For those living nearby..

It was first tested in the Castle series in So. Pacific. A relatively 'dirty' bomb relying more on Pu, U-235, U-238 fission (and tamping) than fusion effects.
Yield was between 1 and 3.5 MTons - later classified as a 3.75 MT weapon = pretty damn big for any routine city-flattening.

In service '55-'65 and after ~'57 (as with the one lost) an improved 'safing' scheme added: Mod 2. It's 11'7" long, 34" diameter and weighs One Ford Explorer UAV ~ 7600#. Only two fit in a B-52; maybe only one in a B-47 (?)

Interesting as to the 'safing'. This is a dumpy looking cylinder, precursor of the modularized cannisters to come. No way in hell I can see that you could get near, remove - any Pu capsule of any kind - in flight.

On ground, retrieving a baseball of Pu, -235 from center of precison installed (surrounding) complex explosive layers - would likely be a few-hours task.

So.. the recollections of the quoted armaments officers are relevant, and records should certainly reveal the exact state of that bomb. Not that we should expect the truthful reporting of those records.

My mere guess would be that, 'unarmed in flight' might constitute, a physical switch, perhaps panel-access removal even: of something - which would render it impossible for the explosives to possibly achieve the simultaneity necessary for an implosion to occur. Would also interrupt and likely 'ground' the leads to all the electric detonators.

After all these years.. who could know what 'mechanical' condition the detonators are in - not mercury fulminate but still.. twitchy. Today's side-sonar? might find the discontinuity in 6' of sand ? Ask Ballard / Titanic.

But it's an interesting question what 40 years might have done.. and whether newer tech makes possible amateur recovery of the fissionable core - damn the explosion risk: if you got it into a sling and brought it like eggs somewhere, very slow cutting would likely give access and each detonator could be gingerly removed along with its surrounding outer layer of plastic explosive.

Not so large a risk if yer doin it for God, Allah or Whomever Wants you to nuke Disneyland. Now as to Redmond... ... .. well - not only loonies could envision a fine Use for this Techno Marvel.

I think I'd like them to spend Billy's chump change and retrieve this sucker - its apparent drop point is just too well known and - techno 'finders' of the future are a rilly Big [?]. That capsule with today's nuke lore now in every looney's bin - seems like an attractor for the Righteous Ones comparable to.. IIS for the other brands of disturbed ones.

But then - they won't ask me. Either.



A.

Meanwhile, we could sorta let Bally know..



Say there Messrs. B... guess what: -- we found it! and -