Enola Gay Damaged at Air & Space Museum Opening

"Cub Driver" wrote:
Such flights were probably made in excess of 50,000 feet.

Would it have been operationally practical (or even possible) to drop
nukes from such altitudes?
--
Dan
C172RG at BFM

Dan Luke wrote:

Would it have been operationally practical (or even possible) to drop
nukes from such altitudes?

Absolutely. The main problem with bombing from altitudes higher than about
30,000'
is the fact that accuracy suffers once you get into or above jet streams. Heavy
bombs, such as the early nuclear weapons or the conventional "grand slam" bomb
are
less subject to being deflected by the winds, and, with nukes, it really doesn't
matter much if you're a mile off target.

George Patterson
Great discoveries are not announced with "Eureka!". What's usually said is
"Hummmmm... That's interesting...."

with nukes, it really doesn't
matter much if you're a mile off target.

As I recall (somewhat vaguely) that was very nearly the case with the
Nagasaki bomb.


all the best -- Dan Ford
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