Modelling > Engineering Dept.
Carriage of Very Large Bombs (Grand Slam, Tall Boy, etc.)
Jeffry Fontaine:
--- Quote from: kitnut617 on May 14, 2021, 04:51:04 AM ---My Dad, who served in 617 Sqn 1944-46, told me there was a wire cable along with the chain links. This was used to pull the chain back up after the bomb was released and stopped the chain from flapping around in the slipstream.
--- End quote ---
Makes perfect sense to have that feature when you consider the size of that chain. It would be in poor form to leave that flapping in the breeze creating additional drag on the Lancaster.
It appears that Tamiya ignored [or missed] the sway brace details associated with the Cookie, Grand Slam, and Tall Boy bombs.
The heavy chain feature in the Tamiya kit surrounds the Grand Slam which is contrary to what the drawing depicts in the image shared by Geoff and the same image in the link provided by GTX.
So the chain in combination with the sway braces are what held the bomb in place while carried. That really hits home as to how sturdy that chain and sway brace combination must have been in order to accommodate the weight and the stresses incurred during a mission.
*** addendum***
I took another look at the Lancaster images and realized that in the one drawing it indicates a suspension lug is actually used on one or both of the bombs (Grand Slam and Tall Boy). This is interesting since no image of the actual weapons that I have seen so far shows such a suspension lug installed on the bomb body.
kitnut617:
Nice to see Geoff's top photo of inside the B-29 bomb bay, I've saved that one :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:
GTX_Admin:
--- Quote from: kitnut617 on May 14, 2021, 04:51:04 AM ---My Dad, who served in 617 Sqn 1944-46, told me there was a wire cable along with the chain links. This was used to pull the chain back up after the bomb was released and stopped the chain from flapping around in the slipstream.
--- End quote ---
You can see the reference to cables in this drawing:
GTX_Admin:
--- Quote from: Jeffry Fontaine on May 14, 2021, 06:14:29 AM ---I took another look at the Lancaster images and realized that in the one drawing it indicates a suspension lug is actually used on one or both of the bombs (Grand Slam and Tall Boy). This is interesting since no image of the actual weapons that I have seen so far shows such a suspension lug installed on the bomb body.
--- End quote ---
No lugs as far as I'm aware. you might be looking at a standoff to keep the bomb in place and not moving but not something suspending it per se.
Cool video here too:
https://youtu.be/R-Mm-zFW_nA
GTX_Admin:
Some Useful B-29 pics here too:
Click to see bigger.
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