B77 (nuclear weapon)
The B77 was developed as a strategic nuclear weapon for the B-1A bomber . Even if it was primarily intended to be used with the B-1A , it could also be used with other types of aircraft.
The B77 replaced the outdated models of the strategic atomic bombs B28 and B43 . Like the previous versions, the B77 could be ignited in free fall or when it hit the ground. According to the specifications, the bomb could be dropped in supersonic flight from heights of 20 km. Like the B43 , it could also be dropped off from low-flying aircraft ( laydown delivery ). In order to enable it to be set down from low heights, the B77 had gas nozzles for swirl stabilization. The parachute system used consisted of a pre-parachute and a main parachute. With this combination, the bomb could be safely set down at heights of less than 30 m to 100 m. The dropping speed could be up to Mach 2.2 . When dropped from a height of 30 m and a speed of 2.2 Mach, the bomb hit the ground at a speed of around 65 km / h (40 mph). The pilot was thus calculated 4 km (2.3 miles ) from the point of impact at the time of the detonation . The B77, however, had a possibility to delay the detonation.
Development and construction
There is no reliable information about the exact structure of the explosive device and its development. Since the B77 is a further development of the B43 , the underlying construction and the explosive power should be comparable.
Commissioning
No evidence can be found whether the B77 was regularly put into service. However, the development was stopped in December 1977. This was due on the one hand to the fact that the B-1A bomber was no longer developed and on the other hand that the costs for the project could no longer be financed. However, essential components and construction principles can be found in the successor version of the B43 .
credentials
- ↑ Hansen, Chuck. US Nuclear Weapons . Arlington, Texas, Areofax, Inc., 1988. ISBN 0-517-56740-7
- ^ Hansen, Chuck, "Swords of Armageddon," Sunnyvale, CA, Chucklea Publications, 1995
- ↑ http://nuclearweaponarchive.org