The TBC (Toss Bomb Computer) settings for the weapon, airspeed,
altitude, etc. included calculation for safe separation from the
blast. When the aircraft were painted in camo for the SEA war, the
entire nuclear delivery manual had to be re-calculated, because the
dark paint absorbed the flash much more than the reflective bare
metal. Greater safe separation distance was required.

Frankly that scared the hell out of me. Hard to realize the whole
business was calculated to such close tolerances.


Ed Rasimus

How much more distance did you need with the camo paint scheme?

I remember watching F-4s heave practice bombs in Spain simulating nukes. I
assume the nukes simulated, this was in the late 70s, were a bit smaller that 1
MT, but even so the F-4 seemed to not be very far away at time of detonation.

Dan, U. S. Air Force, retired