A Convivial Aviation Discussion Forum for Aviators, Aviatrices and for those who think Flying Machines are Magic.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_BombaThe Tu-95V had all connectors in its automatic release mechanism replaced, the bomb bay doors removed and the aircraft itself covered with a special reflective white paint. Khrushchev himself announced the upcoming tests of the Tsar Bomba in his report at the 22nd Congress of the CPSU on 17 October 1961...
The bomb, weighing 27 metric tons, was so large (8 metres [26 ft] long by 2.1 metres [6 ft 11 in] in diameter) that the Tu-95V had to have its bomb bay doors and fuselage fuel tanks removed. The bomb was attached to an 800-kilogram (1,800 lb), 1,600-square-metre (17,000 sq ft) parachute, which gave the release and observer planes time to fly about 45 kilometres (28 mi) away from ground zero, giving them a 50 percent chance of survival.
It obviously took some time for the RAF to work out that white was a better choice for aircraft dropping nuclear bombs.TheGreenGoblin wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:43 pmGiven the fact that the Lancasters, black (and therefore heat/flash absorbing) would have fallen in the outer perimeter of the damaging blast radius, it is probably best for all concerned that they were not called upon to go into action. Nothing worse than blowing yourself out of the sky I guess.
It is somewhat surprising that the RAF and their boffins didn't see this issue clearly as many of the early key physicists in this field were British. Lord Kelvin take a bow...G-CPTN wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 9:00 pmIt obviously took some time for the RAF to work out that white was a better choice for aircraft dropping nuclear bombs.TheGreenGoblin wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:43 pmGiven the fact that the Lancasters, black (and therefore heat/flash absorbing) would have fallen in the outer perimeter of the damaging blast radius, it is probably best for all concerned that they were not called upon to go into action. Nothing worse than blowing yourself out of the sky I guess.
https://owlcation.com/humanities/RC-135 ... -the-SkiesThe Stratotanker and C-135 Stratolifter, each made by the Boeing Company since 1957, were originally designed to facilitate mid-air refueling and to transport troops and equipment. Modified KC-135s and C-135s have flown as command posts, electronic reconnaissance, photo mapping, and purely transport aircraft. A KC-135A received modifications in 1961 to quickly collect on an announced Soviet Union detonation test of an alleged 100 megaton thermonuclear device called the “Tsar Bomba” under the Big Safari program. Despite suffering scorching on the fuselage, the converted aircraft succeeded in its mission by bringing back photographs of the test as well as electromagnetic data to confirm the United State’s suspicions on the bomb’s actual size and how it worked. This proved that the KC-135 had a valuable mission in supporting national level intelligence agencies with viable airborne collected data.
The need for black was completely irrelevant by the time the bomb was dropped. The Japanese had completely lost control of their airspace... save for non radar directed anti-aircraft batteries that had no real hope of hitting a bomber, even a Lancaster operating at +- 25,000 feet....Pontius Navigator wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 9:33 pmNo point in having a white bomber resistant to flash and heat of it got shot down before release. Rene he made the point that the B29 was 5,000 feet higher (longer time of bomb fall) and 100 kts faster.
I am not sure if the 200 kts speed though. I have done 250 kts at low level so I think the Lanc woukd have been a bit faster.
Both good points...Pontius Navigator wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 9:49 pmTGG whilst that was true it was not true during the work up phase. I would suggest that Bomber Command would have been very conservative in changing a well used night scheme.
The B29 was not white but silver. Stripping the paint from the Lancaster woukd have been cheaper and lighter.
Who'da thunk it?Pontius Navigator wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 9:49 pmStripping the paint from the Lancaster would have been cheaper and lighter.
Pontius Navigator wrote: ↑Fri Aug 07, 2020 7:48 amTGG, so you think the crews would have been told about the risk assessment?
We were not told everything. We were assured the over pressure on the V-bombers would be 0.98 psi and they would not receive structures damage below 1.25.
Ground crew carried little radiation monitor tags; aircrew were not issued with them. I must read Rexford-Welch paper on Victor 2 contamination.
In the United Kingdom it was also decided that a Canberra aircraft should fly through the atomic cloud as soon as possible after the explosion to assess the aircraft’s behaviour under such conditions and to gain information on types and levels of contamination...
Personally I felt a certain amount of contempt for Penney for the way he treated the physicists and staff in the wake of the Windscale fire...The first time a Canberra bomber flew through a mushroom cloud to gather radiation samples was in October 1953, during Operation Totem.
commanded by RAF pilot Geoffrey Dhenin, the plane flew at 30,000 feet above the Australian desert north of Woomera for the Totem 1 test—the
source of the black mist that reportedly blinded Yami Lester (Chapter 1). After testing the level of radioactivity with sensors mounted on the wing,
Dhenin made an initial pass through the mushroom cloud, followed by two more: one through the base and one through the top. On return
to base, the aircraft was tested and found to be contaminated with radioactivity. Despite shielding on the aircraft, Dhenin and the two other
crew members received high doses of gamma radiation. Britain’s chief nuclear scientist William Penney told Dhenin that the aircrew had been exposed to radiation doses above the permitted level. Although they were scheduled to perform the same task for the Totem 2 test within a fortnight, the crew were withdrawn, with Penney telling Dhenin:
Go home, boy. You have done enough. I cannot authorise such a thing a second time. Penney later brusquely dismissed the danger to the pilots, telling the 1984 Royal Commission: The fact that the crew of an RAF Canberra received significant doses of radiation as a result of their early passage through the cloud was reported to me. I did not regard it as very serious as it was a once in a lifetime dose.
Was yours signed by the author?TheGreenGoblin wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:40 pmI have that Cobham book thanks to one of the chaps that posts here. It is a must for any pilot's, aviation enthusiast's, geek's, nerd's library.
Yes ian16th I have the Colin Cruddas signed copy.ian16th wrote: ↑Fri Aug 07, 2020 10:26 amWas yours signed by the author?TheGreenGoblin wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:40 pmI have that Cobham book thanks to one of the chaps that posts here. It is a must for any pilot's, aviation enthusiast's, geek's, nerd's library.
Mine was, but I hadn't asked for it. I'd rather have had Mike Beetham sign his foreword.
I wonder if he signed them all?TheGreenGoblin wrote: ↑Fri Aug 07, 2020 1:39 pmYes ian16th I have the Colin Cruddas signed copy.ian16th wrote: ↑Fri Aug 07, 2020 10:26 amWas yours signed by the author?TheGreenGoblin wrote: ↑Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:40 pmI have that Cobham book thanks to one of the chaps that posts here. It is a must for any pilot's, aviation enthusiast's, geek's, nerd's library.
Mine was, but I hadn't asked for it. I'd rather have had Mike Beetham sign his foreword.