4 ms·

This looks perfect for bomblets. I imagine the Ukrainians are already stamping these out of plastic somewhere.

anigbrowl 1y ago
Why would you want to make a bomblet fall more slowly (allowing the intended targets to escape)? They already have fins to maintain their approximate direction.
- stult 1y ago
  Yeah, I can't think of a single use case for ordnance, which if anything you typically want to travel faster not slower.
  - hermitcrab 1y ago
    Illumination flares. Air dropped mines. However it isn't clear that these would be any better than conventional parachutes.
- aerostable_slug 1y ago
  Improvised plunger-type fuzes depend on the bomb(let) falling straight down. This ensures that occurs, but takes up very little packing space compared to a more conventional empennage. A straight up-and-down attitude also tends to increase the efficiency of fragmentation bomb(let)s. Secondarily, slowing the weapon can be useful for low flying platforms. Retarded bombs use spring-loaded airbrakes, inflatable ballutes, and/or parachutes to slow the weapon enough to allow the bomber to escape damage.
  - pfdietz 1y ago
    Example: parafrag bombs in WW2, extensively used against soft targets. The USAAF found them three times more effective than fin stabilized fragmentation bombs of the same size. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRJHMtWoQ28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRJHMtWoQ28
  - anigbrowl 1y ago
    I hear you, but I also look at how bombs are typically being used in Ukraine; they're small enough not to present any risk to the drone that's dropping them vertically usually on unfortunate individual soldiers).
trhway 1y ago
That war frequently goes very low tech (kind of COTS :) - plastic bottle as stabilizers https://youtu.be/dcsf5yuEHDY?t=69 https://youtu.be/dcsf5yuEHDY?t=69 https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/drone-dropped-anti-tank-mines/56882 https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/drone-dropped-anti-t... On the second pipe you can also see small fan which probably arms the side attached detonator.

Why would you want to make a bomblet fall more slowly (allowing the intended targets to escape)? They already have fins to maintain their approximate direction.

stult 1y ago
Yeah, I can't think of a single use case for ordnance, which if anything you typically want to travel faster not slower.
- hermitcrab 1y ago
  Illumination flares. Air dropped mines. However it isn't clear that these would be any better than conventional parachutes.
aerostable_slug 1y ago
Improvised plunger-type fuzes depend on the bomb(let) falling straight down. This ensures that occurs, but takes up very little packing space compared to a more conventional empennage. A straight up-and-down attitude also tends to increase the efficiency of fragmentation bomb(let)s. Secondarily, slowing the weapon can be useful for low flying platforms. Retarded bombs use spring-loaded airbrakes, inflatable ballutes, and/or parachutes to slow the weapon enough to allow the bomber to escape damage.
- pfdietz 1y ago
  Example: parafrag bombs in WW2, extensively used against soft targets. The USAAF found them three times more effective than fin stabilized fragmentation bombs of the same size. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRJHMtWoQ28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRJHMtWoQ28
- anigbrowl 1y ago
  I hear you, but I also look at how bombs are typically being used in Ukraine; they're small enough not to present any risk to the drone that's dropping them vertically usually on unfortunate individual soldiers).

trhway 1y ago

That war frequently goes very low tech (kind of COTS :) - plastic bottle as stabilizers https://youtu.be/dcsf5yuEHDY?t=69 https://youtu.be/dcsf5yuEHDY?t=69 https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/drone-dropped-anti-tank-mines/56882 https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/drone-dropped-anti-t... On the second pipe you can also see small fan which probably arms the side attached detonator.