1:72 British 1000lb retarded bombs

British retarded bombs of 1000 lb caliber, 1:72, Eduard

An armament accessory set from the Czech manufacturer Eduard: British retarded aerial bombs of 1000 lb caliber in 1:72 scale. It is not a kit of an aircraft — these are separate stores that replace the coarser plastic bombs from the base model or extend its armament. The number of pieces is stated on the box; check the match with the kit you are building before you buy.

The real subject

A retarded bomb is a classic aerial bomb with a retarding device added in the tail section. After release this deploys and slows the bomb down, so the aircraft has time to leave the area of the blast before the charge lands. Thanks to that, an attack can be made from low altitude. British bombs of 1000 lb caliber were among the basic armament of tactical aircraft, and they can be told from the free-fall versions precisely by the different tail unit. A sister set in the same range is offered with a different type of fuze, which is a substantial difference when building a particular machine.

Building and painting tips

Wash the resin parts in lukewarm water with detergent and let them dry. Cut the casting blocks off with a saw rather than snapping them off, and level the surfaces by wet sanding with respiratory protection. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue). Paint the bombs separately from the model and fit them at the very end — that way you avoid masking. The color stripes on the body of the bomb are small and at this scale they are more easily sprayed through a mask than painted with a brush.

Who the set is for

• builders of British tactical aircraft in 1:72 scale
• modelers who want more accurate and finer underwing armament
• those building a machine in the attack configuration for low altitudes
• more experienced modelers used to working with resin

The set is an accessory, not a kit. The base model, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.