Military
4
The Mk53 thermonuclear weapon had airburst, contact burst, and laydown delayed-action detonation capability. It was equipped with five parachutes: one 5 ft. pilot chute, one 16 ft. chute, and three 48 ft. chutes. If free-fall delivery was required, the canister containing all of the parachutes could be jettisoned. A clip-in assembly on top of the displayed Mk53 bomb was designed to hold the bomb in storage and attach quickly and safely to the bomb bay rack within the plane. An integrated mechanical and electrical lock-release system prevented an inadvertent release of the weapon. For the bomb to be dropped, two bands suspending the weapon had to be released by an explosive device. It was a strategic weapon in the megaton range, carried by the B-36 and B-52, measuring 12 ft. 4.8 in. long and 4 ft. 2 in. in diameter, weighing 8,000 lb., and stockpiled from 1962 to 1987.
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