FRIENDS OF MINERALOGY COLORADO CHAPTER

GOLDEN, CO

Lowry: The First Titan Missile Base Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum

To prevent nuclear war, our enemies had to understand that if they struck first, enough of our missiles would survive to destroy their country. The Titans were kept safe in underground concrete silos and raised to the surface before launch. — Lowry: The First Titan Missile Base Credit: rocbolt

Friends of Mineralogy Colorado Chapter (FMCC) is a non-profit educational organization that promotes the study, appreciation, and conservation of minerals and related earth sciences. Founded in 2002, the group is based in Golden, Colorado and has an active membership of more than 150 people. FMCC’s mission is to further the knowledge and study of minerals and related earth sciences, to preserve and protect minerals and related earth sciences, and to provide quality service and educational programs to its members and the public.

FMCC regularly holds educational events such as seminars, field trips, and lectures to promote and support its mission. These events are open to everyone and provide an opportunity to learn about the various aspects of mineralogy and geology. The group also organizes a number of field trips to various locations in Colorado, including the Rocky Mountains and the Front Range. These trips allow members to explore and collect minerals and rocks, learn more about the local geology, and enjoy the outdoors.

FMCC also participates in a number of outreach activities such as mineral and rock shows, mineral identification clinics, and other educational programs. The group also sponsors a yearly scholarship for students studying geology or mineralogy at a Colorado college or university. Finally, FMCC is actively involved in conservation efforts, working to protect and preserve the state’s mineral resources for future generations.

FRIENDS OF MINERALOGY COLORADO CHAPTER is a Science & Technology Museums & Planetarium in GOLDEN CO. US MID #8400800530

The museum is classed as SCI (Science & Technology Museums & Planetariums). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Mount Plains (Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming).

BA53 Nuclear Bomb Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum

*The BA53 variant without fins was meant for internal carry in the bomb pod on the B-58 Hustler

B53 Nuclear Bomb
The Mk/B53 was a high-yield bunker buster thermonuclear weapon developed by the United States during the Cold War. Deployed on Strategic Air Command bombers, the B53, with a yield of 9 megatons, was the most powerful weapon in the U.S. nuclear arsenal after the last B41 nuclear bombs were retired in 1976.

The B53 was the basis of the W-53 warhead carried by the Titan II Missile, which was decommissioned in 1987. Although not in active service for many years before 2010, fifty B53s were retained during that time as part of the &quot;Hedge&quot; portion of the Enduring Stockpile until its complete dismantling in 2011. The last B53 was disassembled on 25 October 2011, a year ahead of schedule.

With its retirement, the largest bomb currently in service in the U.S. nuclear arsenal is the B83, with a maximum yield of 1.2 megatons. The B53 was replaced in the bunker-busting role by a variant of the two-stage B61 nuclear bomb.

B53
Type: Nuclear weapon
Place of origin: United States

Service history
In service: 1962-1997

Production history
Designer: LANL
Designed: 1958-1961
Manufacturer: Atomic Energy Commission
Produced: 1961-1965
Number built: about 340

Specifications
Weight: 8,850 lb (4,010 kg)
Length: 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
Diameter: 50 in (4.2 ft; 1.3 m)

Filling
Fission: 100% oralloy
Fusion: Lithium-6 and deuteride

Blast yield: 9 megatons

B43 Nuclear Bomb Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum

For more than twenty years the B43 was the United States' air-dropped nuclear weapon used by a wide variety of aircraft. The weapon was developed in 1956 by Los Alamos National Laboratory, entering service in April 1961. Total production was 2,000 weapons, ending in 1965.

The B43 was built in three variants: Mod 0, Mod 1, and Mod 2, each with five yield options. Explosive yields varied from 70 kilotons of TNT to 1 megaton of TNT. The B-43 could be delivered at altitudes as low as 300 ft, with fusing options for air burst, ground burst, free fall, contact, or laydown delivery - a mode of deploying a free-fall nuclear weapon in which the bomb's fall is slowed by parachute so that it actually lands on the ground before detonating.

Aircraft that could carry the weapon included most USAF, USN and USMC fighters, bombers and attack aircraft, including the A-3 Skywarrior, A-4 Skyhawk, A-5 Vigilante, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II, B-47 Stratojet, B-52 Stratofortress, F-100 Super Saber, F-105 Thunderchief, F-4 Phantom Il, F-111 Aardvark, FB-111A, F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the F/A-18 Hornet. The B-1B Lancer was also intended to carry the B43 prior to the B-1's reassignment to conventional strike roles. The B43 was also supplied to Great Britain.

The B43 was never used in anger, but it was involved in a nuclear accident when an A-4 Skyhawk of the USS Ticonderoga from Attack Squadron VA-56 was lost off the coast of Japan on 5 December 1965. The aircraft, the pilot, and the bomb were never found.

The B43 was phased out in the 1980s, and the last B43 weapons were retired in 1991 in favor of the newer B61 and B83 weapons.

The upper weapon was used by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams to practice their skills on, while the lower weapon was used by aircraft ground crews to practice loading the weapon on various aircraft. The &quot;spike&quot; on the end of the weapon buried itself in the ground and kept the unit from being dragged by its parachute when the target was small and needed precision accuracy.

Specifications
Weight: 2125 pounds
Length: 13 feet, 8 inches
Diameter: 18 inches
Yield: 70 Kilotons to 1 Megaton

Cherry Hills Village Mansion, Denver Denver Area, Colorado. Complete indexed photo collection at WorldHistoryPics.com.

Contact FRIENDS OF MINERALOGY COLORADO CHAPTER

FRIENDS OF MINERALOGY COLORADO CHAPTER
PO BOX 5276
GOLDEN
CO
80401-0502

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FRIENDS OF MINERALOGY COLORADO CHAPTER Information

MID #	8400800530
Name	FRIENDS OF MINERALOGY COLORADO CHAPTER
Alternate Name
Classification	Science & Technology Museums & Planetariums, , Mount Plains
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)	841187365
NTEECC	A57
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)	201312
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	39.737361, -105.192561
CODES	FIPS State Code: 08 FIPS County Code: 059 US Census Tract: 010100 US Census Block: 2004