Question for A-10 and Ordnance guys.

[MoFo]

I'm working on a cutaway of the GAU-8's ammunition (see: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2315826 ) and I'd like to add something to depict the propellant, but I'm finding mixed messages as to what it looks like.  Some seem to suggest compressed pellets, others look more like granules.

 

Any guidance as to what it should look like?  Or even better, is there a similar-looking modelling material I could use?

 

(and thank you Craig Sargent for making me look up the model in the first place!  )

[GW8345]

2 hours ago, MoFo said:

I'm working on a cutaway of the GAU-8's ammunition (see: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2315826 ) and I'd like to add something to depict the propellant, but I'm finding mixed messages as to what it looks like.  Some seem to suggest compressed pellets, others look more like granules.

 

Any guidance as to what it should look like?  Or even better, is there a similar-looking modelling material I could use?

 

(and thank you Craig Sargent for making me look up the model in the first place!  )

The propellant is single based granular.

 

I know they use the PGU-13B/B and D/B, PGU-14C/B and PGU-15A/B rounds, if you google those rounds you should be able to find some pics.

 

The only thing that comes to mind as to simulating the propellent is (large) coarse black pepper, depends on what scale you are doing.

Edited August 20, 2019 by GW8345

[MoFo]

1 hour ago, GW8345 said:

depends on what scale you are doing.

 

1:1.  Figured a full sized round would make a cool display piece behind an A-10 model.

 

Problem is, the references that turn up when searching for the rounds are largely the same blurry cutaway shots from some brochure, which aren't really clear, and are kind of contradictory.  In some, it's depicted as extruded pellets; in others it's more like a spherical granule.  The latter should be pretty straightforward - use some model railroad ballast - but the former probably means cutting hundreds of tiny lengths of plastic rod, so it's kind of my last resort.

[GW8345]

4 hours ago, MoFo said:

 

1:1.  Figured a full sized round would make a cool display piece behind an A-10 model.

 

Problem is, the references that turn up when searching for the rounds are largely the same blurry cutaway shots from some brochure, which aren't really clear, and are kind of contradictory.  In some, it's depicted as extruded pellets; in others it's more like a spherical granule.  The latter should be pretty straightforward - use some model railroad ballast - but the former probably means cutting hundreds of tiny lengths of plastic rod, so it's kind of my last resort.

The propellant is grain type, not pellets. The PGU-13/-14/-15 use the same propellant as the 20mm PGU Series, other 30mm rounds use pellets but they are not used in the GAU-8.

 

Didn't even think of R/R ballast, that would perfect.

 

[MoFo]

Yep, that's the pic.

 

Thanks.  Ballast it is.

[phasephantomphixer]

Interesting approach. I have been resin casting the three types of projectiles

for the handful of real deal shells, now also casting shells as well.

Have you been marking the shells with stamped numbers/letters?

I also need to experiment getting the color and finish of the shell better.