1:72 MK-82 with MK-15 Snakeye fin (6 pcs)

The real subject

The Mk 82 is an American aircraft bomb of the 500 lb weight class from the Mk 80 series, that is from the most widespread family of general-purpose bombs of Western air forces. The Mk 15 Snakeye tail unit replaces the fixed tail fins with four plates that open after release and brake the bomb sharply. That is exactly the point: an aircraft attacking from low level can get clear of the area before the bomb lands and goes off. A combination of this kind was used widely from the Vietnam War onward.

What the set offers

Six bombs in 1:72 scale, each in the version with the Snakeye retarding unit. The extent of the parts and how a single bomb goes together are given in the manufacturer's instructions. How many bombs and in what arrangement the aircraft you are building carried should be checked against reference sources; the number of bombs on a pylon and the way they are arranged differ from aircraft to aircraft, and it is a detail a knowledgeable viewer notices before anything else.

• six bombs in 1:72 scale
• the 500 lb weight class, the Mk 80 series
• the Mk 15 Snakeye retarding tail unit
• the extent of the parts is given in the manufacturer's instructions

Building and painting tips

The parts are not polystyrene, so they are bonded with super glue. Cut the surplus material off with a sharp blade a little way from the part and sand down the rest, and wash and degrease everything before painting. The thin plates of the retarding unit are easily damaged, so handle them with tweezers. The body of a live bomb is usually olive green with a yellow band near the nose, while practice rounds are blue. Check a mounted bomb by eye both from the front and from above, so that it hangs parallel to the axis of the aircraft.

Terms of supply

Paints, glue and tools are not included in the delivery, unless stated otherwise.