I guess what I was trying to say is, all that power held by one arm/safe switch, and it did it's job. All the other complexities were neatly sidestepped, it got all the way down to the final step, and (fizz), nothing.
That, in my mind, is pretty amazing. I don't fear the bomb, mainly because there's nothing I could ever do in the event of one going off. Why spend my life worrying about that which I cannot control, when I can make engines fit in vehicles they never were meant to? :) Walt, who has a Geiger counter, but not a tin foil hat. ;) On Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 10:21 PM, WILTON <wilt...@nc.rr.com> wrote: > Agreed. > # 1 was completely intact; standing upright and supported by chute in tree; > 'backed a truck up to it; 'lowered it onto truck and hauled it away. Gas > reservoir of # 2 was found intact with the gas inside; pit never found; no > HE explosion. > > I never worried about 'em either, nor feared 'em. > > Wilton > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Reames" <jwrea...@comcast.net> > To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > Cc: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 8:54 PM > Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT B-52 luxuries > > >> I'm guessing that the pits were intact, likely due to (relatively) >> insensitive HE, otherwise there would have been a big mess (sans mushroom), >> and there wouldn't be a secondary in the hole (it would be all over the >> countryside) >> >> Now, I would be worried if I heard of one that never left the ground and >> was in the all-but-one state. Likewise for any form of "care" package; they >> are likely designed to be difficult to impossible to set off >> (uber-fail-safe) when not armed, even if all deployment checks are met, but >> once armed aboard the means of deployment, strategically, they should >> fail-deadly... >> >> I'd bet that it is nigh-on-impossible to improperly make one go off, even >> with the procedures, and it would require a complete factory teardown to >> change things. >> >> It also sounds like the procedures to un-safe them have technical means of >> enforcing multi-person responsibility in a way that would make even the best >> financial controller's cash handling procedures look like petty theater... >> >> And THAT is why we are safe (and I don't worry about it (or fear them...)) >> >> -- >> John W Reames >> jwrea...@comcast.net >> Home: +14106646986 >> Mobile: +14437915905 >> >> On Jan 28, 2011, at 20:25, "WILTON" <wilt...@nc.rr.com> wrote: >> >>> Yes, I know; I've been trying to tell 'em (locals) about that sort of >>> thing for years, but there's still a large "contingent" (including local >>> newspaper reporters) who seem to enjoy sensationalism and like to sell >>> newspapers, etc., by printing the story again about every 5 or so years with >>> the same misinformation. >>> >>> About a month ago I received a copy of the Feb '61 Sandia Corp. (the >>> nation's nuke weapons experts) report that fairly well confirms what I've >>> been saying about the accident for many years - that there was very little >>> to no danger of nuke det. >>> >>> BTW, early part of aircraft breakup pulled safety pins that normally >>> would prevent release and extraction of pullout pins that would generate a >>> pulse (much like Wiley Coyote's plunger that generates pulse to detonate >>> dynamite near the Road Runner) to initiate fusing sequence. Very unusual >>> centrifugal forces tore the 9k-pound weapons from their shackles, pullout >>> switches were extracted, pulse was generated and normal fusing and firing >>> sequence started. In bomb number 1, all of the switches, including ARM/SAFE >>> switch (and altitude, airspeed, chute, etc.), worked normally and in proper >>> sequence, but, again, yes, the "safety" was ON - ARM/SAFE switch was SAFE. >>> All of those properly activated switches meant nothing - safety was "ON." >>> Bomb number 2 fell without chute and destroyed itself upon impact with >>> ground before fusing sequence was complete. 'Course it also was "SAFE" - >>> not armed. >>> >>> There was extremely little danger of nuke det from either one of 'em. I'm >>> hesitating to say, "NO DANGER," because nothing is absolutely 100% perfect, >>> including nuke weapons; I'm sure the guys at Sandia are still trying to >>> attain perfection, but how can one ever know that absolutely every >>> contingency has been covered? >>> >>> Wilton >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Reames" <jwrea...@comcast.net> >>> To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> >>> Sent: Friday, January 28, 2011 6:27 PM >>> Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT B-52 luxuries >>> >>> >>>> Before fussing 'bout it google "strong link" "weak link" and "permissive >>>> action link"... >>>> >>>> All that happened was that things were enough to pass the "security" >>>> checks that the thing's "brain" goes through so that it will only go off >>>> after all conditions are satisfied; I would imagine it would be at least >>>> 4-5 >>>> things, such as wanting to see the pin actually pulled from the rail, then >>>> having a certain amount of freefall, then likely a sharp deceleration due >>>> to >>>> the retardation mechanism (chute?) deploying, etc. >>>> >>>> But that's all conjecture... >>>> >>>> It's like saying that a dropped gun almost went off because the safety >>>> disengaged and the trigger moved and the hammer moved, but glossing over >>>> the >>>> thing not having a firing pin! >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> John W Reames >>>> jwrea...@comcast.net >>>> Home: +14106646986 >>>> Mobile: +14437915905 >>>> >>>> On Jan 27, 2011, at 16:06, Walt Zarnoch <zarnoch...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> To think that only 1 small switch was all that kept all the hellfire >>>>> inside that day... >>>>> >>>>> Quite a sobering thought on the fragility of a complex system as well. >>>>> >>>>> Walt >>>>> >>>>> On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 3:57 PM, WILTON <wilt...@nc.rr.com> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Structural damage to right wing during air refueling; coupla hours >>>>>> later, >>>>>> aircraft went into uncontrollable spin as flaps were lowered at >>>>>> beginning of >>>>>> final approach. (Flaps on right may not have gone down properly >>>>>> because of >>>>>> prior damage to wing.) Empennage (tail section with horiz. and >>>>>> vertical >>>>>> stabilizers) and right wing broke off; fuselage twisted apart down >>>>>> middle of >>>>>> bomb bay, pulling release system safety pins and causing bombs to >>>>>> separate >>>>>> from aircraft as if they had been released deliberately. >>>>>> >>>>>> Wilton >>>>>> >>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "E M" <pokieba...@gmail.com> >>>>>> To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> >>>>>> Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 3:27 PM >>>>>> Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT B-52 luxuries >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> Was a report ever released as to why the plane broke up? It would be >>>>>>> interesting to hear more about the event after your dinner in 2 >>>>>>> weeks. I'm >>>>>>> sure he'll have one story to tell that will hold everyone's attention >>>>>>> over >>>>>>> dinner! >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Ed >>>>>>> 300E >>>>>>> >>>>>>> On 27 January 2011 15:16, WILTON <wilt...@nc.rr.com> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>> >>>> _______________________________________ >>>> http://www.okiebenz.com >>>> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com >>>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >>>> >>>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >>>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________ >>> http://www.okiebenz.com >>> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com >>> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >>> >>> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >>> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com >> >> _______________________________________ >> http://www.okiebenz.com >> For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com >> To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ >> >> To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: >> http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
