| Finale
barrage |
|
A
rapid firing, pre-fused, sequence (usually of aerial
fireworks) that is typically fired at the end of a display. |
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| Firecracker |
|
syn.
Cracker |
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| Firework |
|
Technically
an explosive assigned one of five UN numbers
(0333->0337). For our purposes a device which is designed
for entertainment and that comprises pyrotechnic
composition. |
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| Firing
area |
|
The
best term for the actual area of firing (rather than display
area) |
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| Firing
current |
|
The
current that is applied to an electric igniter that causes
it to function. |
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| Flanked |
|
Usually
applied to racks or mortars or Roman candles on a frame in
which 3 tubes are angled to produce a dispersed effect. |
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| Flare |
|
A
pyrotechnic device used to produce colored light when
ignited. In the US this is typically a tube, similar to a
large lance. In the UK the term is often applied to distress
signals. |
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| Flash
paper |
|
A
form of nitrocellulose, easily ignited and used to produce a
puff of flame. |
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| Flash
powder |
|
An
extremely powerful pyrotechnic composition, typically made
from Potassium perchlorate (or rarely pot. chlorate) and
powdered aluminium (or magnesium). In fireworks flash powder
is often used for powerful maroon shells, ad for bursting
colour shells. |
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| Flight
rocket |
|
Usually
a small calibre (approx. 14mm) rocket fired in a large
number simultaneously from a rocket cone or rocket frame to
produce a characteristic fan-like effect. |
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| Flitter |
|
A
spark effect (usually silver/gold) produced by the
incorporation of relatively coarse metal powders (usually
aluminium). the glitter effect is similar but distinct. |
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| Flower
pot |
|
A
shell misfunction in which the shell bursts within the
mortar propelling the shell contents upwards as if from a
mine. Cf Muzzle break |
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| Flying
saucer |
|
An
unusual firework device, usually constructed from a ring of
plastic or wood, with turning cases and lifting cases. The
functioning of the device usually involves rotation around a
vertical axis, followed by ascent into the air. "Double
acting" saucers fall and then descends to the crowd's
delight! |
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| Fountain |
|
A
device comprising pyrotechnic composition charged into a
tube which may or may not be choked. The composition may be
hand charged, or more commonly nowadays, machine charged. |
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| Front |
|
Usually
an arrangement of fountains, mines, set pieces or Roman
candles along a line parallel to the spectators and fired
simultaneously. |
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| Fuel |
|
In
a pyrotechnic composition that which the oxidant oxidizes.
Common fuels include charcoal, sulphur, aluminum and
magnesium. All common pyrotechnic compositions contain at
least an oxidant and a fuel. |
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| Fuse |
|
The
generic term for the means of transferring fire to a
firework, or from one part of a firework to another. |
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| Fusee |
|
A
long duration flare, usually red, which may be used as a
warning flare on the highway or railway. Fusees may also be
used to light fireworks. Cf Portfire |
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| Garden
firework |
|
A
firework, usually of limited power and composition weight,
intended to be used in restricted areas outdoors. |
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| Gerb |
|
Usually
a relatively thick-walled tube filled with composition and
having a choke. A gerb functions by throwing out a shower of
sparks. From French - gerb - sheaf of corn |
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| Girandole |
|
syn.
Flying saucer |
|
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| Glitter |
|
An
effect that produces drossy droplets of molten composition
which reach with the air to produce a sparkling or
glittering effect that is not as distinct as a strobe
effect. Similar but distinct from flitter. |
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| Ground
burst |
|
A
low level burst of a shell and potentially very dangerous. |
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| Ground
firework |
|
A
firework designed to function at ground level. |
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| Ground
maroon |
|
A
single powerful cracker designed to produce a loud report
and a flash. |
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| GRP
mortar |
|
Fiber
Glass Reinforced Plastic - a relatively recent addition to
the design of mortars. GRP mortars, usually spirally would,
are light, cheap and extremely strong. However some there is
some doubts as to their suitability for cylinder shells
especially in larger calibres. |
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| Gums |
|
Usually
applied to binding agents soluble in water. |
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| Gun |
|
A
poor term for mortar. |
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| Hammer
shell |
|
A
shell, typically multibreak, comprising color breaks and
reports timed to break in alternation. |
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| Hanabi |
|
Japanese
word for Fireworks, roughly translated as "flowers of
fire." |
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| Hang
fire |
|
A
fuse or pyrotechnic composition that continues to burn very
slowly, often almost invisibly, rather than at it's design
speed. As such a hangfire presents a serious danger to
fires. |
|
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| HDPE
mortar |
|
High
Density Polyethylene - an extremely useful material for
mortars. Belling rather than fragmentation of HDPE mortars
tends to occur with failure of normal (not salute) shells. |
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| High
explosive |
|
An
explosive that is capable of detonating when unconfined. |
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| Ignition |
|
The
initiation of burning of a pyrotechnic material. |
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| Indoor
firework |
|
In
terms of the British and European standards devices of very
limited power suitable for use indoors. Types include
sparklers, snakes and other novelty items. |
|
|
| Japanese
style shell |
|
The
ultimate spherical burst shell. The Japanese strive to
produce perfect symmetry and patters in their shells.
Japanese shells are also noted for the contrasting colored
pistils that form part of the burst of many effects. |
|
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| Kamuro |
|
A
long burning star, usually silver or gold, that falls a
substantial distance from the shell burst before, perhaps,
changing color at the end of its flight. |
|
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| Kraft
paper |
|
A
strong paper used for pasting shells and for capping. |
|
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| Lance |
|
Usually
a small, thin walled, tube containing colored composition
used to make lancework. |
|
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| Lancework |
|
Usually
a message, logo, or design made on a wooden lattice work
frame comprising many lances fused together. |
|
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| Leader |
|
The
initial fuse of a shell that transfers fire from the delay
fuse (if any) to the lifting charge of the shell. For small
caliber shells the leader may be used to lower the shell to
the bottom of the mortar tube, but this is not good practice
with larger caliber shells. |
|
|
| Lifting
charge |
|
The
charge beneath an aerial shell (or Roman candle unit) which
propels the unit into the air. The listing charge almost
universally used in firework manufacture is granulated
blackpowder. |
|
|
| Line |
|
In
electrical firing one "line" is a single circuit,
perhaps comprising many individual ignitions, that are fired
simultaneously. |
|
|
| Line
rocket |
|
A
rocket designed to travel along a wire or rope. |
|
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| Low
explosive |
|
An
explosive that burns or deflagrates on ignition rather than
detonating. Almost all pyrotechnic compositions are low
explosives. |
|
|
| M-80 |
|
A
type of small, but powerful, device containing flash powder.
M-80s are now banned from sale in the US. |
|
|
| Manufacture |
|
The
process of making fireworks from the raw materials. The term
is more generally applied to any manipulation of firework
components (e.g fusing shells). |
|
|
| Maroon
Shell |
|
An
exploding device that makes a loud boom. Aerial maroons are
the most common, the composition being wither blackpowder or
flashpowder. From French - maroon - chestnut (from the noise
they make in a fire).Also
known as Salutes. Titanium Salutes are a bright, white flash
followed by a boom. |
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|
| Match |
|
The
generic term for quickmatch, black match etc. |
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| Meal
powder |
|
Finely
divided blackpowder available in several grades. |
|
|
| MIDI |
|
A
method of computer control of firework displays in which
cues are programmed like notes on a score. MIDI is an
internationally recognized coding standard usually used for
composing music. |
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| Mine |
|
Typically
a complete with firing tube, but generally the firework
itself. |
|
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| Mini
mine |
|
A
Roman candle in which each shot produces a mine effect many
stars, rather than the more typical single star per shot. |
|
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| Misfire |
|
In
general any failure of a firework to function as predicted.
Modern usage restricts the term to the failure of a firework
fuse. |
|
|
| Mortar |
|
The
tube used to fire an aerial shell, or mine. Mortars can be
constructed from paper, plastic (HDPE), GRP (reinforced
fiberglass pictured) or metal. |
|
|
| Mortar
mine |
|
A
mine fired from a mortar. |
|
|
| Mosaic |
|
The
French term for splitting comet. |
|
|
| Multibreak
shell |
|
An
aerial shell comprising more than one section producing a
separate effect in sequence and ignited by the bursting of
the preceding section. The public may incorrectly refer to a
"shell of shells" as a multibreak effect. |
|
|
| Multishot
battery |
|
The
generic term for a collection of pyrotechnic pieces lit at a
single ignition point, but often used exclusively for items
referred to as "cakes" or multi-shot effect boxes. |
|
|
| Muzzle
break |
|
A
malfunction of a shell where the bursting charge operates
just as the shell leaves the mortar. This is a common point
of shell failure as the pressure changes that act on the
shell are great at this point. |
|
|
| Niagara
falls |
|
Brocks
often fitted Niagara falls with a loud whistle accompanying
the visual effect. |
|
|
| Noise
mine |
|
A
mine in which the principle effect is ejection of
pyrotechnic noise units (e.g crackers or whistles.) |
|
|
| Nomatch |
|
A
specialized system for igniting fireworks using a shock
tube. The advantage of Nomatch is the extremely high speed
of propagation leading to almost simultaneous ignition of
several pieces at great distances. |
|
|
| Open
circuit |
|
An
electric circuit that is not complete - i.e. will not fire
when a current is applied. |
|
|
| Orange
book |
|
The
United Nations book
on
the Classification and Testing of Dangerous Goods.
Published by the ATF. |
|
|
| Oxidant |
|
The
component of a firework composition that supplies the oxygen
to the reaction (e.g. Potassium Nitrate) |
|
|
| Oxidizing
agent |
|
In
firework compositions syn. Oxidant. |
|
|
| Palm
burst |
|
The
central bust, similar to a coconut shell, of a color shell.
For instance a "Red peony with palm core." |
|
|
| Parallel
circuit |
|
An
electrical circuit in which the current is divided to pass
through several igniters. Parallel circuits are less easy to
test for line breaks and short circuits than series
circuits. |
|
|
| Paste |
|
The
most common usage is that referring to the pasting of aerial
shells to enhance the burst of the shells. |
|
|
| Pattern
shell |
|
A
shell, usually with many fewer stars than a chrysanthemum
shell of the same caliber, whose burst patter in such that a
pattern rather than a sphere of stars is produced.
Pattern shells come in many levels of complexity, but perhaps
the most pleasing is the simple single circle. |
|
|
| Pellet |
|
An
alternative term for a star, usually restricted to pumped,
cylindrical form, stars. |
|
|
| Peony
shell |
|
A
typical Japanese style of shell in which the stars do not
leave a trail of sparks. |
|
|
| PGI |
|
The
American "Pyrotechnics
Guild International" |
|
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| |
