Buyout Footage Historic Stock Footage Archive
Download full films or create your own custom cuts
Atomic Bomb Test Drops Wendover 1944
- High Definition Film Transfer: (24-hr. turnaround)
- HD ProRes -- $549.00
1920 x 1080 29.97i ProRes 422HQ Quicktime - HD PhotoJPEG -- $549.00
1920 x 1080 29.97i PhotoJPEG Quicktime
- Preview ** timecode burn-in: (24-hr. turnaround)
- HD Screener -- $35.00
1920 x 1080 29.97p H.264 Quicktime
keywords: wwii, utah, wendover army air field, 509th composite group, b-29 superfortress, dummy atomic bomb test drops, fat man, thin man
Synopsis: Rare unedited footage of ballistic test drops of "dummy" Atomic Bombs called the "Fat Man" and the "Thin Man" from specially built B-29s at Wendover Army Air Field, Utah by air crews of the newly formed Army Air Force 509th Composite Group...(read more)
- Date: 1944
- Duration: 00:11:03
- Sound: No
- Color: Color
- Type: Public Domain
- Language: English
- Location: United States
Atomic Bomb Test Drops - Wendover 1944
The Manhattan Project in WWII. In April 1944 General Henry H. Arnold selected Colonel Paul Tibbets to form and train a group to drop the first Atomic Bomb. Colonel Tibbets selected Wendover Army Airfield to receive the "special built" B-29 Superfortress aircrafts code name "Silverplate". These B-29 aircrafts were "special built" to carry and drop the two versions of atomic bombs under development at the time. The Wendover base was given the code name "Kingman". "Project W-47" was the activity to ballistic test drop two versions of full size 10,000 lb."dummy atomic bombs" from "Silverplate" B-29s.
Footage of the 10-foot long, five-foot-diameter "Fat Man" dummy atomic bomb (black and white) on a skid towed by a military vehicle. "Fat Man" dummy atomic bomb loaded onto a trailer, covered with a canvas cover, and towed by tractor to aircraft bomb loading pit. Fat Man dummy atomic bomb placed in bomb loading pit, B-29 aircraft towed into position over Fat Man dummy bomb in bomb loading pit. The "Fat Man" was an Implosion Type Weapon.
Footage of the 17-foot long "Thin Man" dummy atomic bomb on cart being pushed into loading position under B-29 aircraft. Shows the "Thin Man" full-scale dummy atom bomb in position in bomb-bay of B-29. Shows B-29 taking off with a dummy atomic bomb on-board. The "Thin Man" was a Plutonium Gun-type Weapon.
Note: As a hedge against the failure of the "Fat Man" (Implosion Type Weapon) the "Thin Man" (Plutonium Gun Weapon ) was revamped to use uranium-235 (U-235) instead of plutonium allowing bomb length to be reduced to 10-feet from 17-feet. This U-235 weapon became the "Little Boy" atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
Hard to identify air-to-air footage of 17-foot long "Thin Man" dummy atomic bomb falling to earth from B-29. Footage of "Fat Man" dummy atomic bomb falling to earth and hitting the ground with resulting big cloud of dust. Ground-to-air view of "Fat Man" dummy atomic bomb falling to earth.
Shot List:
00:02:52:13
CU of Fat Man dummy atomic bomb being lowered into bomb pit at Wendover Army Air Field.
00:04:58:06
B-29 being rolled into loading position over Fat Man bomb in bomb pit.
00:06:03:14
Footage of the 17-foot long "Thin Man" dummy A-bomb being pushed into loading position under B-29 aircraft.
00:06:22:18
Thin Man dummy atomic bomb in bomb-bay of B-29.
00:08:08:28
Shows B-29 taking off from Wendover with a dummy atomic bomb on-board.
00:09:13:26
Hard to identify air-to-air footage of 17-foot long "Thin Man" bomb falling to earth.
00:09:56:20
Footage of "Fat Man" dummy bomb dropping and hitting the ground with resulting big cloud of dust.
00:11:00:24
Ground-to-air view of "Fat Man" dummy bomb falling to earth.
