arming wire and removing the fuze from the bomb.
After you have removed the fuze, make sure the lower
window is vacant or dark colored. Set the arming delay
to 6 or 18 seconds. Then, make sure a green background
with a white number 6 or 18, depending on the arming
delay setting, appear in the upper window. The lower
window must remain vacant or dark colored.
WARNING
If the lower window is red or has a black
letter A against a red background, the fuze
is armed. Notify the proper authority
(EOD).
NOTE: Each fuze must be checked for safety
on the 6- or 18-second arming delay setting
before it is returned to the weapons division.
Now you're ready to position the handling or
loading equipment under the station you want to
unload. As applicable, install a manual hoisting bar or a
bomb-hoisting unit. Retract the ejector foot to the full
up position. Then, retract the sway braces to the full up
position. Position the required number of personnel at
the front and at the tail of the weapon to steady and
guide the weapon onto the bomb handling equipment.
Raise the weapon until the suspension lugs float in the
hooks. Remove the rack safety pin, or move the
IMER/ITER safety lock lever from lock to unlock, as
appropriate. Operate the manual release to open the
suspension hooks and lower the weapon onto the
handling or loading equipment. If an electrically fuzed
bomb
is
being
unloaded,
lower
the
weapon
approximately 4 inches, and then disconnect the Mk
122 arming safety switch quick-disconnect connector
from the rack. Then, you can lower the weapon to the
handling or loading equipment. Properly secure the
weapon to the handling or loading equipment.
When all weapons have been unloaded, remove the
WEAPON LOADED sign from the cockpit. Then,
remove all weapons and handling or loading equipment
from the area. Finally, report the status of the aircraft to
the proper authority.
REVIEW NUMBER 2
Q1.
During a weapons inspection, you find a
weapon or component that doesn't meet
inspection criteria. What is the first step you
should take?
Q2.
What is the maximum weight you are
authorized to manually load/download?
Q3.
When manually loading GP bombs, what
hoisting bar should you use?
Q4.
If a sway brace on a bomb rack isn't being
used, it should remain in what position?
Q5.
What is the maximum tightening range of a
sway brace screw?
Q6.
When you begin dearming an aircraft, what is
the first step you should take?
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
LEARNING
OBJECTIVE:
Recognize
the
safety precautions to follow when loading or
unloading aircraft.
Safety precautions were given in this chapter as
WARNINGS, CAUTIONS, and NOTES. However,
there is other safety precautions that you should
observe when loading or handling aircraft bombs and
practice bombs. A few of these safety precautions are as
follows:
Before removing aircraft bombs from the
weapons staging area, verify that the bombs are
properly secured to the handling equipment.
Aboard ship, when the bombs are delivered to
the aircraft for loading, they must be positioned
fore
and
aft
to
help
prevent
inadvertent
movement of the handling equipment by the
side-to-side roll of the ship.
Once bombs have been delivered to the aircraft,
a person must remain in the immediate area.
Bombs must not be left on the flight deck
unattended.
Never attempt to load/download bombs without
sufficient personnel.
When installing signal cartridges in practice
bombs, never assemble more bombs than are
needed for the next event. When the day's flight
schedule has been completed, practice bomb
signals must be removed from practice bombs
before returning them to storage.
Because of the nonexplosive nature of practice
bombs, AOs have a tendency to be lax when
handling
and
loading
practice
bombs.
Remember, a Mk 76 practice bomb weighs 25
pounds and could cause severe injury if dropped
on a person's foot or hand. Additionally, when a
practice bomb signal is installed and the bomb is
accidentally dropped, sufficient fire and metal
14-12
