admiralcag

Hm. Shows that you need to do your research. Loaded more than a few myself in 21 years of loading. Vern

I don't know if you're right or not, Jay. It's a hell of a thing to wake up to on the local news. Vern

As a 2W171 (462), the cover and packing are removed after loading. Drooping is correct. Vern

These are clearly load crew trainers, designed to help armament troops maintain there proficiency in loading munitions on aircraft. The 111th Fighter Wing of the PA ANG flies A-10s, so they may have lent their stuff for the open house. Not the weld bead on the GBU-38s. Those are moveable on the real thing. Also, for us loaders, the orange stripe means 'make sure the seeker head and fins have orange stripes as well.' I've never worked with anything but GBU-12s so I can't add anything to the other colors. Vern Retired 2W171, CO ANG

Agreed. OD bombs weather pretty much the same way. Some of the striping *may* be the ridges on the bomb bodies becoming accented. The bomb in photo of the Shaw bird may have had the stencils restored or initial placed. The Ammo guys may have needed to restore the lot number and the build-up date. IYAAYWOT! Vern

Hi, all! First post to ARC, but I do have something to add here. Just retired from the Colorado ANG as a weapons load crew chief. I have loaded more than my fair share of GBU-12s, GBU-31s, and GBU-37s. The yellow bands on the bombs in the Predator picture indicate a live, high explosive warhead. Typically, it is a single band at the nose. Looking at the bombs on the Strike Eagle, the only thing I saw were the metal bands holding the strakes together on the GBU-31. I have seen LGG seeker heads on GBU-12s. More often, though, they are an orangeish brown. Almost like a phenolic color. Common c