Quote:
Originally Posted by Wolf Larsen
Tripler, a question came up at dinner last night. If there was a crashed WWII bomber, with ordinance still on it, how cranky would the bombs be? Would entering the craft be likely to set them off or not?
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Well, since we're in the Food Court bullshittin' whilst the kids are over in the Gap. . .
If, say, a B-17 launched loaded for bear, and it's ordnance was hung
and fuzed, you'd have a problem on your hands. The bombs themselves would probably be okay--it's the mechanical fuzes you have to worry about. Depending on the fuzing, you'd have either early-generation batteries which would could have rotted out long ago so they wouldn't provide power to a firing circuit (safer), firing pin retention pins that have been under strain for so long they could have become brittle (not so safe), or parts would have rusted out and safety devices/spring actuators would also have become brittle (again, not so safe). This speaks nothing of the chemical composition of the 'completed' ordnance itself. The filler in the main charge would probably be just fine. The insensitive explosives used in the fuze might be a little cranky after 60 years.
Could you safely get onboard the aircraft? You wouldn't, but
I would have to. I'd have to climb on to evaluate what's there, how it's all fuzed, what condition it's all in, and if it's safe to RSP in-place. If the ordance were hung pristinely, still on the racks, yeah, you could probably walk down the plane without incurring enough vibration to scratch a firing pin on a detonator. If the ordnance weren't hung so nice-nice, or the B-17 were a pile 'o' aluminum, vibration would become more of a problem.
Should your scenario happen, I
guarantee it would not be a speedy process. Consider several hours' of RSP time
per piece of ordnance. That does not include downloading/removal/transportation time off the bird.
* RSP: Render Safe Procedure--things I do to render something
safe for transportation. I dispose of it later at a nother site (usu. by explosive means).
Say, who's that young punk talking to your daughter over there? Why is he flashing the "call me" sign to her?
And he just looked over here at you and I and 'upnodded'. Stupid little punk.
Tripler
Why, is there something I should know?