Let's nuke a t-bolt

[Scott Rose]

I remember see the final sequence with the Thunderbolt when I was a kid, always thought it was a Hellcat... whatever
I finally found the footage.

[quemerford]

But more importantly, let's nuke the #1 XP-86! It survived this shot but was demolished in subsequent shots. A sad end for a truly historic machine.

[Scott Rose]

But more importantly, let's nuke the #1 XP-86! It survived this shot but was demolished in subsequent shots. A sad end for a truly historic machine.

Didn't realize that

[steve dickey]

That was wild how that thing lifted in the air!!

[Clifford Bossie]

Yup, nuked the XF-90, at least one B-45, a B-29, or two and several B-17s including 909 during the Tumbler-Snapper tests. The XF-90 was recovered several years ago and is in storage at Wright-Patt. I wonder if any of the Jugs are still "cooling off" at the Nevada Test Site?

The films of the various tests are interesting and enlightening, but to me the Tumbler-Snapper tests involved nuking the most interesting test articles. With the exception of the Bikini tests. It is hard to beat nuking Carriers and Battleships.

[Scott Rose]

That was wild how that thing lifted in the air!!

Thats what struck me as a kid, I was amazed!

[quemerford]

Yup, nuked the XF-90, at least one B-45, a B-29, or two and several B-17s including 909 during the Tumbler-Snapper tests. The XF-90 was recovered several years ago and is in storage at Wright-Patt. I wonder if any of the Jugs are still "cooling off" at the Nevada Test Site?

There was a major clean-up (if memory serves) circa 1960 which will have removed all of the demolished debris. I'd include the XP-86, a further F-86A-5 and probably the P-47s in among that. The XF-90 survived by being more or less in one piece and - I assume - still of value as a range target.

[aerovin]

That early 1960s clean-up also pulled SB-17Gs 44-83575 (now flies as "909") and 44-83722 out of the nuclear scrap heap and off to Aircraft Specialties at Mesa, Arizona. 44-83575 flew off of Yucca Lake in May 1965 and the other was trucked out as scrap. (See also Final Cut, pages 158-162 http://www.aerovintage.com/final.htm). Parts of 44-83722 supported air tanker operations for many years and the residue was used as major portions of the fuselage and wings in the 44-85813 rebuild underway at Champaign, Ohio.

[Adam Kline]

I think the drone video after was more interesting. The horizontal stabs broke from the shock.