Invisible Themepark

Category: Military Weaponry (Heavy)

Cutaway and other technical drawings of heavy military weaponry such as missiles.

  • Hand Grenade Cutaway Drawing, 1951

    Hand Grenade Cutaway Drawing, 1951

    Despite its fearsome reputation in TV and movies, a hand grenade is a fairly simple and imprecise killing device: a metal container that contains “filler” (as the cutaway says) segmented so that it will split open in predictable chucks.

    This cutaway shows what a generic 1950s hand grenade looks like, cut in half. The only difference between the two versions of the hand grenade is that the second one shows the safety pin ring removed and the safety lever raised. Thus, the striker (circled) is allowed to rotate and light the timed fuse.

    Hand Grenade Cutaway Drawing 1951
    Hand Grenade Cutaway Drawing 1951

    Source:  Popular Science November 1951

  • Lark Ground-to-Air Guided Missile Cutaway, 1950

    Lark Ground-to-Air Guided Missile Cutaway, 1950

    Even though development of the Lark began during World War II, it was not finished in time to assist U.S. troops.  Development picked up again during 1946-1950, and it was used mainly for testing at sea.

    The real soul of the Lark was in its “brain”:  a set of guidance controls (shown on the cutaway), which made this 1,200 pound missile the “first U.S. surface-to-air missile ever to intercept a moving air target,” according to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.

    Click to Enlarge to 1088 x 721 px:

    Lark Ground to Air Guided Missile 1950
    Lark Ground to Air Guided Missile 1950
  • Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950

    Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950

    Illustration by Ray Quigley shows an anti-sub device from 1950 termed “the hedgehog.”

    It lobbed multiple depth charges all at once at the presumed submarine location.  Charges were slightly angled so that they would land in a spreadout, scattershot pattern, covering a wider range.

     Click to Enlarge to 695 x 768 px:

    Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950
    Ship-Based Anti Submarine Defense Cutaway, 1950

    Source:  Popular Science March 1950