{"product_id":"bl3-belcher-bits-bl3-1-72-british-nuclear-weapons","title":"BL3 BELCHER BITS BL3 1\/72 BRITISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"203\" data-end=\"469\"\u003eThe history of British nuclear weapons is a fascinating story that has never been fully covered in print. It is an unusual mix of determination to develop indigenous designs, coupled with the realization that US development was advanced both in technology and scale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"471\" data-end=\"807\"\u003eGreat Britain had some of the foremost physicists at the turn of the century, and British scientists played key roles in the development of the atomic bomb. However, Britain lacked the enormous infrastructure required in the mid-to-late 1940s to process weapons-grade materials in significant quantities, and weapons development lagged.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"809\" data-end=\"1171\"\u003eAs a result, British nuclear weapons reflected contemporary US designs—but with a unique twist. One particularly interesting difference was the British practice of assigning colour-based code names rather than numerical designations. Names like \u003cstrong data-start=\"1054\" data-end=\"1068\"\u003eBlue Bunny\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong data-start=\"1070\" data-end=\"1087\"\u003eGreen Granite\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong data-start=\"1093\" data-end=\"1110\"\u003eIndigo Hammer\u003c\/strong\u003e were all nuclear warhead designs that never entered service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr data-start=\"1173\" data-end=\"1176\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 data-section-id=\"15y2rcx\" data-start=\"1178\" data-end=\"1197\"\u003e\u003cspan role=\"text\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1182\" data-end=\"1197\"\u003eBlue Danube\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1198\" data-end=\"1313\"\u003eThe first British operational nuclear weapon, \u003cstrong data-start=\"1244\" data-end=\"1259\"\u003eBlue Danube\u003c\/strong\u003e, was a 20 kt plutonium design similar to the US Mk 4.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1315\" data-end=\"1533\"\u003eHowever, while the US weapon was fitted into an improved \u003cstrong data-start=\"1372\" data-end=\"1403\"\u003eFat Man-style stubby casing\u003c\/strong\u003e, the UK warhead was housed inside a \u003cstrong data-start=\"1440\" data-end=\"1469\"\u003elarge, streamlined casing\u003c\/strong\u003e, with aerodynamic roots in the WWII \u003cstrong data-start=\"1506\" data-end=\"1525\"\u003eGrand Slam bomb\u003c\/strong\u003e design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1535\" data-end=\"1681\"\u003eThis physically large weapon had a major influence on aircraft design, as it dictated bomb bay dimensions and load requirements for the V-bombers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul data-start=\"1683\" data-end=\"1760\"\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"14xa5ft\" data-start=\"1683\" data-end=\"1710\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"1685\" data-end=\"1698\"\u003eDiameter:\u003c\/strong\u003e 60 inches\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"fisx22\" data-start=\"1711\" data-end=\"1734\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"1713\" data-end=\"1724\"\u003eLength:\u003c\/strong\u003e 24 feet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli data-section-id=\"zb5rj5\" data-start=\"1735\" data-end=\"1760\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong data-start=\"1737\" data-end=\"1748\"\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 10,000 lb\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1762\" data-end=\"1824\"\u003eOnly about \u003cstrong data-start=\"1773\" data-end=\"1785\"\u003e20 units\u003c\/strong\u003e entered service beginning in \u003cstrong data-start=\"1815\" data-end=\"1823\"\u003e1953\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Hobby Centre","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40701916053633,"sku":null,"price":15.98,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0041\/6936\/7681\/files\/s-l960_1.webp?v=1776960587","url":"https:\/\/www.hobcen.com\/products\/bl3-belcher-bits-bl3-1-72-british-nuclear-weapons","provider":"The Hobby Centre ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}