While I was in the ATC, in the late 60’s and possibly 1970/1, Our squadron went to summer camp at RAF Marham.
From there, we were taken to a bombing range to watch the days activities.
One thing I vaguely remember is Phantoms (don’t know mk), flying low over the range, inverted and springing underwing bombs high into the air above the jet.
Am I dreaming, was this some kind of experimental technique, or was it actually employed as a viable weapons release technique?
By: Phixer - 22nd August 2007 at 16:42
Sounds like ‘toss bombing’ which is more usually associated with the Bucaneer, but it wasn’t done inverted! There is a proper term for this low level technique, it aided in getting the aircraft away from the blast area as quickly as possible as it pulled up into the loop and headed off from wence it came.
Over-the shoulder I think is a term for one technique and LABS another, I think earlier one. The difference was in the point in the pull up in a half loop that the bomb was released. All a bit hazy now but I have a book around here where the author, an FAA test pilot, describes the techniques, which one of several such books I am not certain ATM.
I recall the grins on our faces on Ark many years ago when a Sverdlov shadower that had been creeping up near and nearer on our port quarter suddenly sheered off as the splash target was straddled by a group of 1000lbers from a Buc’ doing a practice. We on the flight deck at the time were aware of the bombing exercise in progress and had spotted the twinkle in the air over on our port bow as the Buc’ pulled up so we were waiting for the splash.
By: RobAnt - 22nd August 2007 at 16:10
“sprung vertically upwards whilst the jet was inverted”
Maybe I have a differant image in mind to the one your describing but as the weapon falls away from the pylon as gravity takes effect would that not be impossible to do? :confused:
I guess that would depend upon how high above the jet the bomb went upwards, before falling to earth – I can see that it woud need some sort of propellant, or FB spring to throw them high enough – the plane continues forward all this time, and the bombs would need to have sufficient drag to allow the jet to get clear.
The point being that the weapon isn’t simply left to fall away from the pylon it is pushed upwards. Absolute disaster if the plane is flying low level / not inverted (verted?).
They were flying at about 100-150 feet (or so it seemed to me).
By: Phantom Phixer - 22nd August 2007 at 15:54
“sprung vertically upwards whilst the jet was inverted”
Maybe I have a differant image in mind to the one your describing but as the weapon falls away from the pylon as gravity takes effect would that not be impossible to do? :confused:
By: RobAnt - 22nd August 2007 at 15:49
Toss bombing involves a climb away from the target, with release in some part of the climb, resulting in the bomb following a curved flight path to the target.
These aircraft did not climb away, but flew directly over the target, and, I am sure, the bombs sprung vertically upwards whilst the jet was inverted. It would be quite hard to associate this with toss bombing.
This is why I am suggesting that it might have been an experimental technique.
I have read that in Vietnam, pilots used to invert their planes to sight the target, then roll back and release their bombs.
Maybe they were trying to find a way to make this technique even more accurate, by keeping the target in sight longer.
By: pagen01 - 22nd August 2007 at 15:31
Sounds like ‘toss bombing’ which is more usually associated with the Bucaneer, but it wasn’t done inverted! There is a proper term for this low level technique, it aided in getting the aircraft away from the blast area as quickly as possible as it pulled up into the loop and headed off from wence it came.
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August 22, 2007 at 1:45 pm