Swan was a United States test nuclear explosive, which was developed into the XW-45 warhead.[1]
It was tested standalone on June 22, 1956, in shot Redwing Inca.[1] It was tested again as the primary of a thermonuclear device on July 2, 1956, in shot Redwing Mohawk.[2] Both tests were successful.
The Swan device is the first design to incorporate a two-point ignition hollow-pit air-lens implosion assembly together with fusion boosting.
The Swan device had a yield of 15 kilotons,[1] weighed 105 pounds (48 kg), and had a (symmetrical) ovoid (non-prolate) shape with a diameter of 11.6 inches (29 cm) and a length of 22.8 inches (58 cm), a length to diameter ratio of 1.97.[2]
The above schematic illustrates what were probably its essential features.
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Fission (including boosted) |
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Thermonuclear |
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Enhanced radiation |
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Primary stages |
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Experimental |
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