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Season Five Research Files
Episode Ten
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Although the basic idea for a flamethrower dates as far back as the 5th century B.C., it did not become a military weapon designed for portability until the Germans used it in World War I. It was also made larger and extended for use on tanks. By the second war, the weapon was in operation on both sides. Flamethrowers have not been part of the U.S. military since 1978 when the practice was deemed inhumane. International law still does not ban its usage as a weapon.
The handheld flamethrower has an attached fuel tank that soldiers carry on their backs. The backpack contains three cylinder tanks. Two tanks hold a liquid fuel while the third contains a compressed gas, such as butane, which pressures the fuel out of the tanks through a hose to the ignition part of the gun.
Handheld flamethrowers are heavy and slow down the mobility of a soldier. They have a short range and the flame lasts only a few seconds. This puts the soldier at risk.
United States federal law does not restrict private ownership of flamethrowers. Yet California (where “24” is filmed) does have local restrictions. The production created one with a propane tank so that effect gave off a flame stream without the spray, splatter and smoke produced by the authentic weapon.
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