I want to put bombs on my 1/48 Thud, however the kit supplies only Mk 82 500 lb’ers.What would you recon this green bomb would be? I don’t recall from where I got it, just that it is 1/48.
Volume wize I would think it to be about 3 times that of the mk82. Were there 1500lb’ers used , and if so used on SEA Thuds?
Theuns
That’s a drop tank, not a bomb. 
M guess is that its supposed to be a Mk 83 1000 lb bomb.
I also thought it might have been a Mk 83, it measures in scale between 3000mm and 3180mm, hence my question of it being maybe a Mk 83 or 84??
Theuns
That’s most likely the Mk83 1000 pound bomb. The F-105 had 450 and 650 gallon drop tanks. The shape is wrong for a drop tank which for that era or later. The USAF frequently armed them with M117 750 pound bombs in Vietnam. I haven’t built 1/48 in years but I can dig up my stash of 1/48 parts and see what I have.
Where did the green ordnance item come from? Which kit?
Hopefully this helps:
Cool info guys, thanx a stack.
Stik I must admit that I really do not recall from wich kit I got it, I just dug it out of my extra bits pile.
The basic shape to my eye was that of a low drag bomb and the length was close to a Mk 83, from there my question
Theuns
Cancil that,I think I got them from Academy 1/48 F-16
Ok, I have that kit. Yes it is a poor Mk.83, not a fuel tank.
The length is in the right range for a MK 83 definitely too short for a Mk 84. The length varies with fuse type. Stikpusher: is there there something wrong with the bomb shape or fin profile that makes you call it ‘poor’? Just curious if I need to take a closer look at the accuracy of the ordinance in my Academy F-15 MSIP II. I like to keep notes on such things in my ‘Weapons File’
i1170.photobucket.com/…/F-105_Thunderchief_underside_zpseec18baa.jpg
Seems the drop tanks had different fins…this has to be a MK 83 or 84 bomb
Yes, the F-16 has some very large, aircraft specific drop tanks, of distinctly different shapes, both for the centerline and wing tanks.
Theuns, if you compare the profile of that bomb to a good photo of a real Mk.83, I would say that the overall profile is a bit off. The tail cone looks to thick around the fins, the fuse are on the nose is ill defined. It’s not horrid, but it does not quite look right, at least to my eye, that’s all. I will see if I can find some good bomb photos of types carried by the F-105 after my bike ride here.
here is one quick and dirty way to id weapons, especially if they come in a model kit
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10000499a/20/
they are, from the first row, top to bottom
Mk 81 250 pound mechanical fuze
Mk 82 500 pound mechanical fuze
Mk 83 1000 pound mechanical fuze
Mk 84 2000 pound mechanical fuze
BLU-27 Napalm finned version (this has some shape deficiencies)
500 Snakeye with Mech Fuze
an early CBU in the SUU-30 shell (this came in many, many different versions and shapes)
M117 750 pound
Mk 20 Rockeye CBU dispenser
the RMU+TDU (Remote Motor Unit + Target Decoy Unit,I know, I know, it is not a decoy)
SUU-20 Practice bomb dispenser (6 Mk 76+4 rocket tubes)
Mk 82 with Fuze extender and Mech fuze
fairly late model TER
fairly late model MER
most of the sets can be found here
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10000499a/20/1
and if you click the item for them, a lot of them will give you the instructions
actual models of the M118 3000# are only found in some kits in 1/48, and to the best of my ability in the asking, no one makes them in 1/72
Don’t worry about the “pictures being copyrighted”, I am sure they are, but, they are being used to promote the products as widely as possible by the manufacturer.
Rex
It does look very much like a MK83 with a slick/low drag tail unit. The profile doesnt look to bad except for the tail. All tail units for the 80 series bombs are add-on’s and mostly will be light alloy in material. There is a distinct join between the tail and bomb itself. The front does not look like it has a fuze, but instead a penetrator which is usually used in conjunction with area denial fuzing or delayed fusing where you do not want the fuze broken up on impact. There are a large variety of fuzes, but the most common type will usually look cylindrical and protrude from the nose with a propeller looking turbine on the front.
Nose Fuze with slick tail
Your Mk83 with no nose fuze and a slick tail, note the tail join and change in material.
Eli
Here’s some F-105s with Mk.83s. Not a commonly seen bomb type on that aircraft. Fairly early in the Rolling Thunder campaign before tail codes came into usage.
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Great info on ordinance guys. Keep it coming!
F-105s with M118 3000lb bombs. The preferred weapon for bridge busting. Used to first drop the Paul Doumer bridge in 1967
Probably the most common load out of Rolling Thunder once the SAM threat became pronounced- centerline MER of M-117 750lb bombs and outboard pylons with ALQ-88 ECM pods
