Picture of the day
- Thread starter jwhc
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The B43 was a United States air-dropped variable yield nuclear weapon used by a wide variety of fighter bomber and bomber aircraft.
The B43 was developed from 1956 by Los Alamos National Laboratory, entering production in 1959. It entered service in April 1961. Total production was 2,000 weapons, ending in 1965. Some variants were parachute-retarded and featured a ribbon parachute.
The B43 was built in two variants, Mod 1 and Mod 2, each with five yield options. Depending on version, the B43 was 18 in (45 cm) in diameter, and length was between 12.5 ft (3.81 m) and 13.6 ft (4.15 m). The various versions weighed between 2,061–2,116 lb (935–960 kg). It could be delivered at altitudes as low as 300 ft (90 m), with fuzing options for airburst, ground burst, free fall, contact, or laydown delivery. Explosive yield varied from 70 kilotons of TNT to 1 megaton of TNT.
The B43 used the Tsetse primary design for its fission stage, as did several mid- and late-1950s designs.
The B43 was one of four thermonuclear gravity bombs carried by Canadian CF-104 jets while serving in Germany between June 1964 and 1972.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Turkish Mosquito:
The Turks ran a very mixed bag of AC after WW2. Mosquitos, FW190, Spits of several differend marks, Lysanders, Hurricaines, P-47, and at least one B-24:
The Turks ran a very mixed bag of AC after WW2. Mosquitos, FW190, Spits of several differend marks, Lysanders, Hurricaines, P-47, and at least one B-24:
The B43 was a United States air-dropped variable yield nuclear weapon used by a wide variety of fighter bomber and bomber aircraft.
The B43 was developed from 1956 by Los Alamos National Laboratory, entering production in 1959. It entered service in April 1961. Total production was 2,000 weapons, ending in 1965. Some variants were parachute-retarded and featured a ribbon parachute.
The B43 was built in two variants, Mod 1 and Mod 2, each with five yield options. Depending on version, the B43 was 18 in (45 cm) in diameter, and length was between 12.5 ft (3.81 m) and 13.6 ft (4.15 m). The various versions weighed between 2,061–2,116 lb (935–960 kg). It could be delivered at altitudes as low as 300 ft (90 m), with fuzing options for airburst, ground burst, free fall, contact, or laydown delivery. Explosive yield varied from 70 kilotons of TNT to 1 megaton of TNT.
The B43 used the Tsetse primary design for its fission stage, as did several mid- and late-1950s designs.
The B43 was one of four thermonuclear gravity bombs carried by Canadian CF-104 jets while serving in Germany between June 1964 and 1972.
That would hurt, even at Mach 2.
Variable yield is common among free-fall (i.e. gravity) nuclear bomb designs. Typically it is managed by controlling the amount of neutrons emitted so that the length of the chain reaction can be reduced (or increased).
The Turkish military has operated a real grab bag of equipment since WW2; mostly hand-me-downs from other NATO members.
They received a lot of our surplus Sabres and 104s. I spent some time in eastern Turkey in the late 80s and was amazed to see what they were using. They had WW2 vintage deuce and a halfs, 155mm Long Toms, M1 Garands and even a home produced version of the M1A1 Thompson. It must have been a real challenge to keep this stuff operational, but at least it all had a nice coat of paint and looked pretty spiffy.
I was surprised to learn that the 9.2 inch coast defence guns, which had guarded the west coast in WW2, had been sent to the Turks to defend the Bosporus.
The Arab armies were a disaster when it came to maintaining equipment. You could discount their numbers by about 50% because so much of it was deadlined or would break down before firing a shot. There were pretty rigorous preventative maintenance schedules for all of their Soviet supplied equipment. It would work if the maintenance was done per schedule, but that was an iffy proposition.
They received a lot of our surplus Sabres and 104s. I spent some time in eastern Turkey in the late 80s and was amazed to see what they were using. They had WW2 vintage deuce and a halfs, 155mm Long Toms, M1 Garands and even a home produced version of the M1A1 Thompson. It must have been a real challenge to keep this stuff operational, but at least it all had a nice coat of paint and looked pretty spiffy.
I was surprised to learn that the 9.2 inch coast defence guns, which had guarded the west coast in WW2, had been sent to the Turks to defend the Bosporus.The Arab armies were a disaster when it came to maintaining equipment. You could discount their numbers by about 50% because so much of it was deadlined or would break down before firing a shot. There were pretty rigorous preventative maintenance schedules for all of their Soviet supplied equipment. It would work if the maintenance was done per schedule, but that was an iffy proposition.
The THK received over 100 Canadian Sabres. They also received over 50 CF-104s but less than half of these were actually pressed into service, and the remainder cannibalized for spares. (Of course, some of their earlier serving aircraft had actually been built by Canadair.)
They must have had a bomb bay of sorts, I would think, since they were fitted with machine guns in a removable pod .
Grizz
They must have had a bomb bay of sorts, I would think, since they were fitted with machine guns in a removable pod .
Bombs were trialled in the Mk 2T unarmed trainer variant. Here's a pic with two bombs, but I have seen another with four 500 lb bombs underwing in the same positions outboard of the engines. The trials were unsuccessful.
They must have had a bomb bay of sorts, I would think, since they were fitted with machine guns in a removable pod .
Grizz
The belly bay had a set of 50's. I think it went out of service and only the two rocket pods were carried. I don't recall the belly ever being fitted to carry a bomb. And I don't ever recall an application for bombs. The plane was an all weather interceptor.
I had a discussion with a drunken CF pilot type in a mess one evening who flew 104’s in W.Germany and he explained how they ‘tossed’ the bomb while in a steep climb and then came out of the loop and then flew as fast as they could anywhere they wanted...the presumption being that every Nato airbase that had (or might have) nuclear weapons would have been already vaporized... so no going back there
fat tony
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Zell Starfighter. They understood perfectly what was called for. A/C was on a one way mission. Playing Two Minutes to Midnight while screaming along with the bomb at treetop level, thundercracker delivered, the pilot ejecting to an uncertain fate.
One might imagine that on the way to his target or after he dropped the bomb most of the airports in the region would have been raging nuclear fires. All the civilized notions the pilot had been accustomed to - gone.
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Zell Starfighter. They understood perfectly what was called for. A/C was on a one way mission. Playing Two Minutes to Midnight while screaming along with the shape at treetop level, thundercracker delivered, the pilot ejecting to an uncertain fate.
Wow those Germans just could not let that Manned V-1 idea rest now could they ?
