Popped down to the Boscombe Down Aviation Museum this afternoon and took some shots of this nice WE177A nuke!
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WE177A Thermonuclear Bomb
- Thread starter peteblight
- Start date
I was informed many years ago that this was Britain's first type of nuclear bomb deployed by both the RN & RAF - didn't take too much notice at the time as I was more interested in the background object.
Having revisited the photos after the above post - it is indeed a WE 177 458 lbs bomb:
Technology has certainly made a giant leap from the 1880s!
Cheers
Drew
Having revisited the photos after the above post - it is indeed a WE 177 458 lbs bomb:
Technology has certainly made a giant leap from the 1880s!
Cheers
Drew
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Browningautorifle
Member
Very interesting piece.
SteveM
Member
If I recall correctly, that weight is incorrect as there were two variations at 600Ib and 900Lb WE177A & C
This wasn't the first weapon deployed by the UK ( that was u think Blue Danube) but it was the last air dropped version deployed on Tornado at Marham. ( They were operational when 8 was there in 89/90.
Yes, there are numerous references to the 600lbs & 900lbs versions - I would find it "interesting" that the 458lbs stencil would have been so inaccurate?
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If my information is correct.
The museum displays pictured in the above posts are former training rounds. They would have been blue originally, but have been repainted in the dark green colour scheme used on later live rounds, although I think they are missing the red band around the nose section?
Possibly 458 lbs is what the display round actually weighs?
The actual weights at the end of their service lives were 282 kg (622 lbs) for the WE177A, and 457 kg (1008 lbs) for both the WE177B & C. Why the B & C models were listed as 950 lb weapons I do not know - perhaps it was the weight when they originally entered service?)
The museum displays pictured in the above posts are former training rounds. They would have been blue originally, but have been repainted in the dark green colour scheme used on later live rounds, although I think they are missing the red band around the nose section?
Possibly 458 lbs is what the display round actually weighs?
The actual weights at the end of their service lives were 282 kg (622 lbs) for the WE177A, and 457 kg (1008 lbs) for both the WE177B & C. Why the B & C models were listed as 950 lb weapons I do not know - perhaps it was the weight when they originally entered service?)
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