WW2 RAF Goose Neck Flares

[Ian L 11]

Hi Guys I'm looking for this information regarding the Goose Neck Flares.

 The '21G/95' is the RAF AP 1086 Stores Vocabulary number, i.e. Section 21G, Reference 95

Clive can you help ?

[MatchFuzee 22]

Ian, what information e.g. use or maker(s)? 

[Ian L 11]

20 minutes ago, MatchFuzee said:

Ian, what information e.g. use or maker(s)? 

The publication regarding to that reference number i posted

[RAFMT 17]

18 hours ago, Ian L said:

The publication regarding to that reference number i posted

You're after the entry in the Vocab of Stores?

That AP is pretty much just a long list of kit, so won't give much info on the flares themselves.

[Ian L 11]

5 hours ago, RAFMT said:

You're after the entry in the Vocab of Stores?

That AP is pretty much just a long list of kit, so won't give much info on the flares themselves.

Oh ok I thought it was going to be instructions on how to use it ?

[Richard Farrant 32]

46 minutes ago, Ian L said:

Oh ok I thought it was going to be instructions on how to use it ?

Light blue touch paper and retire immediately 😉

[Surveyor 12]

8 hours ago, Richard Farrant said:

Light blue touch paper and retire immediately 😉

Surely RUN!!!!!!

[MatchFuzee 22]

An "Airman of the day" using them:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/99/a2909199.shtml

The Gooseneck Flare was so called because of the long-necked spout on the container that resembled a large watering can. The main body contained paraffin, or other flammable liquid with a wick travelling up the spout and extending by a small amount. The Gooseneck Flare would be positioned with the spout pointing downwind to prevent flaring when it was alight. It produced a bright light that was extremely difficult to extinguish in the event of enemy aircraft approaching the airfield. The Gooseneck Flares were positioned at intervals along both edges of the runway being used at night to assist the pilots in taking off and landing their aeroplane. On the end of the spout there was a metal hinged flap that could be used to cover the wick to extinguish the flame when no longer requird. When not in use the Gooseneck Flare would be stored in the Night Flying Equipment Building. 

Copied from:-

https://www.rafharrowbeer-dartmoor.org.uk/fp.php?id=1173

[Ian L 11]

11 hours ago, MatchFuzee said:

An "Airman of the day" using them:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/99/a2909199.shtml

The Gooseneck Flare was so called because of the long-necked spout on the container that resembled a large watering can. The main body contained paraffin, or other flammable liquid with a wick travelling up the spout and extending by a small amount. The Gooseneck Flare would be positioned with the spout pointing downwind to prevent flaring when it was alight. It produced a bright light that was extremely difficult to extinguish in the event of enemy aircraft approaching the airfield. The Gooseneck Flares were positioned at intervals along both edges of the runway being used at night to assist the pilots in taking off and landing their aeroplane. On the end of the spout there was a metal hinged flap that could be used to cover the wick to extinguish the flame when no longer requird. When not in use the Gooseneck Flare would be stored in the Night Flying Equipment Building. 

Copied from:-

https://www.rafharrowbeer-dartmoor.org.uk/fp.php?id=1173

Hi Guy.

That's good mate that's a start,      that's sort of what I'm looking for as I cant find anything on 'Wicki'

There must be a booklet around showing how these were used & laid out on a landing strip ? thay would have to be spaced at an exact distance otherwise the pilot would not know the length of the runway at night.

[Surveyor 12]

32 minutes ago, Ian L said:

Hi Guy.

That's good mate that's a start,      that's sort of what I'm looking for as I cant find anything on 'Wicki'

There must be a booklet around showing how these were used & laid out on a landing strip ? thay would have to be spaced at an exact distance otherwise the pilot would not know the length of the runway at night.

Daft suggestion, the torches at Up Helly Ah are made of a canvas, they burn for a long time, try one of the halls to see what they use, yes not helping re spaces etc but may help with the wick

Edited Wednesday at 08:19 PM by Surveyor

[MatchFuzee 22]

1 hour ago, Ian L said:

There must be a booklet around showing how these were used & laid out on a landing strip ? thay would have to be spaced at an exact distance otherwise the pilot would not know the length of the runway at night.

From chapter 11:-

The quantity of cans varied according to the length of runway required - it could be fifty or more. 

https://books.google.com/books/about/Fighter_Pilots_in_World_War_II.html?id=fuao0PzEo_0C

[Ian L 11]

9 hours ago, MatchFuzee said:

From chapter 11:-

The quantity of cans varied according to the length of runway required - it could be fifty or more. 

https://books.google.com/books/about/Fighter_Pilots_in_World_War_II.html?id=fuao0PzEo_0C

Where did you get that from Guy as I'm not sure I agree with that.

As a pilot myself I dont see how you would get the landing perceptive & flare height right without the spacing always being the same otherwise you would not be able to judge height above ground or runway distance.

Edited Thursday at 07:18 AM by Ian L

[MatchFuzee 22]

8 hours ago, Ian L said:

Where did you get that from Guy as im not sure I agree with that, as a pilot myself I dont see how you would get the landing perseptive right without the spacing always being the same otherwise you would not be able to judge height above ground or runway daistance.

Ian, I thought that the "50 or more" would mean that the spacing was always the same regardless of the length of the airfield. 

[MatchFuzee 22]

On a decoy airfield:- 

The flare path was almost 1km long made up of lights spaced approx. 100m apart. To prevent friendly aircraft attempting to land on the non-existent runway, each end had a bar of hooded red lights, only visible at low level.

There are links to some very interesting sites at the bottom of the page:-

https://www.moors-valley.co.uk/learning/decoy-bunker/

[MatchFuzee 22]

Ian,

From the Runway Edge Lighting Regulation 3515 (9) there appears to be a maximum but no minimum spacing, so I wonder if the WW2 spacing was the same, especially as the decoy airfield spacing was 100 metres, although in WW2, I would have expected measurements to be in yards not metres.

Part of the Runway Edge Lighting Regulation 3515 (9)

Be uniformly spaced in rows at intervals of not more than 60 metres for an instrument runway, and not more than 100 metres for a non-instrument runway. 

[RAFMT 17]

I'll take a look when I get a chance. It's going to be hidden a mess of APs

[RAFMT 17]

Here we go, 100 yard intervals.

Taken from AP3024 "Flying Control in the Royal Air Force".

[Ian L 11]

54 minutes ago, RAFMT said:

Here we go, 100 yard intervals.

Taken from AP3024 "Flying Control in the Royal Air Force".

Promote that man to Squadron leader, that's exactly what I'm looking for where did you find it & have you got the other appendix's B E F G mentioned.

I knew it would be an exact pattern/size,    I'll up the airfield tonight practising my night landings.

Edited Thursday at 02:55 PM by Ian L