Re: The Unit Season Final(e) 5/10 (R.I.P.?) (spoilers)

Adam H. Kerman wrote:
Seamus MacRae <smacrae319@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Kujo wrote:

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Yeah, I couldn't believe that scene. You're going to shoot-out the tires of car that maybe carrying a nuclear bomb? Knowing that you could explode cause a nuclear explosion? LOL

Most nuclear weapon designs will not detonate as a result of fire, a crash, or similarly. There could be a release of radioactive material however.

Yes. I'm sure safety and stability of the device was uppermost in the
minds of the terrorist. Looked to me like an upgrade of the device in
"The Manhattan Project".

Which device? They produced three. One they dropped on Hiroshima. That one was crude enough that a crash (though not a fire, if the conventional explosive used was something stable like C-4) could set it off IF the bomb was aligned correctly with the impact force. Though the result would probably be a small but very dirty bang instead of the big one even then, due to the slug having a too-low velocity. There would be a serious radiation pulse in the area though, from the criticality accident.

You might lose a city block and have quite a mess to clean up, but wouldn't lose the city.

That design can be made safer by having the slug held back by an arming pin similar to a grenade's until time of use.

The other two were implosion bombs which can't be set off by fire or a crash. The usual outcome from a crash for one of these would actually be to render it inoperable, or else only able to function as a very dirty conventional bomb.
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Unit Season Final(e) 5/10 (R.I.P.?) (spoilers)
    ... You're going to shoot-out the tires of car that maybe carrying a nuclear bomb? ... Most nuclear weapon designs will not detonate as a result of fire, a crash, or similarly. ... It would still be moving slower than when the bomb was triggered normally. ... a simple removable safety pin in the design would make it crash-proof. ...
    (rec.arts.tv)
  • Re: OT: American gun nuts score a classic own goal
    ... an airline with a long time since its last crash is due for one anytime... ... You carry your own bomb, ... Unless there are 'two' idiots aboard the plane. ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: The Unit Season Final(e) 5/10 (R.I.P.?) (spoilers)
    ... of car that maybe carrying a nuclear bomb? ... A car crash could certainly cause this, ... when the bomb was triggered normally. ...
    (rec.arts.tv)
  • Re: OT: American gun nuts score a classic own goal
    ... the chances of two such crashes in rapid succession are near zero, ... an airline with a long time since its last crash is due for one anytime... ... You carry your own bomb, ...
    (sci.electronics.design)
  • Re: Big scandal....
    ... send the nuclear bomb to be blown up if the terrorist is stateless? ... How many bomb craters do you think are in the Tora-Bora mountains? ... Hitler did a lot of damage and nobody even attacked him. ... Hitler was not a stateless wacko. ...
    (sci.research.careers)
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