The casing of a B41 thermonuclear bomb.

The B41 was a thermonuclear weapon deployed by the United States Strategic Air Command in the early 1960s. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ... For the film of the same name, see Strategic Air Command (film) The Strategic Air Command (SAC) was the operational establishment of the United States Air Force in charge of Americas bomber-based and ballistic missile-based strategic nuclear arsenal from 1946 to 1992. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

Development

The development of the Mk 41 began in 1955 with a USAF requirement for a Class B (high-yield, over 10,000 lb/4,545 kg) weapon. It was based on the "Bassoon" test device first fired in the Redwing Zuni test of 27 May 1956. An ICBM warhead version of the weapon was cancelled in 1957. Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... Seal of the Air Force. ... is the 147th day of the year (148th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ...

Composition

The Mk 41 was the only three-stage thermonuclear weapon fielded by the U.S. It had a deuterium-tritium boosted primary, probably with lithium-6-enriched deuteride fuel for the fusion reaction. Two versions were deployed, Y1, a "dirty" version with a tertiary stage encased with U-238, and Y2, a "clean" version with a lead-encased tertiary. It was the highest-yield nuclear weapon ever deployed by the United States, with a maximum yield of 25 megatons, this weapon weighed in at 4850 kg. It remains the highest yield-to-weight ratio of any weapon created. The US claimed in 1963 that it could produce a 35 megaton fusion bomb, and put it on a Titan II (3700 kg payload). Almost doubling the yield-to-weight ratio of the B-41. The basics of the Teller–Ulam configuration: a fission bomb uses radiation to compress and heat a separate section of fusion fuel. ... Deuterium, also called heavy hydrogen, is a stable isotope of hydrogen with a natural abundance in the oceans of Earth of approximately one atom in 6500 of hydrogen (~154 PPM). ... Tritium (symbol T or 3H) is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. ... This article is about the chemical element named Lithium. ... The deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reaction is considered the most promising for producing fusion power. ... General Name, symbol, number uranium, U, 92 Chemical series actinides Group, period, block n/a, 7, f Appearance silvery gray metallic; corrodes to a spalling black oxide coat in air Standard atomic weight 238. ... A megaton or megatonne is a unit of mass equal to 1,000,000 metric tons, i. ...

Physical characteristics

The weapon was 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m) long, with a body diameter of 52 in (132 cm). It weighed 10,670 lb (4,850 kg). It was carried only by the B-52 Stratofortress and B-47 Stratojet. It could be deployed in free-fall or retarded (parachute) configuration, and could be set for airburst, groundburst, or laydown delivery. “B-52” redirects here. ... The Boeing B-47 Stratojet jet bomber was a medium range and size bomber capable of flying at high subsonic speeds and primarily designed for penetrating the Soviet Union. ... An Air Burst occurs whenever an explosive device such as an anti-personnel artillery shell or a nuclear weapon is detonated in the air instead of on contact with the ground or target or a delayed armor peircing explosion. ... A groundburst is when an air-dropped bomb explodes after hitting the ground. ... Laydown delivery is a mode of deploying a free-fall nuclear weapon in which the bombs fall is slowed by parachute so that it actually lands on the ground before detonating. ...

Service life

The Mk 41 (designated B41 from 1968 on) entered service in 1961. About 500 of these weapons were manufactured between September 1960 and June 1962. The Mk 41 was progressively phased out of service from 1963 in favor of the B53 nuclear bomb. The last B41s were retired in July 1976. Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1961: Events February February 3 - Operation Looking Glass commences, meaning that the US Air Force Strategic Air Command would have a permanent, airborne command post. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1963: Events January January 7 - Aeroflot commences direct services between Moscow and Havana February February 14 - the Indian Air Force receives its first batch of Soviet fighters, Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21s March March 18 - the Dassault Balzac makes its first transitions... B53 W53 physics package The B53 with a yield of 9 Mt is one of the most powerful nuclear weapons built by the United States, and one of the last very high-yield thermonuclear bombs in U.S. service. ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1976: Events March March 17 - a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 makes the first non-stop flight from Tokyo to New York, taking 11. ...

See also

• List of nuclear weapons
• Nuclear weapon yield