Question: what are these cables for on #littleboy ? They're not electric @NuclearAnthro @AtomicAnalyst @wellersteinpic.twitter.com/Z3bcfj4n5u
Pullout wires — start the firing mechanism when they are yanked out by the bomb leaving the plane.
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thanks! Seems strange to need so many. Could understand 2 or even 3 but there's a lot there...
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14 to be precise! I don't know why they needed/wanted so many.
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Redundancy to ensure detonation?
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It’s been awhile but I think it was there was no central control mechanism, so basically each piece subsystem needed to know when the show starts individually. But not sure. Think Fatman only had three on the nose section but again not sure.pic.twitter.com/HzhHKcYP9X
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For postwar FM models there were 12 pullout switches. Not super easy to see from this circuit diagram but it shows how they are used (they are S1, S2, etc.). Two are assigned to batteries leading to the X-unit. Two each are assigned to each Archie. Two more for other power needs.pic.twitter.com/5HRmWs2upo
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I don't have as detailed information on either the LB or the wartime FM but one can imagine they used similar philosophies. Some redundancy, but also, just a lot of different systems that for safety they are operating with different switches.
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(Images are from the remarkable Mk-III fuzing maintenance manual that John Coster-Mullen was able to get by FOIA request a few years back.)pic.twitter.com/menehLxegE
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Yeah awesome remember it well. You sent me a copy too! Thanks again.
End of conversation
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