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SD 50 (D50; D50D; D50L)

Over-All Length: 43.0 in.
Body Length: 23.5 in.
Body Diameter: 8 in.
Wall Thickness: 0.4 wall to 1.8 in. nose
Tail Length: 23.5 in.
Tail Width: Type I: 11 in., Type II: 10.5 in.
Total Weight: 55 kg approx.
Filling: TNT
Weight Of Filling: 16.4 kg.
Charge/Weight Ratio: 30%
Fuzing: 55, 55A, or E1AZ (38) for water targets.

CONSTRUCTION: The body of the SD 50 is a one piece steel casting. When machined down it has provisions for one transverse fuze pocket just forward of the horizontal carrying lug. It is threaded at the base to accept a male type filling lug. Either the type 1 or type 2 tail assemblies can be used. Type 1 has a cast alloy adapter with sheet steel vanes. The four vanes are not supported by struts. Type 2 is a one-piece construction assembly of cast magnesium alloy with no strut supports for the tail fins. In addition to the horizontal carrying lug, there are threads machined in the nose to take an "eye" type lug for vertical suspension.
SUSPENSION: Horizontal or vertical.
COLOR AND MARKINGS: Bomb is dark green over-all and tail cone is striped with red.
REMARKS: A small angle iron kopfring is normally fitted to the bomb. In addition to the kopfring a 24-inch dinort rod may be added to obtain prepenetration detonation of the bomb. An extension rod used with the (55) A can be used for the same purpose. When the bomb is used against water targets, the tail fins are removed. It is claimed that the ballistics are not changed by removing the tail fins providing the dropping range is less than 200 meters. The E1AZ (38) fuze with a maximum delay of 5 seconds allows for water travel of 12 to 18 meters.

All information for this entry were acquired from Army Technical manual TM 9-1985-2/Air Force Technical Order TO 39B-1A-9 GERMAN EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE (Bombs, Fuzes, Rockets, Land Mines, Grenades & Igniters)

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