# Munitions in Dr. Strangelov-or, what model nuke was the B-52 carrying?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munitions-in-dr-strangelov-or-what-model-nuke-was-the-b-52-carrying/165322>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [March 31, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munitions-in-dr-strangelov-or-what-model-nuke-was-the-b-52-carrying/165322 "2003-03-31T00:27:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munitions-in-dr-strangelov-or-what-model-nuke-was-the-b-52-carrying/165322/1 "2003-03-31T00:27:48Z")

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Just a quick question this time…Does anyone know what model nuclear bomb the B-52 “Leper Colony” was carrying in “Dr. Strangelove”? They looked like Mk-53’s to me, but I’m not sure if the filmmakers were even going for technical accuracy on that point.  
Well, thanks for your time,  
Ranchoth

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munitions-in-dr-strangelov-or-what-model-nuke-was-the-b-52-carrying/165322/2 "2003-03-31T02:22:32Z")

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[List of All US Nuclear Weapons](http://nuketesting.enviroweb.org/hew/Usa/Weapons/Allbombs.html) Or they might have been Mk-41’s, but I’m not sure either. I thought somewhere in the dialog they said that they were _30_ megaton devices?

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**Author:** ![Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@Dreaming\_of\_Maria\_Callas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dreaming_of_Maria_Callas)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munitions-in-dr-strangelov-or-what-model-nuke-was-the-b-52-carrying/165322/3 "2003-03-31T11:52:28Z")

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I didn’t get how the bomb was supposed to detonated in mid-air, but the plane was flying so slow there was no way it could have escaped the explosion in time. Did Major Kong’s crew perish with him?

UnuMondo

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**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munitions-in-dr-strangelov-or-what-model-nuke-was-the-b-52-carrying/165322/4 "2003-03-31T16:38:12Z")

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I’m pretty sure they did – either that or died anyway when their plane ran out of fuel and crashed.

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**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/munitions-in-dr-strangelov-or-what-model-nuke-was-the-b-52-carrying/165322/5 "2003-03-31T21:05:48Z")

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Do you really think it was supposed to look like a REAL bomb as actually used ? I’m sure it was built purely for the film. It looks more like a missile than a bomb (imo).

Interestingly, one of the main reasons we see Slim Pickens riding the bomb and not Peter Sellers (who was supposed to play Kong along with the other 3 characters we see him play in the film) was that he couldnt stand heights and didnt want to film the ‘riding the bomb’ scene, which involved him being suspended 10 feet off the ground. (He also couldnt do a very good Texas accent)