During the "Baby Blitz" of 1943/44 the Heinkel He 177 Greif (Griffon) exhibited a 6% attrition rate per mission. If two weapons were available and two He 177 were sent the chances of both being shot down are about 0.0036.
If the weapon can be released by a high speed ribbon parachute (which was a German 'invention' and widely used for slowing down assault gliders and jets such as the Ar 234 and Parachute Mines and used as part of escape egress system for the Do 335 and Me 163 ) and the parachute can slow the weapon to zero forward velocity from the release speed of 220mph/100m/s in 7-10 seconds and if the terminal descent velocity can be limited to 70-100ms a good distance could be achieved before the fissionable mass detonated. If released at 2000m altitude at 220mph/100ms I get about 1.5-2.0 km distance between the tail of the bomber and the time the bomb bursts. Doing about a 45 degree turn should get that to about 2km-2.5. If the weapon is less than 10 kilotons it should be survivable for the crew.
The normal strategy of these aircraft was to penetrate British airspace in a shallow dive, release at medium altitude and continue the dive back out to sea.
My recollection is that the parachutes use in aerial mines (to prevent the explosives busting out from hard impact) slowed decent to about 220feet/sec (70m/s) which is about 11 times the speed used for a human parachutist.
This would be a gold plated Heinkel. Usually only about 1/3rd had a tail warning radar. I would also expect a directional radar warning receiver and likely an escort of night fighters.
I would imagine that there wouldn't be a problem finding crews prepared to go up with the bombs like that B58 Hustler crew in "Failsafe". There is not much worth dying for these days but it was different back then.
An attack on the USA could be done with a Ju 390. There are arguments that the increased MTOW variant, the Ju 390V2, could do a return mission but irrespective of that the standard 6000 mile version could get to the US East coast with one in flight refuelling and return to Europe or if the refuelling wasn't possible ditch half way back across the Atlantic. Ju 290 and Ju 252 conducted many successful refuelling tests in 1942/43. In flight refuelling kits were prepared for the He 177A1 reconnaissance version way back in 1940. They used a drogue type method but the receiver had the drogue.
The weapon could perhaps be extracted MOAB style from the rear trapoklappe (loading ramp door) or could be carried externally. if it was a little boy type weapon.
If the weapon can be released by a high speed ribbon parachute (which was a German 'invention' and widely used for slowing down assault gliders and jets such as the Ar 234 and Parachute Mines and used as part of escape egress system for the Do 335 and Me 163 ) and the parachute can slow the weapon to zero forward velocity from the release speed of 220mph/100m/s in 7-10 seconds and if the terminal descent velocity can be limited to 70-100ms a good distance could be achieved before the fissionable mass detonated. If released at 2000m altitude at 220mph/100ms I get about 1.5-2.0 km distance between the tail of the bomber and the time the bomb bursts. Doing about a 45 degree turn should get that to about 2km-2.5. If the weapon is less than 10 kilotons it should be survivable for the crew.
The normal strategy of these aircraft was to penetrate British airspace in a shallow dive, release at medium altitude and continue the dive back out to sea.
My recollection is that the parachutes use in aerial mines (to prevent the explosives busting out from hard impact) slowed decent to about 220feet/sec (70m/s) which is about 11 times the speed used for a human parachutist.
This would be a gold plated Heinkel. Usually only about 1/3rd had a tail warning radar. I would also expect a directional radar warning receiver and likely an escort of night fighters.
I would imagine that there wouldn't be a problem finding crews prepared to go up with the bombs like that B58 Hustler crew in "Failsafe". There is not much worth dying for these days but it was different back then.
An attack on the USA could be done with a Ju 390. There are arguments that the increased MTOW variant, the Ju 390V2, could do a return mission but irrespective of that the standard 6000 mile version could get to the US East coast with one in flight refuelling and return to Europe or if the refuelling wasn't possible ditch half way back across the Atlantic. Ju 290 and Ju 252 conducted many successful refuelling tests in 1942/43. In flight refuelling kits were prepared for the He 177A1 reconnaissance version way back in 1940. They used a drogue type method but the receiver had the drogue.
The weapon could perhaps be extracted MOAB style from the rear trapoklappe (loading ramp door) or could be carried externally. if it was a little boy type weapon.
