Make ord volatile!!

[Tails]

Originally posted by Charge
"50cals could go through 1-inch thick steel plates without slowing down."

Yeah, right.

I'm not at all sure if an AP bullet hitting a bomb has what it takes to make the bomb explode. Maybe if it hits the detonator, but otherwise I think its unlikely.

-C+

True statement.

Even in WW2, bombs were filled with typically very stable explosives. They had to be stable explosives, otherwise handling and/or transport could set them off. An AP round, likewise, would have a hard time setting off a bomb. It would just put a hole through it.

However, an API round getting inside the casing might set one off. Also, an HE round blasting off the casing could expose the fill to another round to detonate the bomb.

Shooting into a bombay concentrates alot of fire into a small area, which could cause either of those events to happen.

[SMIDSY]

blowing up the drop tank will not destroy a fighter. i have seen many gun cam footage of german fighter's DT exploding and they just turn and start fightin. on the other hand, if you explode the ord inside a bomber it will destroy anything in the blast radius.

[Larry]

yea it wont go boom like a bomb but itll pop and catch the plane on fire.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by Charge
"50cals could go through 1-inch thick steel plates without slowing down."

Yeah, right.

I'm not at all sure if an AP bullet hitting a bomb has what it takes to make the bomb explode. Maybe if it hits the detonator, but otherwise I think its unlikely.

-C+

Charge? It's a fact. The US Navy (I think) set up a steel plate of armor and shot a 50cal through it at 250 yards or so (whatever average distance was) and it sliced through steel plating like it was a hot knife through butter. Somebody posted pics of it on these forums a year or so ago.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by Larry
yea it wont go boom like a bomb but itll pop and catch the plane on fire.

TK: The question then is.... will that harm the plane? If it's an external fire, it might just consume itself, melt the paint, at worst warp the metal a bit...

And if you're at high speeds I think you'd snuff the fire out, in real life. So I'd be happy if it just leaked like a normal gas tank.

[Krusty]

Originally posted by Tails
True statement.

Even in WW2, bombs were filled with typically very stable explosives. They had to be stable explosives, otherwise handling and/or transport could set them off. An AP round, likewise, would have a hard time setting off a bomb. It would just put a hole through it.

However, an API round getting inside the casing might set one off. Also, an HE round blasting off the casing could expose the fill to another round to detonate the bomb.

Shooting into a bombay concentrates alot of fire into a small area, which could cause either of those events to happen.

Tails, bombs were flled with TNT and nitroglycerin and other high unstable things. I'd be more inclined to think unstable was better -- as it lent itself to a better weapon. I'd be interested in any sources you have on the matter (I don't know which of us is true on this matter, -- just that historically shooting the bomb bay blew up the bombs).

[Karnak]

My grandma's cousin died when a bomb on his B-17 exploded just after they took off.

[Flayed1]

I went looking for information on explosive compounds used in WW2 bombs and aparently the british used Torpex explosives heavily in bombs. This in an assumption as I only found a site listing it as the explosive used in the tallboy and grand slam bombs.

    *  Name: Tallboy
    * Type: Deep Penetration Bomb
    * Length: 21 ft (6.4 m)
    * Diameter: 38 in (0.97 m)
    * Weight: 12,000 lb (5,443 kg)
    * Warhead: 5,200 lb (2,360 kg) Torpex explosive
    * Number Used: 854

    * Name: Grand Slam (Earthquake) Bomb
    * Type: Deep Penetration Bomb
    * Length: 26 ft 6 in (7.7 m)
    * Diameter: 3 ft, 10 in (1.17 m)
    * Tail Section length: 13 ft, 6 in (4.11 m)
    * Weight: 22,000 lb (9972 kg)
    * Warhead: 9,135 lb (4144 kg) Torpex explosive
    * Number Used: 41

   This info is from here
http://www.ww2guide.com/bombs.shtml
 and here is an description of Torpex
TORPEX

TORPEX is an explosive based on trinitrotoluene (TNT) that gave a greater blast than TNT, but was more sensitive. It was replaced by HBX or HBX-1 later in WWII. Torpex is RDX/TNT/Aluminum/Wax desensitizer. It was used in several types of torpedoes and mines. Due to it sensitivity to bullet impact, the first weapons loaded were ones for which there would be the least possibility of rifle bullet and fragment attack, namely, submarine delivered mines and torpedoes. The loading stations were advised that they must take adequate care in mixing and loading and in the handling of the loaded items. It was declared that the British had been able to handle it without incident for 2 years and that the risk was worth the advantage gained in its underwater power.

from this site http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/explosives-compositions.htm

  Anyway I hope this helps some what

[viper215]

Originally posted by Flayed1

    * Name: Grand Slam (Earthquake) Bomb
    * Type: Deep Penetration Bomb
    * Length: 26 ft 6 in (7.7 m)
    * Diameter: 3 ft, 10 in (1.17 m)
    * Tail Section length: 13 ft, 6 in (4.11 m)
    * Weight: 22,000 lb (9972 kg)
    * Warhead: 9,135 lb (4144 kg) Torpex explosive
    * Number Used: 41

 

dident the lanc have this?

[Sketch]

A bullet is not going to set off a bomb when it is shot, even if it does make it through the case.... The fuze is what arms the bomb, when the bomb falls the gyro spins a certain number of times and that in turn sets off the next part of the explosive train.  You could toss a 1k egg in a fire and burn it and it won't go off.  It takes a electrical charge to make it go off.  Next thing we know, people are gonna say that you can shoot a block of C4 with a pistol and it will explode... Just like in the movies!!

[Bronk]

Originally posted by ChristCAF
A bullet is not going to set off a bomb when it is shot, even if it does make it through the case.... The fuze is what arms the bomb, when the bomb falls the gyro spins a certain number of times and that in turn sets off the next part of the explosive train.  You could toss a 1k egg in a fire and burn it and it won't go off.  It takes a electrical charge to make it go off.  Next thing we know, people are gonna say that you can shoot a block of C4 with a pistol and it will explode... Just like in the movies!!

TNT, torpex are no where near as stable as c4.  I am quite sure api would set off  TNT , and torpex but not c4.
Also i believe the older the tnt , and torpex the more unstable it becomes.
Same with c4 just a lot longer shelf life.
Bronk

[Furball]

Originally posted by viper215
dident the lanc have this?

yes

[viper215]

then why dont we

[Furball]

because its not american. duh.

[fuzeman]

Didn't some bombs cook-off when a rocket was accidently fired on the USS Forrestal off the coast of Vietnam.
Different war and circumstances but the bombs sure exploded in a fire.