The Airplane Thread

[Llarry]

The problem with dropping a high-explosive bomb at low altitude is that the airplane that dropped the bomb may be damaged or destroyed in the explosion. The solution, conceived in the early 1960s and still in use today is the Mark 15 Snake eye (alternative spelling Snakeye) add-on kit for the regular Mark 82 500-pound bomb.

The Snake eye replaces the conical tail cone of the bomb with spring-loaded air brakes that pop out after the bomb is dropped, slowing the forward progress of the bomb -- and allowing the aircraft that dropped the bomb to make a safe escape.

An alternative device for the same purpose was the air-inflated retarding ballute (balloon/parachute) similarly attached to the rear of the bomb. It is unclear to me whether this kit is still in use.

Of course, flying an attacking airplane at low altitude over an enemy target may be hazardous; these days it is much more likely that an attacking aircraft would use a GPS-guided bomb dropped from a much higher altitude.

[Llarry]

Red Rippers then and now...

F3F-1 of VF-4 "Red Rippers" landing aboard USS Ranger (CV 4), 1938. The tail surfaces are green and the lower engine cowling is red.

F/A-18F of VFA-11 "Red Rippers" landing aboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68)