Model name: "Little Boy" Atomic Bomb
Application: Collection,Souvenir Gift, Home Office Decoration,Educational,Model display
Age Range: > 14 years old
Type: 3D printed model
Material: PETG Plastic
Scale: 1:15
Size: approx 20cm(L)/7.9inch(L)
Package:Missile model kit,Simple packaging
The "Little Boy" Atomic Bomb: The First Nuclear Weapon Used in Warfare
"Little Boy" was the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. It holds the somber distinction of being the first nuclear weapon ever used in armed conflict.
Key Features & Design
Design Type: Gun-Type Fission
"Little Boy" utilized a gun-type design, which was considered simpler but less efficient than the implosion design used in the "Fat Man" bomb.
The mechanism worked by firing a sub-critical mass of highly enriched uranium-235 (the "bullet") down a cannon barrel into another sub-critical mass of uranium-235 (the "target"). When combined, they formed a super-critical mass, initiating an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction.
Physical Characteristics:
Name Origin: Its nickname, "Little Boy," was a common, understated codename used during the Manhattan Project and was likely chosen as a contrast to the larger, rounder "Fat Man" bomb.
Dimensions: It was 10 feet (3 meters) long and 2 feet (0.7 meters) in diameter.
Weight: It weighed approximately 9,700 pounds (4,400 kg).
Explosive Yield:
The explosion yielded the equivalent of approximately 15 kilotons of TNT.
Despite using more fissile material, its yield was lower than the "Fat Man" plutonium bomb, demonstrating the relative inefficiency of the gun-type design.
The Mission: Hiroshima
The B-29 Carrier: The bomb was carried by the B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay," piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets. The aircraft was named after Tibbets' mother.
Detonation: At 8:15 a.m. local time, "Little Boy" was dropped over the city. It detonated about 1,900 feet (580 meters) above the ground to maximize the blast effect.
Aftermath: The explosion and resulting firestorm obliterated about 70% of the city. An estimated 70,000–80,000 people were killed instantly, with the total death toll by the end of 1945 rising to over 140,000 due to injuries, burns, and radiation sickness.
Historical Context and Significance
The Manhattan Project: "Little Boy" was the product of the immense, top-secret U.S. Manhattan Project. Its design used uranium-235, which was extremely difficult and time-consuming to separate from the more common uranium-238 isotope.
No Prior Testing: Unlike the complex plutonium implosion device (tested at Trinity), the gun-type design was considered so straightforward that it was deployed without ever being fully tested. The Hiroshima bombing was its first and only test.
Ushering in the Atomic Age: The detonation of "Little Boy" over Hiroshima marked a catastrophic and transformative moment in human history. It demonstrated the terrifying destructive power now available to humanity and instantly changed the nature of warfare, geopolitics, and global security forever.
In summary, the "Little Boy" bomb was a weapon of immense historical consequence. As the first of its kind ever used, it effectively ended World War II but simultaneously began the nuclear age, casting a shadow that defined the rest of the 20th century and continues to the present day.