting is the AP/AV F1 (Anti Personel/ Anti Vehicular) type; it has a 100mm armour penetration @ 0degr, and a lethal fragmentation radius of 20 mtrs. minimum.
The rocket consists of three main parts: the warhead, the fuze and the rocket motor.
The warhead consists of a top and bottom half of hardened steel balls cast in plastic resign, glued together. The upper half houses the red copper shaped charge cone. In the two halves, the explosive charge of 530 grams hexolite 50/50 is placed.
The lower half is placed in an aluminium housing which is threaded on the inside to receive the Type F14 fuze. A black plastic sleeve covers the aluminium housing. On top of this the plastic nose cone is placed.
The fuze used is the mechanical “Mecanique a inertie TYPE F14” fuze (picture 03). This fuze is armed partly by the gas pressure of the motor, partly by inertia upon launch.
A lead weight strip (01), placed in an aluminium disc with a rim (02) keeps a masking plate(03) forced inward. This masking plate prevents the firing pin (04) from moving forward. Upon launch, inertia moves the lead strip backward, bending the aluminium disc with rim backward, so the masking plate is forced outward by it’s spring (05), allowing the firing pin to move forward upon impact.
The firing pin is prevented from moving forward by two balls(06) that are placed before a rim on the base of the firing pin. Upon launch, the gas pressure from the motor pushed forward a piston (07) with a wider part on the inside. When pushed forward this allows the balls to move outward and release the firing pin to move forward upon impact.
A third safety consists of a rotating shutter (08) (picture 04). The firing cap (09) is placed out of line with the firing pin and has to rotate 180 degrees to be placed in line. The rotation speed of the spring driven rotating shutter is governed by a small gearwheel (10) connected to an escapement (11). The rotating shutter is fixated by a steel pin(12) , placed in a tooth of the tooth rack. This pin protrudes through the firing pin housing (13), and is pushed forward by the piston (07) upon launch, releasing the toothgear, allowing the rotating shutter to rotate the firing cap in line.
Upon impact, inertia swings the firing pin forward into the firing cap of the rotating shutter, igniting the firing cap, the detonator (red, picture 3) above it, the booster charge (grey) and the main charge.
Although this rocket has a full mechanical fuze, strange enough it has a disused pieze electric element with electric wires in the nose cone, as if a design change was descided upon later on. Maybe someone knows the reason for this.
The rocket motor is a rolled aluminium pipe with a closing cap screwed in the top, and a venturi screwed to the base. A thin aluminium plate with a small can of electric ignited black powder composition is placed between venturi end motor. This ignites the main charge of the motor, which consists of 160 tube shaped powdersticks of 149mm long.
Length complete rocket: 580mm
Diameter: 89mm
Weight : 2,64 kg
Vo: 300 mtrs/sec
Regards, DJH
