THE MOTHER OF ALL BOMBS ….ANOTHER TALE OF HERCULES LABORS/FEATS

  And we are not talking about an atomic bomb…we are talking of a “conventional bomb”…only bigger than expected/usual. The BLU-82 is the biggest airborne bomb of this world, and it is so big and round that it only fits inside our beloved Lockheed C130 Hercules.

   The development of this great explosive device also known as a “DAISY CUTTER” was answering a need from the troops on the ground, in a place called VIETNAM.

This massive ordnance is delivered like any other big cargo from a HERK, it will leave the aircraft by the ramp. The loadmasters will drop an extraction parachute via the ramp, once it is fully open that parachute will take the cargo out of the compartment once the pallets braking systems is released. In a matter of seconds the bomb leaves the cargo compartment, becoming an incredible weapon.

Of course there is always the risk that the “palleted explosive device” gets stucked in the cargo compartment changing the center of gravity, with consequences that will at least destroy the aircraft and severely endangering the lives of the crew.

The specs were:

·         Weight: 7 tons

·         Diameter: 58 inches

·         Length: 142 inches

And even the B-52 and the B-2 will be in everybody´s list,but their bomber bay is “not wide enough”, so there was the chance for the incredible Hercules to show the world…and mostly the enemy what this incredible plane is capable of….

This big slamming bomb was used during the VIETNAM war to make “instant helipads” in the middle of the jungle. This helipads were just roughly cleared areas to help the helicopter missions (mostly CSAR*), get closer to lives at stake.

But history gave the Herk another chance…. In another place of earth, and on the XXI century. During “OPERATION ANACONDA” (March ,2002) the systematic attack to Al Qaeda and another terrorist cells in Afganistan, the XXXX bomb was used.

The target was not a jungle, but a number of underground bunkers that serve the talibans an another dangerous characters deep in Afganistan.

During Anaconda several BLU-82´s were dropped from a flying C-130 HERCULES.

So when you think that there is an unbreakable limit the HERCULES ALMIGHTY can not achieve, he will prove you wrong with his nice and humble achievements.

*CSAR: Combat Search and Rescue