Want to Dive..Looking for a Nuclear Bomb

[DandyDon]

US fighter collides with Nuke carrying bomber. (Ok who was on radar duty that day?)

1958 radar - not much to brag about then.

 

[Lopaka]

UBut, the conventional expolsive within the weapon can still explode, especially on high impact or in a fire situation.

Yep, my point previously.

The HE in a nuke trigger is no way like the benign HE in a gravity bomb. Stuff is more like a detonator than the secondary.......................

 

[The Kraken]

fftopic:

Ya ever wonder why the XB-49 (Flying Wing) project was canceled and all existing aircraft ordered to be destroyed?

Could it be that when it went up on it's test flights they couldn't find it on the radar that was existent in those days???

the K

 

[DandyDon]

fftopic:

Ya ever wonder why the XB-49 (Flying Wing) project was canceled and all existing aircraft ordered to be destroyed?

Could it be that when it went up on it's test flights they couldn't find it on the radar that was existent in those days???

the K

Never heard that one before...

The first aircraft flew on 21 October 1947 and immediately proved more promising than its piston-engined counterpart. The YB-49 set both an unofficial endurance record of staying continually above 40,000 ft (12,200 m) for six hours, and a trans-continental speed record, flying from Muroc Air Force Base in California to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. in 4 hours 20 minutes. The return flight from Andrews was marred by a multiple failure in six of the eight engines. Inspection after a successful emergency landing revealed no oil had been replaced in these engines after the Muroc to Andrews leg raising suspicion of sabotage. The Air Force engineer in charge of this detail became ill shortly before the scheduled departure and did not accompany the YB-49 back to Muroc. He later died in a motorcycle accident under mysterious circumstances. The Northrop corporation was always a technological trailblazer but the independent nature of Jack Northrop often collided with political wheeling and dealing that tended to run huge military allocations.

The second YB-49 was lost on 5 June 1948, killing its pilot, Major Daniel Forbes for whom Forbes Air Force Base was named, Captain Glen Edwards, copilot (after whom Edwards Air Force Base is named), and three other crew members, one of whom, Lt. Edward Lee Swindell was a crewmember on the B-29 that assisted Chuck Yeager to break the sound barrier. The aircraft suffered structural failure, with both outer wing sections becoming detached from the center section. Speculation at the time was that the aircraft was lost due to excessive pullout loads imposed when a stall recovery resulted in a high speed dive. The post stall high speed dive resulted from the Northrop flying wings clean, low drag design which gave a rapid speed increase in any type of dive. The last operational YB-49 prototype was destroyed during high speed taxi trials at Muroc. The nosewheel began to encounter severe vibration problems and collapsed. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the ensuing fire. The taxi trials took place with fuel tanks full, an unusual testing procedure further fanning speculation of sabotage.

lined up for destruction
​

 

[Jax]

So, the federal government, who cannot find not one, but TWO nuclear bombs, even though they know where they went . ..

And they want to manage our WHAT?!?!?!

 

[Teamcasa]

fftopic:

Ya ever wonder why the XB-49 (Flying Wing) project was canceled and all existing aircraft ordered to be destroyed?

Could it be that when it went up on it's test flights they couldn't find it on the radar that was existent in those days???

the K

Considering the massive amount of computing power it takes to keep the B2 bomber in flight, the XB-49 never had a chance of continuous safe flight.

 

[The Kraken]

But think about it . . .

Some Air Force captain type is in the tower and trying to see the bomber on the radar.

"Hey, where is that thing??? I can see it, but it doesn't show up on the radar!"

So, that little observation get to Washington and someone, with one eye and half sense says, "Ya know, if we can't see it on our radar, then if Russia makes one like it, we won't be able to see their's on our radar."

Just food for thought.

the K-onspiracy Theorist

 

[Gombessa]

So, the federal government, who cannot find not one, but TWO nuclear bombs, even though they know where they went . ..

Last I heard, there have been several dozen lost nuclear weapons since the 1950s. Just on our side, too.