Message posted by Magoo on February 09, 2000 at 23:36:32 EST:
That Landsat 4 photo taken in 1991 in your Info&Photos section shows up the nuclear test site beautifully (if any nuclear site can be described this way!). The explosion craters and sink holes are clearly visible throughout the Yucca Flat area. BTW Joerg - I had a look at your pics of the fire in the Groom Range supposedly caused by the B-52 drop tanks. They're excellent pics, respecially considering the short notice you had, and I think I've worked out where it was from the map. The fire certainly looks to have two large 'hot spots', rather than be burning on a front like a lightning strike fire would. B-52H models (the only model left in service since 1994) do have auxiliary drop tanks on the outer wings, however I don't think they would be jettisoned except in an emergency. Drop tanks on any military aircraft are usually only jettisoned these days in combat or emergency situations to aid manoeuverability and save weight, and they are not particularly cheap. Of course, they may have been accidentally dropped, as this has been known to happen occasionally too (oops!) Here's something to think about though - these tanks are not usually filled on a B-52 unless it is planning on flying a long way! The extra weight in the aux tanks only serves to add unnecessary stress on the already massive wings. If the 'Buff' were departing Groom for another base in the US, then it could make it easily on normal wing and fuselage tanks alone, and there would be no need to have fuel in these aux tanks. So, just maybe, it was headed somewhere outside the US...??? Any ideas...?
In Reply to: Re: DOE at Area 4? posted by Joerg (Webmaster) on February 09, 2000 at 23:04:34 EST:
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