Gravity bomb Nuclear weapons delivery

the little boy , fat man devices large , cumbersome gravity bombs.

historically, first method of delivery, , method used in 2 nuclear weapons used in warfare, gravity bomb dropped plane. in years leading development , deployment of nuclear-armed missiles, nuclear bombs represented practical means of nuclear weapons delivery; today, , decommissioning of nuclear missiles, aerial bombing remains primary means of offensive nuclear weapons delivery, , majority of u.s. nuclear warheads represented in bombs, although in form of missiles.

gravity bombs designed dropped planes, requires weapon able withstand vibrations , changes in air temperature , pressure during course of flight. weapons had removable core safety, known in flight insertion (ifi) cores, being inserted or assembled air crew during flight. had meet safety conditions, prevent accidental detonation or dropping. variety of types had have fuse initiate detonation. nuclear weapons met these criteria designated letter b followed, without hyphen, sequential number of physics package contains. b61 , example, primary bomb in arsenal decades.

various air-dropping techniques exist, including toss bombing, parachute-retarded delivery, , laydown modes, intended give dropping aircraft time escape ensuing blast.

the gravity nuclear bombs carried b-29 superfortress. next generation of weapons still big , heavy carried bombers such b-52 stratofortress , v bombers, mid-1950s smaller weapons had been developed carried , deployed fighter-bombers.