tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post2998399135980960914..comments2024-03-08T16:42:41.614-08:00Comments on Tailhook Topics: Getting It RightTailspinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17837863895661437038noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-13533939176540491162011-07-22T13:01:35.605-07:002011-07-22T13:01:35.605-07:00Do you happen to have any close-up photos of the y...Do you happen to have any close-up photos of the yellow stencilling and the red plug on the top center aft of the USAF museum version? If so, it might be very revealing info. By the way, the yellow stripe on the circumference of the bomb body indicates live ordnance. Blue indicates practice. Somebody probably had to get an act of Congress passed to mark a nuclear weapon as having any live ordnance, even if it might only indicate live high-explosives meant to trigger the nuclear chain reaction. I run into the same issue whenever I have ordnance shapes to put on aircraft. You can't get authorization to use the colors that would be used with live ordnance, or people freak!<br /><br />RonRON LEWISnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5848437078181345610.post-26989824796854828782011-07-22T12:56:58.869-07:002011-07-22T12:56:58.869-07:00Tommy,
For the "for what it's worth"...Tommy,<br /><br />For the "for what it's worth" department, I would say that the USAF Museum version of the Mk IV is the more correct one and that the Warner-Robins model is the mockup more likely used for training and familiarization. The details on the back of the USAF Museum model are more consistent with an operational weapon, or at least one used for training in servicing, handling and arming such a weapon. Note the drawing that shows the internal plumbing, something you would have to access to arm/disarm or maintain the warhead.<br /><br />Both of them could have been training items, but for different purposes. On the one hand, you have what are known as training shapes, which allow load crews to get accustomed to the size and weight of weapon when loading and unloading it. People tend to forget that not all weapons are dropped on target, especially nukes, so you have to go through both the loading AND the UNloading steps as part of a weapons crew. <br /><br />For load training, all you need is a close approximation of size and shape. It is usually a cheaper version built to withstand a lot of abuse, banging into other objects, being dropped, etc.<br /><br />The other type of training aid is the one used to acquaint bomb builders and maintainers in how to work on the actual weapon in the shop. You want them as detailed as possible, to reflect just what will be encountered in the construction and dismantling of a real weapon.<br /><br />Hope this helps.<br /><br />RonRON LEWISnoreply@blogger.com