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VA-25's Toilet Bomb Mission (1965 ~ USS Midway )


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My website at MidwaySailor.com has the original story and photos of the infamous VA-25 Toilet Bomb mission flown from the USS Midway in 1965. These photos and the story have been passed around the Internet like crazy, but no one has ever picked up on a certain detail. Even Hasegawa missed this detail in their artwork: All photos previously published about this incident show only three bombs & the toilet on the aircraft's right (starboard) wing due to the angles from which the photos were taken. The aircraft was actually carrying four bombs with the toilet. The following photo is a screenshot from one of the videos I have on my site:

va25specbomb-011b.jpg

I believe the three largest bombs in the photo are M117s and the smallest one (second from the right) is an SUU-30. Can anyone help with a positive ID?

Here's another photo for reference:

va25specbomb-010b.jpg

Thanks in advance for your help.

Edited by Midway Sailor
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Hey Troy.

I used the pictures on your site to build the toilet bomber......

2114899200051667340SZMdKh_fs.jpg

2980194030051667340wznuJh_fs.jpg

2217587990051667340orkIHm_fs.jpg

for the loadout, I used this print that was posted to your site.....

va25specbomb-003b.jpg

va25specbomb-006b.jpg

Looking at the pictures posted, it does appaer that he has Mk117s loaded and not the WWII/Korea era 500lbs. as depicted in the painting.

Thanks for bringing this up.

As for the ordie question, I'm sure someone with more brain cells than myself can get you a definate answer.

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  • 2 years later...

BOMBS FINALLY IDENTIFIED!

va25specbomb-014b.jpg

The three large bombs are not M117s but the similar looking, smaller, and somewhat lighter 500-lb AN-M64A1 with a conical tail.

The smaller bomb is a 250-lb AN-M57A1.

Many thanks go out to author Tommy H. Thomason and his friend Jim Rotramel for their work in identifying these.

Please visit the following blog for more in depth information about this subject: Tailhook Topics: Things Under Wings: VA-25 A-1 Skyraider Toilet Bomber

Edited by Midway Sailor
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Reviews of resin sets from Brengun are HERE (1/72 and HERE (1/48). Reviews are in czech language so you should use automatic translation (right bar menu).

Thanks for the links to those reviews. I have Brengun's 1/48 version, but didn't know they had released it in 1/72 also.

I have photos and scans of Hasegawa's 1/72 & 1/48 "AH-1 Skyraider with Special Bomb" kit parts, decals & instructions, along with the Brengun 1/48 version at the bottom of my page here: USS Midway ~ VA-25 Toilet Bomb.

When I update my page with the new bomb information, I'll also add a link for Brengun's 1/72 version.

Just for the record, when I build mine in 1/48, it will not be with the Hasegawa/Monogram aircraft kit. It will definitely be the Tamiya kit carrying the toilet.

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  • 7 years later...

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