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What do I do with all this firepower?


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Hi all.

Currently on the workbench is Trumpeter's 1/72 RA-5C Vigilante. Pretty good model on the whole. One thing that's a bit odd about it though is that it comes with four nuclear bombs, two B28EXs and two B43s to be precise (odd because I've never heard of recon Vigilantes carrying these). Because I now have these four bombs in my spares box, I'm now wondering what I should do with them. So, do you guys have any suggestions? The only thing I've thought of so far is to load one or two of them onto an FB-111 if I can find that kit for sale somewhere. Any other suggestions are welcome.

Alex.

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orrr...do you have any cats that have broken some of your prized builds? Not saying you have to actually take out the cat in mushroom cloud (calm down PETA), but perhaps a nuclear deterrent is just the thing to keep him at bay.

Sorry, not familiar enough with weapons to make a real suggestion.

Bill

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The Scooter idea is a really good one. My friend's dad sat on a carrier deck inside a scooter loaded with nukes waiting to launch during the Pueblo incident. That would be cool to model.

Edited by gonzalo
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You could order one of these decal sets

Victor Alert # 29, at the top of the page, http://millcreekconsultants.com/WP72-6.html

then, you would know that the aircraft was armed for standing that alert, and the instructions say what types of Nukes were carried by each type of aircraft at the time of the markings

added later:, but, I also love that Carpet Monster idea

Edited by Rex
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The B-58 could carry 4 mk 43's externally but it really cut the range due to drag . I'm thinking the Trumpeter nukes are better than the Italieri ones for their 1/72 B-58. And you're right. The RA-5C's could carry special weapons- but never did.

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Take your pick:

Mk/B28EX - B-52, F-4, F-100, F-101, F-104, F-105, A-4 and A-6

Mk/B43 - F-100, F-101, F-104, F-105, F-4, F-111, F-16, B-47, B-52, B-58, B-66, FB-111, A-1, A-4, A-3, A-5, A-6 and A-7

Might have missed one or two but there are lots of options.

Jari

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Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

I particularly like andrew.deboer's idea. I've actually considered buying Airfix's new A-4B Skyhawk. Hanging a nuke on the centreline hardpoint with two external fuel tanks would make it look different from most other A-4s that I've seen. Thanks very much for that link Rex. I think I'll definitely buy that victor alert set.

As for the legalities of having a nuke. Well, I also happen to have a 1/72 scale U.N. Security Council P5 ambassador who is under instructions to veto any resolution that restricts my stockpile or how I choose to use it. I knew my international relations degree would come in handy some day.

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As for the legalities of having a nuke. Well, I also happen to have a 1/72 scale U.N. Security Council P5 ambassador who is under instructions to veto any resolution that restricts my stockpile or how I choose to use it. I knew my international relations degree would come in handy some day.

Magnificent.

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The aircraft you are talking about putting the nuke on was armed with 20mm cannons. That would make it necessary for you to have a class 3 weapons permit. Since there is no class four permit that I know of, the nuke would probably come under that. The only problem would be...where to get a 1/72 scale permit.

As for the home for the last one, try the RF-4C. It was the only F-4 that was nuke capable. They used to call it the world's biggest photo flash cartridge.

Why hot? I have a shot of a recce F-4 mounting Aim 9s.

scan0046-2.jpg

scan0045-2.jpg

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Ikar, you have your notes mixed up somehow.

Sageburner (F4H-1) was photographed test flying a Mk 43 long before there was Any Recce Phantoms.

The RF-4C is NOT the "only F-4 that was Nuke capable",,,,,,it was one of many versions.

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Put them in a P-3 bomb bay!

Yup, the P-3 had a nuke mission as well back in the day...

Just in front of the Flight Engineer's seat, at the base of the center console is this small hatch;

536705_3570390311822_1869663312_n_zpsb85f92e2.jpg

Under which sits this;

547148_10201129274187372_1418486957_n_zps470edd38.jpg

There are but a few out in the fleet still that have the actual handle in place, most have been removed in rework...or by crewmembers as souvenirs.

Photo credit to my FE brutha Alan King

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That figures, wrong again. I'm having a bad month this time and sitting corrected one again.

Never heard of Sageburner.

Never thought about the R.A.F. or others in Europe, probably because I never got over there. Most of my experience was in P.A.C.A.F.

A P-3 with a nuke? Can you imagine being inside the P-3 that dropped that thing? That doesn't sound like a fun time for the crew. Did they use a large chute with that?

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A P-3 with a nuke? Can you imagine being inside the P-3 that dropped that thing? That doesn't sound like a fun time for the crew. Did they use a large chute with that?

How about a Westland Wasp or Sea King? The RN planned to use those helicopters to deliver the Nuclear Depth Bomb version of the WE.177 should the need have arisen.

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That figures, wrong again. I'm having a bad month this time and sitting corrected one again.

Never thought about the R.A.F. or others in Europe, probably because I never got over there. Most of my experience was in P.A.C.A.F.

When were you in PACAF? We had F-4Es on Victor Alert loaded with B61s, B43s and B57 at Ramstein and Spangdahlem all through the 70s and 80s. The F-4Cs I worked on in the Texas ANG had a Nuclear Consent Switch in the rear cockpit as did all the other USAF versions. While recces were capable of carrying nukes, I don't believe any ever sat Victor Alert. I had thought PACAF jets also stood Victor back then as well.

Here's a B61 shape (BDU-38) on a 512th TFS F-4E from Ramstein. I took this photo during a deployment to Zaragoza AB, Spain in 1983.

Scott Wilson

B61BDU-38onF-4E_zpsbb0a0a61.jpg

Edited by Scott R Wilson
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