Obscure USAF weapon equipment question

[Rob de Bie]

I'm researching the weapons and stores of the RNLAF F-84F. I went to the Dutch National Archives for more research, and I found a document that lists the required training equipment for the upcoming 'strike' tasking of a squadron. They are:

 

 

• SMU-10B
• MK-MEI bomb trailers and extensions
• MK-MB5 bomb dollies

For the first item I found a single document that mentions it, but no details are reported:

https://books.google.nl/books?id=S5zPP5gAMuQC&pg=PA13-IA51&lpg=PA13-IA51&dq=SMU-10+air+force&source=bl&ots=ZTcJnuS5HO&sig=ACfU3U3MBq7F97OnPx6ztmZE6fqSJV4dFA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjhsdf16PHoAhUNNOwKHZS-Au8Q6AEwB3oECAwQLg#v=onepage&q=SMU-10 air force&f=false

 

Can anyone here 'decipher' these items? Thanks in advance!

 

Rob

[martin_sam_2000]

I am wondering if it is a piece of ground equipment as the other two are labeled bomb trailer and bomb dolly. I came up with the same reference you did. Hope you get your answer!

 

 Sean

[Rob de Bie]

5 hours ago, martin_sam_2000 said:

I am wondering if it is a piece of ground equipment as the other two are labeled bomb trailer and bomb dolly. I came up with the same reference you did. Hope you get your answer!

 

 Sean

 

Not per se, since the (short) list also included MN-1 bomb dispensers (a.k.a. SUU-21) and 'shapes' (type not defined). Thanks for checking!

 

Rob

[Gator52]

Based on this site, I believe the SMU10B to be an item that facilitates simulation of actual weapons carriage...perhaps to provide realistic cockpit indications without carrying an actual weapon...?

 

https://www.parttarget.com/6920-00-541-7548_6920005417548_SMU10B.html

 

Jonah

[Rob de Bie]

16 minutes ago, Gator52 said:

Based on this site, I believe the SMU10B to be an item that facilitates simulation of actual weapons carriage...perhaps to provide realistic cockpit indications without carrying an actual weapon...?

 

https://www.parttarget.com/6920-00-541-7548_6920005417548_SMU10B.html

 

Jonah, thanks, that NSN a good find! I would love to know *which* weapon it simulated. The Mark 7 is usually associated with the F-84F, but I'm getting more and more convinced that the B28 was used for the European Streaks.

 

Rob

[AFammo65]

When I was going through Munitions Officer Training school in 1965-66, officers assigned to certain units in Europe had to stay an extra week to receive training on the Mk 7. So there were still bases in Europe using he Mk 7 at that time. Don't know when the last were withdrawn though.

[ikar]

Out of curiosity I typed in MK7 bomb, thinking it might be a nuke, and one of the first pictures that showed up was a F-101A with what looks like a nuke mounted underneath.  There may be a couple more interesting sites a little below that.

 

Back in the 70s we were drastically outnumbered by the Russians and it was thought that nukes might be our only hope of stopping a large scale attack.  It often became a subject of morbid discussion among others about the subject of Russian aggression no matter what theater you were stationed in, European, Pacific, or the States.  Someone even wrote a book, I think it was called 1985 or something similar about what might happen if things got real hot.

[Rob de Bie]

11 hours ago, AFammo65 said:

When I was going through Munitions Officer Training school in 1965-66, officers assigned to certain units in Europe had to stay an extra week to receive training on the Mk 7. So there were still bases in Europe using he Mk 7 at that time. Don't know when the last were withdrawn though.

That's very interesting! My main source for the F-84F + B-28 connection is an account of Dutch Streak pilot Steve Netto, describing the Cuba crisis in late 1962. He mentions the B28 multiple times, also describing a T-270 box that he had to operate. I did not find anything on other NATO air forces, except that B28s were stored at Kleine Brogel.

 

However, all NATO F-84F strike wings flew (mostly) with an asymmetric stores configuration: the left inboard was always free, the right inboard always had a 450 gallon tank. Tanks on the outer pylons were optional. On RNLAF the left inboard was only used for Mk25 bomb racks, or occasionaly a MN-1 (later SUU-21). I've *never* seen an operational NATO Streak with the typical (unique) Mark 7 pylon, there's always the standard (or standard looking) pylon. One big exception are the retired Kleine Brogel Streaks, stored at Koksijde, that often had a Mk7 pylon.

 

Rob

[Rob de Bie]

9 hours ago, ikar said:

Out of curiosity I typed in MK7 bomb, thinking it might be a nuke, and one of the first pictures that showed up was a F-101A with what looks like a nuke mounted underneath.  There may be a couple more interesting sites a little below that.

 

Back in the 70s we were drastically outnumbered by the Russians and it was thought that nukes might be our only hope of stopping a large scale attack.  It often became a subject of morbid discussion among others about the subject of Russian aggression no matter what theater you were stationed in, European, Pacific, or the States.  Someone even wrote a book, I think it was called 1985 or something similar about what might happen if things got real hot.

 

I've models of the Mark 7 and B28 ready for my Streak, but the question is which of the two was used by the RNLAF. I always assumed the Mark 7, but I'm slowly tilting towards the B28.

 

 

 

Rob

 

 

Edited April 19, 2020 by Rob de Bie