B-29 with Grand Slam bombs on external hard-points.

[KJakker]

Learn something new everyday. I never knew that any aircraft other than the Lancaster had carried the Grand Slam.  

 

Source. Link 1 & Link 2.

 

• A news clip with photo, "Two 22,000-pound bombs were carried by B-29s toward the end of the war. British designed bombs were carried externally", shows a B-29 with two Grand Slam bombs mounted at hard points between the inner nacelles and the fuselage. View is from 4 o'clock low.
  • Unless the pictured bombs are empty casings, this would be stressing the B-29 well beyond standard published limits. Most sources list maximum bomb load as 20,000 lb, while two Grand Slams would be 44,000 lb (plus mountings.) Listed empty weight is 68,800 lb, though this could be decreased by a couple of thousand pounds by eliminating the defensive guns and fire-control system; maximum weight (in some sources, overload weight) is listed at 135,000 lb. 
    The plane in the photo appears to have a radome mounted between the bomb bay door positions. This probably reveals the presence of a RADAR system on the plane, either weather-monitoring or, possibly, targeting.

 

[+Wrench]

that's an AN/APQ-7 nav/attack radar. similar to H2S

[macelena]

Range, let alone performance, would have suffered badly, but i guess it could have got some possibilities if used for bunker busting, assuming that targeting and conditions were up to the job

[fallenphoenix1986]

Are those deffinitely 22klb grand slams an not 12klb tallboys? B-29's were adapted for both but 2 grand slams at once is pushing the limits of the airframe a tad far.

 

Craig

[+Wrench]

ok, checked my books. the photo above ARE Grand Slams. It's on page 61 of the Detail & Scale, Part 1 of the B-29. The text says it could carry 2 of them, PLUS the normal bomb load. Man, I can't imagine the length of the runway needed, let alone the weather conditions (cool, still air?). Engine overheats were always an issue.

 

Part 2 book shows VB-13 "Tarzon" bombs, which are Bell adapted Tallboys in a semi-conformal carry across both bomb bays, and a relocated APQ-13 radome (lower nose turret location). These were used in Korea by the 19th BG.

Tarzons were 'steerable' via radio-control link, similar to the VB-1 Azon, and Fritz-X

[KJakker]

Great info Wrench. I knew about the Tallboy based "Tarzon" from Korea but good job confirming the Grand Slams. 

[Lexx_Luthor]

Yough Wrench, that 20,000 lbs is for 25,000 feet in MKSheppard's s.a.c. pdf site

 

I figure, double that payload, and you have to double the air density, and you get down to 10,000 feet, or so. Better accuracy too, but less range also. Point blank range for heavy flak too.

 

 

 

[MKSheppard]

This was a real project. 

Twin Grand Slams; object was to use it to destroy certain targets on the Japanese mainland that could not be destroyed by conventional bombing.

[shotdown]

As I see it, this kind ob bombload wolud require to have bases in the chinese coast to make possible fliying to Japan with a minimal amount of fuel.