bombs exploding when shot

[Charge]

IIRC of a 500 kg bomb the casing roughly weights about half and the explosive filler the other half.

AFAIK it is unprobable that a round penetrating a bomb would cause it to go off unless it hits the primer and manages to set it to go off. The primer needs to have a certain burn speed to make  the filler go off and I'm not sure if the common HE filler could do it if it was placed in unoptimal manner. It probably could but such a round would not penetrate the surface of the bomb because the skin of the a/c would already set it to go off, and the angles are usually very oblique in case it did not go off by penetrating the skinning of the a/c. The incendiary would probably do nothing -again unless it manages to hit the primer.

The bomb itself is usually very safe to handle -as was said you can drop is from as high as you like and it would not explode -so an AP round hitting a bomb filler simply does not have enough concentrated energy (and energy loss) to initiate the burn process. Only the primer charge makes it dangerous, but I guess it depends of the filler and its chemical properties. Don't know much about those...

So I think the possibility is there but it is very very small.

-C+

[Krusty]

Charge, you ever try to pound a nail through the bottom of a peanut butter jar? One of the plastic ones?

Just a few smacks with a hammer and it's red hot from the energy. The bullet itself would heat up like a mofo on the way through the outer casing. It would be red hot and literally set fire to the filler. I'm not talking full explosion, but burning explosives STILL exert a lot of force. Enough to rip a plane's wing off (rip it off, not blow it off).

Also consider that the standard 5.56mm round from an M4 rifle can punch through a 1/4 plate of STEEL so easily you can see spiral patterns out the back where it exits and where the metal literally folds back over itself. 5.56 is about a .20 caliber round (rounded off), so a 30cal would be a stronger round. Forget about 50cal. 50cal can go through half an inch of solid steel and keep going out the other side. Forget about 20mms. They've been known to fly through the tail of an airplane, through the pilot armor, through the armored seat, through the PILOT, and out the front of the plane somewhere (there were reports of these over the Channel).

I don't think there's any problem with bullets penetrating. As long as the angle is right. Like a shell off the side of a tank, if the angle is flat it'll go in.

I don't think there's any problem with igniting the explosives inside the bomb shell. It's very possible, and is in fact one way of ord disposal today. NOT to be confused with the primer blowing the bomb up, this is like a lower level of explosion, and the shell does not fragment, but it rips around hard enough to seriously damage any structure it's bolted to. [EDIT: The one I saw a film of wasn't bolted but a 100+ pound arty shell jumped several feet in the air and bounced around like a fire hose gone wild very briefly. I'd imagine anything it was bolted to would be stressed to the point of breaking]

I think it would be an interesting feature, someday. I don't think HTC will get to it soon, though.

[Murdr]

Wes, the majority of WW2 ordinance contained TNT or a mixture of TNT and another stable explosive (to conserve TNT due to its high war time demand).  TNT is only reliably detonated with another explosive.

Army tests showed that TNT struck by a bullet would only detonate 4% of the time, and that when dropped in a bomb casing without a primer from 4,000 ft on to concrete, it would only detonate 8% of the time.

[Wes14]

but my idea isnt a all-the-time idea..its just when bombs get shot the right way they might "explode"

heck this might add a humorous ending to some HO'ing attemps by ppl

[Lusche]

Originally posted by Wes14
but my idea isnt a all-the-time idea..its just when bombs get shot the right way they might "explode"

heck this might add a humorous ending to some HO'ing attemps by ppl

What if HT changes code, so  that  in about 4% of all cases the bombs will explode (and take the attacker with them)?

Suddenly the BBS will be full of people claiming the bombs to be exploding almost all of the time, "HT has stop this BS" and so on...

[Wes14]

Originally posted by Lusche
What if HT changes code, so  that  in about 4% of all cases the bombs will explode (and take the attacker with them)?

Suddenly the BBS will be full of people claiming the bombs to be exploding almost all of the time, "HT has stop this BS" and so on...

then if i was HT,i would tell them not to HO with bombs on their plane wings:D
or u may go BOOM...

[Kev367th]

Could maybe model damage to the release mechanism, i.e. a round has jammed/damaged it.
That way you drop your bomb and nothing happens, it's still there.

[Charge]

4 percent chance per round, eh?

I can imagine an incredible increase in using Hurri1 as a buff killer...

Question: What WW2 era bomber had armoured bomb-bay?

-C+

[Murdr]

Id give it much much less than 4% on a moving target being fired at from a moving gun platform.  

Did you all see myth-busters try to shoot through both scope lenses into the eye of the 'enemy sniper'?  They couldn't do it, even at point blank range.  The front lense curved enough to change the trajectory of the bullet.  Point being that under conditions of both the target and shooter moving it would be quite a lucky shot to hit at a right angle and penetrate the casing into the ordinance canister.  If you get that lucky, then it's 4% of those that might do something.

[Spikes]

shoot the wing off and bomb is gone  

[Sketch]

Originally posted by Murdr
Id give it much much less than 4% on a moving target being fired at from a moving gun platform.  

Did you all see myth-busters try to shoot through both scope lenses into the eye of the 'enemy sniper'?  They couldn't do it, even at point blank range.  The front lense curved enough to change the trajectory of the bullet.  Point being that under conditions of both the target and shooter moving it would be quite a lucky shot to hit at a right angle and penetrate the casing into the ordinance canister.  If you get that lucky, then it's 4% of those that might do something.

Like Murdr said... just a small curve will throw off the trajectory of any round.  Let alone bombs won't just go off if they are shot... they have to be armed!!!    Man I wish people would stop posting on this subject...

[Wes14]

Originally posted by Sketch
Like Murdr said... just a small curve will throw off the trajectory of any round.  Let alone bombs won't just go off if they are shot... they have to be armed!!!    Man I wish people would stop posting on this subject...

Okay..new idea..hmm
cant think of one:confused:

[Wes14]

Wait i got one.. u know how if u fly low wnought when u drop a bomb it falls tru the ground and no boom? y not add the boom (if its armed)

[Charge]

"Okay..new idea..hmm
cant think of one"

No probs Wes. It's good to ask these questions so people can educate each other and correct possible misconceptions.

I think this thread has offered folks a more realistic view of what way the bombs actually are dangerous and some problems of aerial gunnery.



-C+

[Sketch]

Originally posted by Wes14
Wait i got one.. u know how if u fly low wnought when u drop a bomb it falls tru the ground and no boom? y not add the boom (if its armed)

If the vain does not turn enough it won't go off clown.  Do you know when a bomb is even armed?  Do some research or better yet work with them for a living....