I built a custom test mission to see how bombs interact with aircraft in mid-air.
A B-17 was used as the target, with bombs dropped from very short range under controlled conditions. Both aircraft guns were disabled.
The bombs physically collide with aircraft, but they do not detonate on contact.
- 60 kg bombs usually bounce off, sometimes causing minor local damage.
- 800 kg bombs can break wings or even the fuselage by impact alone.
- Multiple hits from a B-29 bomb drop can physically damage several parts of the aircraft.
Some behavior looked possibly unintended. In some cases, an 800 kg bomb could pass partly through the wing, remain on the aircraft after impact, slide backward along the wing, and end up hanging from it without exploding.
Physical collision: yes.
Mid-air contact detonation: no.
In practice, the bombs behave more like heavy falling objects than explosive weapons on direct mid-air impact.