photos of American Trailer for LARGE BOMBS -with equally impressive bombs!!

[butterfly]

I just purchased these photos and thought I would share them with the Forum as I found them particuarily interesting. I originally bought them for the pictures of the bombs, then realised that the actual bomb trailer was equally impressive.

Both have typed info on the rear relating to the bombs in the photo, the first is described as a 22,000lb bomb the second as a 42,000lb bomb. (the 22,000lb would be equal to that of the Grand Slam, the 42,000lb bomb being the T12)

There is more information about these in the following link, http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/threads/58083-Tallboy-Bomb?highlight=tallboy

However the bombs apart, what I found fascinating is the bit of information I found out about the trailer ( USAF model no; X50J29603 Hydraulic bomb lift ) -this can be found in the following link, in the chapter on the T12, 42,000lb bomb http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dambusters/message/944

I hope you find it as interesting as me.

Here are the photographs.....



regards Kev

 

[butterfly]

In this link you can see some footage of a 42,000 lb bomb being loaded into the bomb bay of a B36. What is interesting to me is that the bomb trailer being used is of a different design to the one in the photos that I have. I presume that it is a later model as the description in the link I posted earlier fits exactly the one in my photos with the six levers on the trolley.

Does anyone have any further information on these? As the 42,000lb bomb was never used operationally would it indicate not many of these trolley's were produced??

here is the link.......if you look in the right hand box listings there are another couple of short clips which show different angles of the same loading.
http://www.criticalpast.com/video/6...raft_Air-Force-personnel_prepare-to-load-bomb

One more question, the photo I posted shows a B-29 in the background, I have no idea if this particular aircraft was used for loading the 42,000lb bomb, I cant see any modification to the bomb bay from the angle of the picture. However, can anyone tell me when the camoflage used, ie; black underside with wavy line came into use, I associate such camo as used in Korea, but not sure exactly when it was introduced??

regards Kev

 

[SG500]

Very nice Kev and thanks for posting the photos.
I suppose you want one now (a 42,000 pounder!).
Dave.

 

[wemme]

Hi Kev,
Thank you for posting these photos.
Not sure if you have read this it talks of the t12 also along with numbers produced etc.
http://www.airpower.au.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1967/mar-apr/coker.html

The Army Air Forces, which had never used the big earthquake bombs, by late 1944 began to see their possibilities. They could be employed as general-purpose bombs for blast and fragmentation effect, to create cave-ins and earth shock, and to get at important underground installations. In addition to the development of the T10 and T14, the*U.S.*equivalents of the Tall Boy and Grand Slam, the anticipated bomb-carrying capabilities of the B-36 led not unnaturally to the development of the colossal T12. Shortly after V-J Day, five of the T12s were turned over to the Air Force for testing.12

The B-36 was test-flown for the first time in August 1946. Even then the first models of the B-36 could not carry the big bomb, and it would be some months before they could be modified to handle it. The Air Force, which was interested in experimenting with the 44,000-lb bomb, decided that a modified B-29 could handle the job until a B-36 was available.Toward the end of the war a B-29 had been converted to carry two 22,000-lb bombs, one under each wing, for use against*Japan. The two atomic bombs, the Fat Man and Little Boy, made use of this special B-29 unnecessary.13

 

[V40]

Kev,
just saw this post. Yes, that pattern is definately from the Korean War.

 

[butterfly]

Kev,
just saw this post. Yes, that pattern is definately from the Korean War.

Hi V40,

....thanks for that, you dont happen to know when this particualar camoflage was introduced?

I am not sure if the aircraft in the background was the one used for testing as there are no visible markings in the actual photo.

The back of the photo with the B29 in it has the following typed description...

'Principals of today's test drop of Army Ordnance's new 42,000 pound bomb are shown here. The 42,000 pound bomb on the lift is elevated beyond normal loading height and appears to dwarf the Air Force B-29 Superfortress in the background. The bomb, of the type tested today, represents the heaviest known bomb yet carried aloft. The lift, designed and manufactured by Boeing-Wichita, was used to load the bomb in the B-29 for today's test drop'

regards Kev

 

[Brian Keith]

"However, can anyone tell me when the camoflage used, ie; black underside with wavy line came into use, I associate such camo as used in Korea, but not sure exactly when it was introduced?"

I know of at least one B-29 group stationed on Guam in 1945 painted the bottom of their planes black. They bombed at night using radar. They also had removed all their guns except the tail gun. Sorry I just can't remember the name of the group at the moment.
BKW