British Nuclear Weapons info

Came across this site

nuclear-weapons.info/vw.htm#WE.177|

The table on the first page has clickable links to very detailed and factual history on British nuclear weapons developement & delivery systems.

Quite a bit of often repeated info is de-bunked by research back to original declassified reports.

Also has facinating pictures of the safeguard systems for aircraft delivery.

Homepage: www.nuclear-weapons.info

Ah. Memories. Who could forget the moment when the trunking used to download the ball bearings into a container split and 400 kilos of BBs avalanched to the pan and ran like water in all directions. Try walking on that:)

I have read lots of references to the ball bearings and getting them out of the warhead, but how did you get them back in? Download the bomb, open a hole at the top and shovel them in through a big funnel?

Nope!

They downloaded it onto its trolley fitted with rollers, rolled the bomb over 180° on its trolley, and shovelled them in using a big funnel, before shoving in a plastic or rubber bung.

However, after that episode the RAF sought permission from AWRE to keep the bomb stored upside down, with the bung at the top. Unbelievably, the Air Ministry, AWRE and the RAF deliberated for months about whether that was a good idea. Generated stacks of paperwork tho'.

A bigger problem was the rubber bag used to line the inside of the bomb cavity. Rubber perishes don't it, and steel rusts. And rusty steel and rubber like each other so much it can be difficult to prise 'em apart. So the rubber bag was replaced frequently, and the steel balls chrome plated.

Y' just couldn't make it up. Still ... the bits I worked on worked, AFAIK.

I did the 'ball-bearing walk' at Gaydon but I should think that there was more than one such incident.

The Standard Airfield Bomb Transporter (SABT) which was used for Blue Danube and Yellow Sun did not have rollers which would have permitted the weapon to be rotated so once the safety balls were out the weapon would have to be transported back to the SSA and transferred to a servicing cradle to enable recovery.

Incidentally, the actual operation was screened from the sight of all personnel other than the actual RAF/AWRE weapon crew by the erection of canvas blinds. The blinds did not stop the sounds of frustration when things did not go to plan!

Anyone got a SABT? There was one in a boatyard on the River Witham near Boston until a few years ago. I think Hendon has one and also the Newark Air Museum. Any in private hands?

No jacks.The main identifying feature of an SABT is that each of the free running road wheels has a semi circular gear housing above it from which hangs a crank handle. When stationary, the handle can be engaged by a spring-loaded dog to the main gear and used to rotate the road wheel incrementally to accurately position the trolley (with load) longitudinally under the aircraft bomb bay. This was known as 'Inching Gear'.

I have a picture somewhere but maybe Ted has one to hand.

Edit: I forgot to add that the rear wheels can be unlocked from the 'straight-ahead' position and a 'tiller-bar' (normally stowed on the trolley) used to steer the rear wheels to assist alignment laterally.

Sorry can't find one on my PC at the moment but here are 2 borrowed from the tinternet for instructional and educational purposes only !1 The one with the fuel tank is at Newark air museum. I worked on the SABTs at Akrotiri ARM GSE ; 2 trollies one with 14x 1000lb the second with 7 could be towed with ease by the dumps Davy Brown ; they were a breeeze to reverse, one of the best designed bits of kit I have seen and very serviceable.

TED

Attached files

This image is hidden for guests.
Please log in or register to see it.

This image is hidden for guests.
Please log in or register to see it.

That will do nicely Ted.

The second image shows a Yellow Sun shape on an SABT and the rear steering tiller arm can be clearly seen.

The Vulcan bomb loading system was different to Victor/Valiant in that it utilised portable jack/cylinder units driven from a mobile hydraulic power-pack. The pistons on the jacks were extended, manually lifted and the the mushroom head ends engaged in slots in the bomb bay roof. The lower end of the jacks were engaged with the bomb carrier and pistons retracted causing the jack cylinder to 'lift' the carrier.

I'm not that familiar with the Vulcan system, my specialist qualification was with Victor/Valiant but it appears from the photograph that the SABT is a specially modified version either with four integral jacks to lift the 'special' load or the regular jacks carried on stowages welded to the trolley.

So, I learn something new everyday from AiX!

Peter, as I have mentioned I worked first line at Scampton in the blue Steel days, then to Cyprus at Arm GSE. I clearly remember the power pack it was a single axle affair tow bar at the front, at the rear 3 controls; 2 were on arms that stuck out the back they were left jack and right jack; the throttle was on the outside of the rear bulkhead.. the operater stood with his back to the set. It was a Ford sidevalve engine; the engine did not have adjustable tappets after a decoke and valve lap you ground the end of the stems to set the gap. Happy days lets turn the clock back. Must try and find a piccy of one.

TED