1:72 MK 52 US Mine

Mk 52, an American air-dropped naval mine in 1:72 scale

This item from the brand GAS HANS is a resin set of ordnance in 1:72 scale. It is not a model of an aircraft but an accessory with which a finished model is fitted out with an external store. It is the form without a fairing; the manufacturer makes the variant with a fairing separately, as well as both forms in 1:48 scale.

The real subject

The Mk 52 is an American naval mine intended to be dropped from an aircraft. From a modeling point of view it behaves like an external store comparable to a bomb: it is carried on wing or fuselage racks and on a model it tells mainly through the shape of the body and the tail section. In 1:72 scale it is a tiny part, where the cleanliness of the surface finish and accurate alignment on the axis decide the result.

Building and painting tips

Wash the resin parts in lukewarm soapy water to rid them of mold release residue, and let them dry. Cut the casting blocks off with a fine-toothed saw and level the surface with a file; finish the sanding wet and with respiratory protection. It is glued with cyanoacrylate glue. Apply a thin layer of base coat before painting — in this scale every thick layer shows and rounds off the detail. An airbrush will handle the whole body in one breath, and the edges then only need suggesting. When gluing them to the racks, measure the position in advance so that all the pieces hang the same.

Who the set is for

• builders of American naval and carrier aircraft in 1:72 scale
• modelers who are fitting out a model with a store
• display cases and dioramas with the armament laid out by an aircraft
• modelers used to working with tiny resin parts

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