In this 1957 video, a 110-foot long, 116-foot wide, 133,000-pound Boeing B-47 bomber pulls
a tight upside down maneuver after releasing its payload. The technique was so risky that
pilots called it the “Idiot’s Loop.” Not only was the plane at risk from extreme aerodynamic and
gravitational loads, it would also be carrying an atomic bomb at the same time. Practiced by
Richard Bach at Eglin Air Force base, this “toss bombing” delivery method was concocted to allow
the aircraft to "toss" a bomb at low altitude while giving it enough time to reverse course
in order to avoid anti-aircraft defenses or the blast from the nuclear bomb it just released…
The Loop
The goal of toss bombing is to make-up for the gravitational pull of dropping a bomb
in flight and allowing an aircraft to hit a target without flying directly over it.
Avoiding anti-aircraft attacks and placing a safe distance between weapon and target,
reasons vital when carrying nuclear ordinance.
Toss bombing can be useful if, for whatever reason, overflying the target engenders too
much danger. Otherwise, the aircraft may fail to reach sufficient altitude,
staying clear of the blast. Anti-aircraft technologies such as surface-to-air missiles
and air-to-air missiles also complicate matters.
Standard armaments used when employing this tactic
are heavy bombs or else powerful nuclear weapons. Additionally,
flying so low, an aircraft bomber may avoid visual recognition or even radar recognition. However,
the danger inherent in flying at such a low altitude is exposure to short-range defenses.
Using a toss bombing technique also opens up mobility options for a pilot. Assessing
circumstances and being able to make ad-hoc decisions is difficult, the higher the altitude.
Richard Bach
One of the most dynamic forms of toss bombing is the over-the-shoulder technique known to pilots as
the "idiot's loop." It can also be referred to as LABS, Low Altitude bombing system maneuver.
The bomb is launched during ascent. As the plane completes a mid-air loop, the bomb launches over
the aircraft's intended loop trajectory. It trails off in the opposite direction.
The tactic was first performed and exhibited to the public on May 7, 1957, at Eglin Air
Force Base. Pilot Richard Bach flew a B-47 at low altitude. He pulled the clutch, charging upwards.
During the ascent, he released the bomb at the predetermined point. Just as the bomb was ejected,
he completed a half roll in mid-air. The maneuver has often been compared to an Immelmann turn.
As planned, the bomb traveled upwards in an arc before falling backward on a target considerably
far away from the release point. While the bomb moves, the bomber changes direction,
speeding away. Bach's flight marked the first occasion that members of the public
were invited to witness a B-57 performing a new nuclear weapon delivery method.
Before the tactic was implemented, the most common directive was to release the nuclear
payload from the operational ceiling from the highest altitude for any particular aircraft.
About the experience, Richard Bach would write the following in his book Stranger to the Ground:
[QUOTE] "I have no way to tell if the drop was a good hit or not. That was
decided by the diagrams and graphs, the math professionals, and the angles. I did my job,
centering the needles. The computers completed their programming task automatically,
and the nuke flew on its own the rest of the way."
The risky move paid off, in no small part due to the particular design of
the B-47 bomber. Its compact elongated body, high-speed capacity, and swept-wing design
swiftly executed the sharp movements with the precision needed to pull off an "idiot's loop."
Toss bombing Variants
Several toss bombing techniques have been developed since, by need or circumstance.
The first method of these was the dive-toss created by the U.S. Navy right after World War II,
built at the rocket development facility in Inyokern, California,
in 1947. The technique sought to solve the issue of bombing heavily-defended targets without
putting the pilot in harm's way. The method has the bomber attack during a short dive,
using the extra momentum to help the aircraft gain altitude immediately after the release. It also
ensures that the airspeed calculated at release is enough to fling the bomb straight to the target.
Another technique is called pop-up bombing. This maneuver requires the pilot to approach
from a low altitude and pull up to release the bomb at the last minute. The delivery happens
somewhere between twenty and seventy-five degrees above the horizontal line of flight. This flings
the bomb up and forward, giving the pilot more time and distance to ensure a safe departure.
A similar technique is called the level toss. For this maneuver, the aircraft maintains an average
flight level and again starts gaining altitude as it drops the explosive. However, this technique
can sacrifice the additional escape time and accuracy due to height if the bomb is unguided.
The final technique is the over-the-shoulder or "idiot's loop" explored here.
Toss Bombing Computers
The "idiot's loop" requires significant concentration from the pilot. She must
release the bomb at the exact moment. To help, the development of Toss Bomb Computers integrated into
aircraft as part of the Low Altitude Bombing System. The computer system enables pilots
to drop the aircraft's load at the precise angle desired: the computer inputs airspeed, altitude,
and the type of bomb to calculate the release point accurately. The computer also decides a
ballistic path, and when exactly that should happen based on the airspeed and altitude.
Rather than actually selecting to release the bomb, the pilot approves
the choice and begins the ascent. World War II engineers Torsten Faxen and Erik
Wilson created the first bombsight for toss bombing at the Swedish Saab company. Their
bombsight was made of a computer that makes the necessary calculations for a
successful attack. The United States would eventually use it in the B-47 Stratojet.
The LABS computational system is currently used in two modes,
the computer-controlled CCRP, and the visual integrating Dive-toss.
Both systems incorporate data and allow the pilot to approve the release of the ordinance.