Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: lenochs%drcoa1.decnet@drcvax.af.mil (DRCOA1::LENOCHS) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Various topics Message-ID: <1991Feb20.053112.469@cbnews.att.com> Date: 20 Feb 91 05:31:12 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 54 Approved: military@att.att.com From: "DRCOA1::LENOCHS" I thought I'd consolidate my responses to 2 postings from the 18 Feb 91 issue of sci.military. Lee Eu-Ming sez: >are to be believed, there is a wire attached to the airplane that runs >through the propeller mechanism that prevents the thing from rotating. >When the bomb is dropped from the airplane, the wire slips out, >allowing the propeller to spin......I thought that most bombs >(certainly the 500 lb unguided and perhaps the laser guided Paveway) >were impact fused or carried enough juice to not need a propeller... Pure gravity weapons, such as the MK-82 and MK-84 iron bombs, have *no* juice at all. The propeller on the front of the fuse is designed to arm the fuse during freefall (as well as *not* allowing the bomb to arm on the runway or on the way to the target). In order to ensure detonation, these bombs have a tail fuse with its own propeller. I never worked on PAVEWAYs so I have no direct knowledge. As an aside, when I was stationed in Germany, we had a couple of the 15K iron bombs. They are *very* impressive in size. Daniel Mocsny sez: >2. I am aware of air-to-air refueling as a way to increase combat >range, but do the air services use it as a way to increase payload? >I.e., do planes ever take off with a full bombload and partial >fuel load, and then rendezvous with a tanker to top their tanks >once aloft? MAC airlifters routinely lift off with a full payload and partial fuel load. This is done to extend payload in flight. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| || || || There is no problem in the gamut of human experience which can't || || be adequately solved by the appropriate application of || || sufficient quantities of explosives. || || || ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Loyd M. Enochs - Dynamics Research Corporation - Andover, MA served 1975-1980 as a 461X0 (Munitions Maintenance Specialist), USAF