1/48 B-83s or B-61s

[VIPER0177]

Does anybody make AM B-83s or B-61s in 1/48?

[Scott R Wilson]

Does anybody make AM B-83s or B-61s in 1/48?

I believe the 1/48 Testors/Italeri F-117 came with two B61s. I have the 1/32 version which does have two B61s, and I plan to use one B61 on the centerline of an F-4E. I never saw a Phantom on Victor Alert, so I don't know if they carried the B61 on the centerline or inboard pylon, but I did photograph an F-4E at Zaragoza with a BDU-38 (B61 shape) on the centerline station and saw several others loaded on centerlines, so I presume thet's where they carried the real deal.

The kit bombs look reasonably accurate to me. To my knowledge the F-117 was never cleared to carry B61s so it seems odd they included these in the kits, but I'm glad they did. I've never seen an after-market B83, but maybe someone else has?

Scott Wilson

[Fishwelding]

The Testors/Italeri quarter inch Nighthawk does indeed contain B61s. That's where my set, squirreled away for an F-111 build, comes from. If you get this kit super-cheap somewhere, it might be worth what you'd pay for aftermarket, and there's other things in the kit that might be salvageable. I find bits of black sheet plastic useful enough in itself.

Edited January 2, 2010 by Fishwelding

[Mongoose]

Scott,

Victor Alert Phantoms at Bitburg carried the B-61 centerline while I was in the Big 22 TFS there in the 70's.

Ken

[mrvark]

Scaledown (found on OzMods web site) also did 1/48th B61s. I've actually assembled the Testor's B61s and they weren't exactly round when I finished. Not horrible, but a reason to consider the alternative.

No one has done B83s.

I know Spectre Resins plans do do B61s (initially in 1/72, but later in 1/48). Not sure if he has plans for the B83.

[Scott R Wilson]

Scott,

Victor Alert Phantoms at Bitburg carried the B-61 centerline while I was in the Big 22 TFS there in the 70's.

Ken

Thanks, Ken. Here's the photo I took at Zaragoza long, long ago...

Scott Wilson

[thegoodsgt]

Thanks, Ken. Here's the photo I took at Zaragoza long, long ago...

Scott Wilson

Great picture, Scott!

So that's the B-61 on the centerline. What's the other white store in the photo?

[Scott R Wilson]

Great picture, Scott!

So that's the B-61 on the centerline. What's the other white store in the photo?

That's an SUU-21 practice bomb dispenser. It carried six practice bombs, BDU-33s or MK. 106s. It had bomb bay doors, I don't know how the crew opened and closed them, but during engine start checks they closed them.

http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/asetds/u-s.html

Scott Wilson

[Murph]

Thanks, Ken. Here's the photo I took at Zaragoza long, long ago...

Scott Wilson

Scott,

Interesting picture; it looks like there is no pylon there, and the weapon mounts directly to the aircraft belly.

Regards,

Murph

[Scott R Wilson]

Scott,

Interesting picture; it looks like there is no pylon there, and the weapon mounts directly to the aircraft belly.

Regards,

Murph

That's correct, there is a bomb rack built into the centerline of the F-4 that the bomb was mounted on, and no pylon was used. That same bomb rack held the centerline fuel tank, centerline pylon or whatever else you wanted to mount there. Here's a photo of the bomb rack on a derlict F-4C that I photographed at a bombing range in Wisconsin.

Scott Wilson

[Scott R Wilson]

By the way, nuclear bombs were designated Bxx, not B-xx. For instance, the B-57 was a twin engined jet bomber, the B57 is a nuke. Same goes for jet engines, an F100 is an augmented turbofan engine found in F-15s and 16s, the F-100 is a fighter jet built in the 1950s. The little dash makes all the difference. FWIW.

Scott Wilson

[Murph]

Scott,

Thanks for the pic of the centerline rack.

Regards,

Murph

[mrvark]

That's an SUU-21 practice bomb dispenser. It carried six practice bombs, BDU-33s or MK. 106s. It had bomb bay doors, I don't know how the crew opened and closed them, but during engine start checks they closed them.

Scott Wilson

They were operated through the nuke circuitry--to ensure it worked in case we ever had to use it. I used to be able to do it without thinking about it, but that was many years ago... it was a series of switch settings (nine rings a bell, but I don't remember what they were) to get a bomb to come off the jet. It took about 5 seconds or so for the doors to open, which could become an issue if the WSO got "behind the jet" on the bombing range.

[Mongoose]

Scott et al,

The SUU-21 did indeed have doors. We had a control panel in the FCP of the F-4 to close them, the DCU-94/A Bomb Control-Monitor Panel. I just pulled it out of my old Dash 1. This dispenser was used mostly in units where we sat Victor Alert, for switchology training. It's a USAF term dealing with aircrews throwing cockpit switches correctly so that the stuff works like it's supposed to. That didn't always happen, so we train, train, train.

And I'll second Jim on the timing thing. We'd open that thing up as soon as we were allowed onto range property.

Ken

Edited January 6, 2010 by Mongoose

[Scott R Wilson]

Scott,

Thanks for the pic of the centerline rack.

Regards,

Murph

I'm glad you found it useful. It's taken from the rear looking forward, by the way; the top of the photo is toward the rear, the bottom toward the nose. And thanks to Ken and Jim for the additional info about the SUU-21. I should also add that the BDU-33 practice bomb was painted blue and had the same ballistics as a conventional bomb, while the Mk. 106s were orange and simulated nukes, but I don't know if they simulated parachute retarded nukes or not. I do know the B61/BDU-38 had a parachute, and there was a variable time delay for the chute opening that was dialed in by the aircrew if I recall correctly, though it's been a few years and I guess it might have been the weapons load guys who set the timing. Jim or Ken could tell us more. The chute had an explosive charge that blew the tailcone off and deployed the chute.

Scott Wilson

Edited January 6, 2010 by Scott R Wilson

[Mongoose]

I'm glad you found it useful. It's taken from the rear looking forward, by the way; the top of the photo is toward the rear, the bottom toward the nose. And thanks to Ken and Jim for the additional info about the SUU-21. I should also add that the BDU-33 practice bomb was painted blue and had the same ballistics as a conventional bomb, while the Mk. 106s were orange and simulated nukes, but I don't know if they simulated parachute retarded nukes or not. I do know the B61/BDU-38 had a parachute, and there was a variable time delay for the chute opening that was dialed in by the aircrew if I recall correctly, though it's been a few years and I guess it might have been the weapons load guys who set the timing. Jim or Ken could tell us more. The chute had an explosive charge that blew the tailcone off and deployed the chute.

Scott Wilson

The MK 106 did simulate a parachute retarded nuke. It was pretty good as a MK 82 Snake-eye sim, too.

We aircrew dialed the parachute delay; it was based on the specifications in the tasking order.

I dropped a training shape at a range up in Holland during a Wing wide tac evaluation many moons ago. It had to come off or we could fail the evaluation. I dropped the "blivet", based on my radar display, in a level or "laydown" mode. As my wingman came in after me over the target pylon, he made note of the parachute draped over the top of the pylon. Bullseye!

Ken