Dr Strangeglove - bombing sequence - realism
 

Just watched this classic for the first time last night (I have to confess).
What a great film on so many levels.
The procedures used to go to war (opening of safes, handing out of sealed envelopes, arming sequences) seemed very realistic.
I've read that the interior of the B52 was in fact still classified at the time so Kubrick recreated it from one photo they had.
I wondered how accurate the sequences for arming the bomb etc were though?
The various switches etc that were shown in some detail seemed to all be the right sort of thing one would run through, air-burst, altitude etc - and were shown in some chilling detail.
I assume it is all declassified now - was it realistic?
Even more remarkable considering how secret a lot of this stuff must have been at the time.

Edited:
I note this from 1961 ten years later:

First and foremost, B-52G aircraft power must be applied to the weapon via two crew members using the Aircraft Monitoring and Control System and a specific voltage and amperage (and for a specific amount of time) before the Ready/Safe Switch could be rotated to the "Arm" position.

The pilot of the bomber aircraft controlled power via his T-380 Readiness Switch, which was safety wired and sealed near his seat in the aircraft. The Radar Navigator could monitor the bomb's circuits via the DCU-9, but he could not arm it without electrical input via AMAC nor consent from the pilot. The aircrew, in two physically separate positions in the aircraft, had to perform at least 19 steps from their checklist before nuclear weapons could be pre-armed and dropped.

Interesting query - would also like to hear the same for the movie "By Dawn's Early Light".

Gents, you want the accurate hot poop.
read "The Goldsboro Broken Arrow" by Joel Dobson.

this gives you everything - and will probably scare the crap out of you too.

I wont give away any spoilers but - holy ****......

Given the slip stream, I don't think Major Kong would have been able to stay on the bomb as he rode it down :E

tartare

Interesting what you say about the 19 steps.

As per above, read up about Goldsboro.

I don't know about how real the bomb sequence was, but the shadow of the B-17 when they were flying low over Siberia (?) wasn't :O

I don't know about hanging on to the bomb, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to hold on to his hat :E


I love that movie - there are a few of us at work that often quote lines from the movie. Just saying "Now Demetri" is often enough to break the tension and start the laughter. :}


BTW, a little trivia for you - when Kubrick started making the movie, it was intended to be a serious movie (not unlike "Failsafe", which came out at pretty much the same time). But as he got into the production, Kubrick apparently decided he couldn't do it as a serious movie and changed it.

Part of the great Slim Pickens pre-attack procedures included a contents check on the Survival Pack, this included, inter alia, "3 lipsticks and 3 pairs of nylon stockings." They covered all the angles in those days.
Peter Sellers accent as the wheelchair-bound Dr Stangelove with his (still) Nazi
right arm Heiling away was just wonderful
Absolute classic from start to stop.

- one .45 caliber automatic
- two boxes of ammunition
- four days concentrated emergency rations
- one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleepin' pills, tranquilizer pills
- one miniature combination 'Rooshan' phrase book and Bible
- $100 dollars in rubles
- $100 dollars in gold
- nine packs of chewin' gum
- one issue of prophylactics
- three lipsticks
- three pair of nylon stockin's

Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

.

The Vegas in that line was redubbed before the film's release, as the original filmed line was "a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Dallas with all that stuff". Then just before the film was due to be released, Kennedy was shot. Slim Pickens wasn't the original Major Kong either, Peter Sellers had that role, but broke his leg and couldn't get into the B-52 set. The B-52 cockpit was based on a few photos from magazines and was designed by Ken Adam, a former RAF Pilot and the man who did most of the James Bond sets. Rumour has it was it was very close to the real aircraft in a lot of respects. Other people in the B-52, the voice of Scott Tracey from Thunderbirds (Shane Rimmer) who was the Co-pilot, and voice of Darth Vader was one of the Navigators (James Earl Jones).


"Mein Führer! I can walk!"

Interesting r/e Goldsboro.
From what I can see, latest info seems to suggest in fact it wasn't close to going off at all.
See here.
That's where I got the 19 steps passage from.
Strangeglove is a great film.
I'm a bit slow on the uptake.
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here; this is a war room!"
:)
Very droll.

Tartare

Link doesn't work.

is that latest info from the vestiged interest?
I need to reread but IIRC there wrere two real opposing schools of thought on it.

what I do know is - a damn scary time and I'm much happier living now than then. I rewatched "threads" earlier - and it still doesn't make for peaceful thoughts.

260 megatons - thats what they gameplayed fell on Blighty, enough to turn it into one big radioactive puddle.

time for a new rule - if the pollies want to go to war, they get to do it, thunderdome style.....

One set of Interlocks was it?

I was living close enough to Goldsboro area to have had a real interest in that event. Fortunately, we were up wind far enough we would have been out of reach of the immediate effects had one of those Cookies gone off.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-carolina-1961

My understanding is the B52 interior was modelled (guessed) on the B29 layout, plus some creative stuff. I may be wrong. Also, I may have some faults, but being wrong isn't one of them. :)

I think at one point our gallant Captain selects 'essential power' on his OHP.

I thought that indicated some research had been done.

Wonderful film, Mein Fuehrer.

Ref Goldsboro bomb - it couldn't have exploded even if the circuit had been made, as the thermal battery hadn't been activated and there was no power to activate it. See previous thread here;.

I read that the reason Peter Sellers broke his leg was falling off the bomb onto the studio floor in an early rehearsal of the final scene.

The choice of Slim Pickens as a late replacement for the Major Kong was inspired. Apparently he turned up at the studios in England dressed in cowboy boots, hat, etc and somebody commented - "He's in his costume already" to which the reply came - "No, thats the way he always dresses!"

How did the arming sequence on our V Force compare with the "19 steps"?