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B43 Nuclear weapon colour


cherisy

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Hi Can anyone shed a light on what colour the B43 as fitted to RAF Phantoms in the early 70s were?

 

I am aware that training " shapes" may have been white and have read some where that the live versions were silver

 

Can anyone put me right on that?

 

Many thanks in advance

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6 hours ago, 71chally said:

as far as I'm aware it was B57, smaller and lower yield to 43, fitted to RAF Phantoms.   The weapon was normally painted white, but Like Dave I have never seen pictures,  @Starfighter may know?

If you want to use B43 all pictures and video clips I've seen show it painted white.

 

The BDU 12 (training version of the B57) was white,  don't know about  the live  round.

 

Selwyn

Edited by Selwyn
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The base color was gloss white.  Some were solid white while others had a red-brown or black radome.  The solid white versions were intended for low-level, laydown delivery and had a nose cone that was jettisoned to expose a "spike" for impact. 

 

Py2zSKy.jpg

 

yKbPg0h.jpg

 

 

The radar equipped weapons were presumably intended for higher altitude deliveries and were typically seen on strategic bombers like the B-58 and FB-111A; although fighter-bombers carried them too.

 

NWfFSxF.jpg

 

EsgooGP.jpg

 

l7tdnOj.jpg

 

Regards,

Murph

 

 

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On 17/12/2019 at 16:36, Murph said:

The base color was gloss white.  Some were solid white while others had a red-brown or black radome.  The solid white versions were intended for low-level, laydown delivery and had a nose cone that was jettisoned to expose a "spike" for impact. 

 

The radar equipped weapons were presumably intended for higher altitude deliveries and were typically seen on strategic bombers like the B-58 and FB-111A; although fighter-bombers carried them too.

 

Regards,

Murph

 

 

That's Brilliant  thanks Murph. The Eduard instructions mention white or gull grey but one thing over learnt is dont always take them as gospel

Edited by Julien
please dont quote all the pictures
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7 hours ago, 71chally said:

as far as I'm aware it was B57, smaller and lower yield to 43, fitted to RAF Phantoms.   The weapon was normally painted white, but Like Dave I have never seen pictures,  @Starfighter may know?

If you want to use B43 all pictures and video clips I've seen show it painted white.

Thanks Chally. I did read  that somewhere  but also conflicting stories that it was the B43 too. I  did look for an aftermarket  B57 but couldn't find one

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14 minutes ago, cherisy said:

That's Brilliant  thanks Murph. The Eduard instructions mention white or gull grey but one thing over learnt is dont always take them as gospel

I've never seen nor heard of them in gull gray, just gloss white.  The same color scheme (gloss white with solid or radar noses) applied to the B57.  Spectre Resins produced a resin 1/72 B57, but they seem to be out of production now.  LINK  You may have luck finding them on ebay or the buy/swap sections at the various model sites.

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8 hours ago, 71chally said:

as far as I'm aware it was B57, smaller and lower yield to 43, fitted to RAF Phantoms.   The weapon was normally painted white, but Like Dave I have never seen pictures,  @Starfighter may know?

If you want to use B43 all pictures and video clips I've seen show it painted white.

I can confirm that the live rounds WERE white with a black nose cone, as were the training "Shapes " and always loaded on the centreline  ( Station 5 )

Edited by Starfighter
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4 hours ago, Selwyn said:

 

The BDU 12 (training version of the B57) was white,  don't know about  the live  round.

 

Selwyn

The live rounds were painted white. I remember them from doing QRA with the FGR.2 Phantoms at RAF Bruggen in the 1970's

 

XVTonker

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10 minutes ago, xvtonker said:

The live rounds were painted white. I remember them from doing QRA with the FGR.2 Phantoms at RAF Bruggen in the 1970's

 

XVTonker

Thanks XVTonker. Now you are here  I can pick your brains as I am looking at doing a  ORA 17 Sqn FGR2. Using the new Airfix kit. Any pointers ? Ive only been able to source a B43. Were they fitted as well? Skyhawk mentioned in another thread that the fit was bucket of sunshine on station five. Two sgt Fletcher tanks and two sparrows on the rear cells ( I think) was there anything else ? Do you have any photos?

4 minutes ago, 71chally said:

@Starfighter @xvtonker can you remember how it was attached to the centreline station, was literally to what we see in the Fujimi kit (for example), or was there an adaptor/pylon in between?

Took the words right out of my mouth

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On 17/12/2019 at 20:58, 71chally said:

Nice film here on how the US Navy handled B43 and B57 weapons aboard ship and loading on to A-4s.  Not a huge relevance to 1970s RAFG, but interesting.

 

 

But cool none the less

Edited by Julien
big quote
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Here's a BDU-38 (B61 "shape") mounted on the centerline of a USAFE F-4, also the centerline rack it was mounted on; you can see it had a very low profile.  Both came from this thread at ARC  LINK  I suspect the setup on Brit Phantoms with nukes was similar.  Below that are some live B57s (white) and B61s (silver) from cruise albums.

 

PV4ADpx.png

 

RSLlx0t.jpg

 

JoJ8vta.jpg

 

N1lPXKO.jpg

 

Regards,

Murph

 

 

 

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The photo of the centreline rack is the same as used on our FGR 2's, and the weapon was mounted directly to that. QRA aircraft also carried two live Sparrow AAM's in the forward fuselage missile stations.  HTH :cheers:

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3 hours ago, 71chally said:

Photos of Cold-War American Nukes taken by a Russian sounding individual - it does have a certain Dr Strangelove irony to it!

The irony only at first glance ...open

information from profile

https://vova-modelist.livejournal.com/profile

on LJ:

"NAME: Vladimir Yakubov

LOCATION: California, United States

SITE:  Silicon Valley Scale Modellers

Blog Rules:

.......

3) I am a US citizen and served in the US Navy....

4) I am a Jew, so using various bad words about Jews you will be banned.

.........."

Based on the experience of my communication with him, an  adequate person and a good modeler.

(As examples,

Gunboat Bobr (Beaver), 1/700, Kombrig

bobr-4.jpg

bobr-8.jpg

bobr-12.jpg

The model won first place in its category and was in second place in the vote in the nomination "best ship" IPMS USA Nationals.

https://vova-modelist.livejournal.com/tag/models  )

 

 I don’t remember exactly, but in my opinion his parents immigrated to the United States when he was 14 years old and he is indeed a US citizen and served in the American Navy.

I highly recommend it LJ:

https://vova-modelist.livejournal.com/

there is something

interesting to see (as examples, fresh):

deliveryService?max_w=2000&id=NASM-NASM.

deliveryService?max_w=2000&id=NASM-NASM.

deliveryService?max_w=2000&id=NASM-NASM.

deliveryService?max_w=2000&id=NASM-NASM.

deliveryService?max_w=2000&id=NASM-NASM.

deliveryService?max_w=2000&id=NASM-NASM.

deliveryService?max_w=2000&id=NASM-NASM.

and reading!

 

Therefore, for me in this gallery

11 hours ago, Finn said:

Some walk around pics of various shapes:

 

http://svsm.org/gallery/aircraft-equipment-weapons-nuclear

 

Jari

 

there is nothing surprising!

 

B.R.

Serge 

Edited by Aardvark
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23 hours ago, cherisy said:

Thanks XVTonker. Now you are here  I can pick your brains as I am looking at doing a  ORA 17 Sqn FGR2. Using the new Airfix kit. Any pointers ? Ive only been able to source a B43. Were they fitted as well? Skyhawk mentioned in another thread that the fit was bucket of sunshine on station five. Two sgt Fletcher tanks and two sparrows on the rear cells ( I think) was there anything else ? Do you have any photos?

Took the words right out of my mouth

Now you're asking, it was nearly 45 years ago!! 😂

 

Okay, from what I can remember the shape was loaded onto station 5 with a dedicated pylon, Sargent Fletcher underwing tanks and two Sparrows on stations 3 & 7. 

 

A single aircraft was housed in a Mk1 HAS and the associated ground equipment comprised of:

  • Front & rear access ladders
  • 25kva Houchin
  • Standard single bottle fire extinguisher with extendable lance
  • Chocks fore & aft of the mainwheels

As the shape was American there were two guard huts outside the HAS, either side of the main entrance clam shell doors. One with a US Army guard and the other with a RAF policeman. Both live armed and carrying a M16 & 9mm Browning pistol respectively.

 

How do I know the US guard carried a live M16? Well, on one particular practice launch the see-off crew, me & Davey Gowans, both young, keen Junior Technicians rushed out to the HAS and as I started to prepare the Houchin ready for applying ground power Davey forgot where he was in the excitement and instinctively started to climb up the pilots ladder to apply ground power. He made it to the second rung when he heard the sound of the M16 being cocked and an American drawl saying that if he went up one more step he'd have to be carried out of the HAS on a stretcher. Davey slowly came back down the ladder and sheepishly walked over to me by the Houchin. Fortunately he didn't have to change his underwear, and peace was made between the aircrew, RAF policeman and the trigger happy US guard.

 

Needless to say, Davey never ever crossed the white line again!

 

On another occasion, a FGR.2 was being unloaded when someone spotted a ban the bomb sticker on the bottom of the shape! A full unit inquiry was carried out, but they never identified the perpetrator....

 

XVTonker :pilot: 

 

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22 hours ago, xvtonker said:

Now you're asking, it was nearly 45 years ago!! 😂

 

Okay, from what I can remember the shape was loaded onto station 5 with a dedicated pylon, Sargent Fletcher underwing tanks and two Sparrows on stations 3 & 7. 

 

A single aircraft was housed in a Mk1 HAS and the associated ground equipment comprised of:

  • Front & rear access ladders
  • 25kva Houchin
  • Standard single bottle fire extinguisher with extendable lance
  • Chocks fore & aft of the mainwheels

As the shape was American there were two guard huts outside the HAS, either side of the main entrance clam shell doors. One with a US Army guard and the other with a RAF policeman. Both live armed and carrying a M16 & 9mm Browning pistol respectively.

 

How do I know the US guard carried a live M16? Well, on one particular practice launch the see-off crew, me & Davey Gowans, both young, keen Junior Technicians rushed out to the HAS and as I started to prepare the Houchin ready for applying ground power Davey forgot where he was in the excitement and instinctively started to climb up the pilots ladder to apply ground power. He made it to the second rung when he heard the sound of the M16 being cocked and an American drawl saying that if he went up one more step he'd have to be carried out of the HAS on a stretcher. Davey slowly came back down the ladder and sheepishly walked over to me by the Houchin. Fortunately he didn't have to change his underwear, and peace was made between the aircrew, RAF policeman and the trigger happy US guard.

 

Needless to say, Davey never ever crossed the white line again!

 

On another occasion, a FGR.2 was being unloaded when someone spotted a ban the bomb sticker on the bottom of the shape! A full unit inquiry was carried out, but they never identified the perpetrator....

 

XVTonker :pilot: 

 

Great Gen and a brilliant story Thanks XVTonker.  With all that Im good to go now.

Talking of zapping the shape, during my days as Bruggen many years after yours and shortly after the first Tornados arrived ( 31 sqn I think) during the work up taceval our sqn WO had a wager with his opporsite number on 31 that we couldnt get into one of his HAS which were accross from our compound, and zap one of the Tonkas ( although we werent calling them that at the time) suffice to say it was duly done and we even kidnapped a couple of JTs . Said WO was asked to come and collect his blokes who were sat as guests our sqn bar. Cost him a few crates. :)

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The relevant section has been deleted from the updated Phantom illustrated parts catalogue I have as it is an August 1989 amendment, but cross referencing with the F.4B T.O. it looks like this is the right bit of kit, but I bow to those with first hand knowledge.

spacer.png

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John

  

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