According to wiki (so it must be true!), the Vulcan squadrons had 8 aircraft and were scaled for only 8 WE177s. However Tornado squadrons had 12 aircraft, but were scaled for 18 bombs ie 1.5 per aircraft. Anyone know what the scales were for the various aircraft?
Unlike BD, the flat high drag nose of YS enabled a fuel tank to be carried in the front part of the aircraft bomb bay (Victor) resulting in extended range. I can't recall this on the Valiant although it also could carry YS. Both BD and YS were loaded only on Station 3 a single round only being possible.
Ok
For completeness Uk Nuclear bomb casings.
Casings were retained to simplify handling equipment & aircraft attatchment.
First Blue Danube
A proven drop shape based on Barnes Wallis's work.
An accurate weapon but very fast fall speed which did not give the delivery aircraft much time to get clear.
The large casing was required to contain early core designs.
Second Red Beard
A smalled diameter casing suitable for use on smaller aircraft
This casing was used with several physics cores both Uk made & USA loan.
Third Yellow Sun
Used with several cores from large 400Kt bombs (the ones with ball bearings in them for safety)
Later deployed with US designed Mk28 thermonuclear device and others.
The flat nose was a British feature which did away with the parachutes to slow the fall of the bomb.
Descriptions from Orfordness say the bomb "rumbled" as it fell.
For interest a concrete core which must have been used for drop testing.
Notice 32 fuse pockets.
No real scale but about the correct size for an Orange Herald core.
The 'Red Beard' is cradled and transported on a Type 'J' Trolley. Must be a rare item now. The trolley was quite intricate and certainly not intended to spend much time outdoors.It actually had suspension to cushion the load.
Yellow Sun, having a flat nose was always carried on Station 3 in Victor/Valiant which conveniently left space in front or an extended range fuel tank although I should think that might be fitted only for ferry role since it would change the airlow characteristics of the bomb bay with doors open in flight. The ball-bearing safety mass mentioned caused or than one comical release during pre-loading The trolley is a Standard Airfield Bomb Transporter (SABT) used or YS and BD but in conventional role carried bombs for all three V Bombers.
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