AIRCRAFT GENERAL-PURPOSE BOMBS

Aircraft general-purpose bombs are assembled in a variety of configurations. Mission requirements dictate the way a weapon is to be configured. This information is found in the ordnance load plan. A few of these configurations are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Bomb Assembly Tools and Equipment Requirements

Tools and equipment listed in table 13-1 are required for weapons assembly evolutions. The list is provided to assist personnel in proper assembly procedures.

Bomb Assembly Crew

Bomb assembly is usually done on the fourth or fifth deck of an aircraft carrier or flight deck or hangar deck on LFORM class ships. They can also be built on the second deck (mess deck) or other designated areas of aircraft carriers. The reference to positions used with the bomb assembly crew as used here are for ease of understanding only. Many personnel operate the bomb assembly stand (fig. 13-1) and support the assembly evolution. The crew positions are:

Supervisor

QA/SO

Hoist operators

Nose fuze/TDD installer

Tail fuze installer

Tail fin installer

Skid and hoist operator

Forklift operator

Dunnage personnel

Elevator operators

Preparation For Use

When you use GP bombs, the following preparations must be carried out. As you read this section, refer to figures 13-2 through 13-5.

Table 13-1.-Bomb Assembly Tool Requirements

Figure 13-1.-Typical bomb assembly crew positions.

Figure 13-2.-Weapon lug thread engagement.

Figure 13-3.-General-purpose bomb components.

Figure 13-4.-Bomb breakdown.

Figure 13-5.-General-purpose bomb shipping configuration.

BREAKOUT.- Breakout is the term used to define the physical removal of ammunition from the magazine. Weapons are broken out, by direction of the ordnance handling officer (OHO), in accordance with the load plan. When ordnance breakout is directed by the OHO, the breakout crew records the type, lot number, and quantity of ordnance broken out. Then, the crew passes this information back to ordnance control so that an accurate account and location of weapons and related material on board can be kept up to date.

UNPACKING.- You must depalletize the bomb body and place it on the appropriate bomb skid or assembly stand. Prior to depalletizing, ensure that gloves, steel toe shoes, and face shields are worn. When depalletizing a bomb body, you need to remove the banding straps and the top section of the metal pallet, the shipping cap on the rear of the bomb body, and all plastic shipping plugs from the fuze cavities. Then, install hoisting bars, as necessary, for manual handling of the bombs. Other suitable hoisting equipment may be used when available. Finally, place the bomb on the appropriate bomb skid or assembly stand.

INSPECTION.- You need to inspect the bomb for damage, stripped threads, cracks, or broken welds. Make sure the bottoms of the suspension lug eyes are flush with the weapon surface. Check to see that the bomb's V-groove is clean and undamaged. Check the fuze wells to ensure they are clean and dry. If nose elements and/or electric tail fuzes are to be used, check the electrical connectors to ensure they are not bent or corroded. Press gently with a wooden dowel on the connectors to ensure that they are firmly seated. Inspect thermally protected bombs for loose or chipped coating. Bombs that are missing more than 15 square inches of thermal coating in one spot are not considered thermally protected and are restricted from issue to aircraft carriers. Damaged or otherwise unserviceable bombs should be disposed of by following current directives.