US Sonderwaffen in Museen

[BWDenver]

If you're ever in Albuquerque, NM, visit The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. It has LOTS of nuclear "shapes", missiles and carrier aircraft. I spent an hour and a half there, and got lots of bomb pictures. They even have Mk-17!

The info on the Mk-17 might be inaccurate. Information displayed with the Mk-17 at The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History indicate the B-52 was also a carrier, with special doors. When the B-36 was phased out, they retired the Mk-17, and similar weapon, the Mk-24. Not sure who is right or wrong...

But it's still a big bloody firecracker!

 

[BWDenver]

Auch im Museum of Aviation in Warner-Robins (Ga.) ist eine (McDonnell) Douglas AIR-2A Genie ausgestellt:

The 87th FIS Zap is Priceless!

 

[BWDenver]

B61 (Mk-61)



The first time I saw one of these I was at Carswell AFB outside of Fort Worth, TX. We flew in to pick up a patient from the hospital. I was in the 3/507th Lifesaver unit at Ft Hood, commonly called DUSTOFF. Carswell was a SAC base, Read high security. We were about a mile from the parking area in front of the tower when they informed me they did not have a flight plan on us. Not a good thing to land at a SAC base without a flight plan. I offered to hover by the tower and show them my copy. After a brief pause, they told me to land in front of the tower. We complied. And I noticed two blue vans on either side of us. I told the crew NOT to open the doors or get out.

A few minutes later, a blue security van came past and behind it was a tractor pulling a clip of 4 silver "shapes". Followed by another security van. The co-pilot asked "what was that", and I replied "4 Nukes". He got real quiet. Likely as not they were training "shapes", or may be the real thing. They trundled off to the line of B-52H's to the south of us. At the time I didn't know what flavor of Nuke it was, just that it was not a conventional bomb.

On my wat to Corpus Christi TX form Colorado Springs I made a point to stop in Albuquerque NM and The Museum of Nuclear energy and Science. I was not all that interested in the science, but they have the largest collection of Nuclear "shapes" on display of anyplace in the US.

One of the first things I saw outside was an F-16A with a B61 under the left wing. The B61 is a DAY weapon, Dial – A – Yield. From .3 to 340 KT yield. The 11' 9.5" long casing is 13.4" at it's mid point. Tail fin span is 22.5". The weapons cost around $28M each. The weapon was designed at the birthplace of American Nuclear weapons, Los Alamos. There have been 13 variations of the B-61. Mostly dealing with variations in yield. Mods 0 – 10 are equipped with a 24' chute. The weapon can be released at supersonic speeds, and as low as 50'. Detonation in a little as 31 seconds.

Currently the latest carrier is the F-35. Previously qualified carriers are the B-52, B-1, B-2B, F-15E, F-16, F/A-18, A-6 (retired), AV-8A (Retired) likely the AV-8B and the Tornado (NATO).

Eduard currently makes a 1/48 B-61.

While the aircraft carries the NM ANG markings, it was actually a ground trainer transferred to Kirkland and transferred to the museum.

 

[BWDenver]

SRAM, Short Range Attack Missile, White Sands Missile Garden, NM

In the early 70’s US warhead development had reached a point where a compact nuclear warhead could be deployed by aircraft down to a single seat jet fighter.

The SRAM was envisioned as a weapon to take out anti-aircraft sites in Russian in order to allow the bombers to penetrate deeper into soviet territory. The B-52, B-1 and F-111 were the principal carriers of the weapon. A B-52 could carry up to 20 of the weapons.

The SRAM could reach out ahead of the bomber to a distance of between 35 to 100 miles depending on the launch height. The two-stage solid fuel rocket motor would first accelerate the missile to M3.5, with the second stage igniting for the terminal phase. The yield of the W69 warhead was between 170 and 200 KT. Any target within 1,400’ of destination would be taken out.

While the program was initiated in 1963 as a Hound Dog replacement, the first powered flight at White Sands took place in July 1969. In total 95 SRAM launches took place at White Sands between 1969 and 1977. The missile entered service in 1972 and was withdrawn 1993.

The first two shots were taken at White Sands NM. The third shot was taken at Wight-Patt OH, and the final two shots were taken at the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in NM.

Albuquerque NM is a central point of US Special Weapons. To the South is Las Alamos, in Albuquerque is the Sandia and to the East is the Pantex Plant in Amarillo TX, one of the locations where the nuclear weapons built are assembled. When you drive by the Pantex Plant, the first thing you see are enormous concrete domes, designed to contain a low order explosion.

SRAM DIMS

Length 15’10” w tail fairing, 14’ in flight
Wingspan 2’ 6”
Diameter 17.5”
Weight 2225 Lb.

 

[BWDenver]

We are just a few weeks away from the controversial anniversary of the dropping of the Mk 1 and Mk 2 nuclear weapons that concluded WW II.

Fat Man and Little Boy

Now granted, in today’s climate, the term Fat Man would likely get someone fired. But in 1945 it was just fine!

The Mk 1 Little boy was a relatively simple device. It utilized a slug of fissionable material fired into another block of fissionable material in a “Gun Assembly”. There is some evidence this initially proved a challenge as the assembly was very heavy, until it dawned on the Las Alamosa Scientists, it was only needed to be used “once”. It overall resembles a large bomb. Unfortunately there was not the ability to get a clear shot of the Mk 1 device. The Mk 1 was dropped by Enola Gay and was 10' long by 2’ 4” in diameter. (Ops)

The Mk II Fat Man was in “implosion device”, and significantly more of an engineering challenge. The subcritical mass is surrounded by explosives and compressed to a fissionable mass via the explosion. The key is the wires and triggering devices have to fire at exactly the same time. If the timing is off, you get a “Low Order” explosion and scatter radioactive material all over the place. The Mk 2 was dropped by Bock’s Car and was 10’ 8” long and 5’ in diameter. There were other Fat Man casing, in the Mk-III or Mk-IV. Ultimately, they proved somewhat problematic to build.

When the Smithsonian restored the Enola Gay, they wanted to include the bomb shackle. But it was still classified. So they found the guy who actually designed it. The first public showing of the Enola Gay was in a special event, allowing veterans to visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center before it was open to the general public. In the opening to the public some idiot demonstrator threw a bottle of red paint at the B-29. One of the pilots, CW4 Bill Wallace, in my CH-47D Unit was standing next to it, and thought it was a gunshot. Everybody on the catwalk piled onto the fool. The idiot put a rather large dent in the fuselage.

The national Museum of Nuclear Science and History has two Fat Man devices on display. One inside the other outside next to a B-29. The outside bomb also has a mockup of the shipping crate they used to ship the Mk 2 to Tinian Island.

 

[AE]

Thank you

"... and was 10” long" = 25 cm?
by 2’ 4” in diameter. =71 cm

 

[BWDenver]

Thank you

"... and was 10” long" = 25 cm?
by 2’ 4” in diameter. =71 cm

10' -> 304.8 CM Hit the wrong key!

Gemeint sind wohl 10 Fuß (Länge) und 2 Fuß 4 Inches (Durchmesser). Ca. 3 x 0,73m.

Richtig, ich habe die falsche Taste gedrückt....

Bryan

 

[pok]

Here we are:

In wenigen Wochen jährt sich ja der Abwurf der ersten beiden Nuklearwaffen Mk 1 und Mk 2, der den Zweiten Weltkrieg beendete.

Fat Man und Little Boy

Zugegeben, im heutigen Klima würde der Begriff Fat Man (Fetter Mann) wahrscheinlich zur Entlassung von jemandem im Entwicklungsteam führen. Aber 1945 war das noch ok!

Die Mk 1 Little Boy (Kleiner Junge) war ein relativ einfaches Gerät. Es verwendete eine Kugel aus spaltbarem Material, die in einer kanonenartigen Anordnung in einen anderen Block aus spaltbarem Material geschossen wurde. Es gibt einige Hinweise darauf, dass dies zunächst eine Herausforderung darstellte, da die Anordnung sehr schwer war, bis den Wissenschaftlern von Las Alamosa klar wurde, dass es nur einmal funktionieren musste. Insgesamt ähnelte die Form der einer großen konventionellen Bombe. Leider war es nicht möglich, ein klares Bild des Mk 1-Geräts zu machen. Der Mk 1 wurde von Enola Gay abgeworfen und war 10 Fuß lang und 2 Fuß 4 Zoll im Durchmesser.
Der Mk II Fat Man war eine Implosionsvorrichtung und eine deutlich größere technische Herausforderung. Die unterkritische Masse wird von Sprengstoff umgeben und durch die Explosion zu einer spaltbaren Masse komprimiert. Der Schlüssel ist, dass die Drähte und Auslösevorrichtungen genau zur gleichen Zeit zünden müssen. Wenn das Timing nicht stimmt, kommt es zu einer Explosion niedriger Ordnung und radioaktives Material wird grossflaechig verteilt. Die Mk 2 wurde von Bock’s Car abgeworfen und war 10’ 8” lang und 5’ im Durchmesser. Es gab noch andere Fat Man-Hüllen, in der Mk-III oder Mk-IV. Letztendlich waren sie zu aufwendig zu bauen Die Mk 2 wurde von Bock’s Car abgeworfen und war 10’ 8” lang und 5’ im Durchmesser. Es gab noch andere Fat Man-Hüllen, in der Mk-III oder Mk-IV. Letztendlich waren sie zu aufwendig zu bauen.
Als das Smithsonian die B-29 Enola Gay restaurierte, wollten sie den Bombenhalter mit einbeziehen. Aber er war immer noch geheim. Also fanden sie den Mann, der ihn tatsächlich entworfen hatte. Die erste öffentliche Vorführung der Enola Gay fand im Rahmen einer Sonderveranstaltung statt, bei der Veteranen das Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center besuchen konnten, bevor es für die Öffentlichkeit zugänglich war. Bei der Eröffnung für die Öffentlichkeit warf ein fehlgeleiteter "Aktivist" eine Flasche rote Farbe auf die B-29. Einer der Piloten meiner CH-47D-Einheit, CW4 Bill Wallace, stand daneben und dachte, es sei ein Schuss. Alle auf dem Laufsteg stürzten sich auf den Stoerer. Der Kerl hinterließ eine ziemlich große Delle im Rumpf.

Das Nationalmuseum für Nuklearwissenschaft und -geschichte hat zwei Fat Man ausgestellt. Eines innerhalb, das andere außerhalb einer B-29. Neben der Waffe ausserhalb der Maschine steht auch ein Modell der Transportkiste, mit der die Mk 2 zur Insel Tinian transportiert wurde.