AA fusing question

[Alfredson007]

Hi. One thing on my mind...

 

I know that large caliber AA guns, such as the FlaK 88 used fuse on the ammunition in order to explode at the right moment.

 

But AFAIK smaller caliber cannons, like ZSU 23mm, also explodes its ammo while in the air; i remember seeing this in real life, and some youtube videos also shows me that. Now, how does the ZSU ammunition fuse the explosion? It's a relatively small ammo so there probably is not much technology in it. Is the sole purpose for explosion to protect people etc on the ground from falling ammunition?

 

Thanks

[zxarkov]

I know shells like from the Flak 88, used a rotational or mechanical fusing.

 

Using a ground based "director" system, a mechanical computer was used to calculate the correct fuze settings, twisting a ring around the fuze on the shell to explode at a certain point in space, usually a barrage in the targets predicted flight path.

 

Proximity fuzes are usually used with mid caliber or larger AAA. You are probably right about the 23mm exploding to protect from falling ammunition, as they are certainly contact fuzed.

[OutOnTheOP]

I know shells like from the Flak 88, used a rotational or mechanical fusing.

 

Using a ground based "director" system, a mechanical computer was used to calculate the correct fuze settings, twisting a ring around the fuze on the shell to explode at a certain point in space, usually a barrage in the targets predicted flight path.

 

Proximity fuzes are usually used with mid caliber or larger AAA. You are probably right about the 23mm exploding to protect from falling ammunition, as they are certainly contact fuzed.

 

Not precisely... WW2-era high-caliber AA guns used mechanical-timed fuzes, not rotation-counting fuzes (of the type used in modern airburst munitions like the 40mm Bofors ones or the M25 CDTE). ...or did you mean rotation as in the manual rotating of the fuze-setting ring on the nose of the fuze to set it?

 

After about 1950 or so, both western and Russian high-caliber AA used primarily radar-fuzed proximity fuzes (yes, they are still used to this day, even in the US... mostly for naval 5-inch dual purpose guns)

 

The ZU-23/ ZSU-23/ 2S6 have projectiles that rely on impact fuzing. They *do* airburst, but that's a very simple time fuze that cannot be set (it's factory set), and is there simply to burst the projectile when it gets past maximum effective range. This isn't so that it damages the target with airbursts: it's so that the rounds don't come back to earth and blow up your own troops that you're trying to defend! (incidentally, a lot of aircraft gun ammo has the same feature)

Edited August 2, 2015 by OutOnTheOP

[Alfredson007]

The ZU-23/ ZSU-23/ 2S6 have projectiles that rely on impact fuzing. They *do* airburst, but that's a very simple time fuze that cannot be set (it's factory set), and is there simply to burst the projectile when it gets past maximum effective range. This isn't so that it damages the target with airbursts: it's so that the rounds don't come back to earth and blow up your own troops that you're trying to defend! (incidentally, a lot of aircraft gun ammo has the same feature)

 

Thanks for your answer! I tried to find some details on the self-destruction mechanism but could not find any though :\

[OutOnTheOP]

Thanks for your answer! I tried to find some details on the self-destruction mechanism but could not find any though :\

 

On the small-caliber stuff, I think it varies from nation to nation. I know it used to be that it was tied to the tracer element, which was, in effect, a pyrotechnic fuze: when the tracer element burned all the way down, it lit the bursting charge. I wouldn't be surprised if it still worked that way. After all, hand grenades still use pyrotechnic fuzes, and pyro fuzes are much, MUCH cheaper (though far less precise) than mechanical time (IE, clockwork) fuzes