[megatrendsZ]

The June test will detonate 700 tons of heavy ammonium nitrate-fuel oil emulsion -- creating a blast equivalent to 593 tons of TNT Why not just use 593 tons of TNT then?

[9V42h1eT]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison


Why not just use 593 tons of TNT then? funny, I was thinking the same thing.

I hate to think we think alike.

[sasquatch999]

No current or projected plane will carry 700 tonnes, but we have conventional explosives that are many times more powerful per lb than ammonium nitrate pfuel mix. They are also many times more expensive, which is why the amonium nitrate fuel mix is being used in the test. The test is not for the pourposes of testing a bomb; convention shaped explosives are pretty cut and dried. It is to test the cratering and seismic shock effects of large convetional exposives, to see how deeply they can crack bunkers.

[elektikakass]

Sounds the opening scene to a cheesy gay porn flick...

[pertikuss]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


Maybe this is some sort of air blast or whatever you have it, that this stuff sucks up oxygen when going boom, so it will kill a lot more people than TNT? It's hard to suck up oxygen when buried though...I'd thought of that possibility I presume it must be relative cost...

[objennasweene]

Stop spamming!

[Cvo1iRT0]

Hehe...

[altosburg]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
I believe that some of the larger cargo planes can carry up to 100 tons of cargo. We've dropped bombs from the back of cargo planes in the past. I think that dropping that much weight at one time would be very hard on a plane. Russia's Antanov AN-225 (only one current built I believe) carries 250 metric tonnes (275 short tons).

[Natashasuw]

Cool stuff.

[nannysuetle]

ahh, I found the thread.

Here's an update.

http://www.klas-tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5852429

Still not as cool as the above ground nuke tests. I wish I was alive to see those. . Easy to say where I live. They always did the tests when Vegas was upwind of the nuke tests. Poor people in Utah got stuck with the fallout.

[Habalinnyf]

Originally posted by Dis
They always did the tests when Vegas was upwind of the nuke tests. Poor people in Utah got stuck with the fallout. hmm hmm hmm hmm

[Hodstcopter]

Originally posted by LordShiva
WTF is a "strake?" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strake

[OnerePeepsy]

Originally posted by Will9
There is no plane we know of that can carry 700 tones, but it was tested in Nevada testing site (where Area 51 is located) so they must have a plane we don't know about. There was no mention in the OP article about this test being of an air-dropped device. The first atomic bomb test and the first hydrogen bomb tests were of bombs set up on platforms.

From the OP, it sounded like they would build a replica of some hardened bunker, then set up a huge pile of conventional explosives next to it, and watch what would happen.