On Wed, 2002-10-16 at 16:12, stringer wrote: > We're way off topic now, but I think Ken's right. The first such devices > were crude, like a drum filled with shrapnel, and I think had some form of > detonating device sticking out the side like a spike, weighted so it hit > the ground first, exploding the bomb before it touched the ground. This is > how they were used in the 39-45 war. The barometric detonator suggests > Vik's device is a later refinement.
Way, way off topic! But barometric refers to the way the device operates, not the detonator. No shrapnel is involved in the modern version. Here's the gen on the BLU-82 "Big Blue": http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/munitions/blu-82.htm You can create a similar effect at ground level in a high-sided vehicle with a big charge a la Oklahoma, but we're not supposed to know that. Remember, behave sensibly with your fireworks! Vik :v)
