Question regarding the BL755 and Briitish 1000 lb iron bomb

RAF Jaguar dropping retarded bombs http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcoltishall/mc04_gallery.html

Portsmouth Aviation Limited 1000lb HEIM Bomb website http://www.portsmouth-aviation.co.uk/Content/PA_1000lb_bomb.aspx

This picture shows a 1000lb’er with a retarded tail unit. The bomb and tail unit have been cut away to show the Multi-function Bomb Fuze fitted in the tail fuze pocket. You can’t see much detail of the tail unit, which is reconisable by having rounded corners to the fins; the ballistic tail unit has square corners.

I think these pics show a 1000lb bomb retarded tail. Search for bombs here http://www.defenceimagedatabase.mod.uk/fotoweb/

Here are some 1000lb bomb pics (whoops! the last pic shows 540lb bombs 🙂 )

Yes I do, but I’m not clever enough to work out how to attach an image to my reply! Help!!

Click on Go Advanced in the Quick Reply box then click on Manage Attachments in the Additional Options box then follow the instructions.

Yes I do, but I’m not clever enough to work out how to attach an image to my reply! Help!!

Thanks for the information. Anyone have any pictures of the retarded tail unit for the 1000 lb bomb?

The UK 1000 lb bomb and the BL755 are completely different and un-related weapons intended for different purposes. No comparison should be made of their length/density because it is meaningless.

The overall length of the 1000lb’er depends on which role it is in – ballistic or retarded – i.e. which type of tail unit is fitted, but in approximate terms, both are 90 inches long. In theory, the 1000 lb’er can be fitted with both nose and tail fuzes, but if you want a bomb to (even slightly) penetrate the target before exploding (e.g inside a building), then a nose fuze would become damaged and wouldn’t work. Hence, a tail fuze is a better bet for most purposes.

I would have thought that the BL755 would have been the shorter weapon but I assume the 1000 lb iron bomb is more dense (casing, etc) despite being nearly a half meter shorter than the BL755.

Photos of the 1000 lb bomb I’ve seen show a smooth conical nose cap. Is this where the fuse is located or is it in the tail section? The US Mk82/84s have a prominent nose fuse except in the JDAM versions.

Some info from here http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcottesmore/weapons.html

1000lb bomb Length: 6.5ft (2.0m)

BL755 CLUSTER BOMB Length: 8.0ft (2.45 m)