B57

Aircraft bombUnited StatesImplosion fission

No freely licensed photo of this device yet.

Yield · TNT equivalent5–20 kt

Key specs

Country: United States
Design: Implosion fission
Type: Aircraft bomb
Weight: 230 kg
Length: 3 m
Diameter: 375 mm
In service: 1963–1993
Number built: 3,100

Overview

A light multipurpose tactical bomb of 5–20 kt, usable both against ground targets and as a nuclear depth charge against submarines. About 3,100 were built for aircraft and anti-submarine helicopters.

Effect radii: estimates

Calculated for 20 kt

Fireball, maximum radius: ≈ 200 m
Initial radiation, 500 rem (5 Sv): ≈ 1.5 km
Blast 5 psi: most buildings collapse: ≈ 1.9 km
Thermal: third-degree burns: ≈ 2.3 km
Blast 1 psi: windows shatter: ≈ 6 km

Estimated ground ranges for an air burst at the optimum height over flat, open ground, computed from the yield with standard scaling laws. These are not measurements: real effects depend on the height of burst, terrain, buildings and weather.

Formulas from: Glasstone & Dolan, The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (1977), chapter II; Carey Sublette, Nuclear Weapons FAQ, section 5

Sources

Complete List of All U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Weapon Archive (Carey Sublette)
B57 nuclear bomb, Wikipedia