1:48 RAF 20lb Bomb WWI / Interwar and Early WWII (12 pcs)

A light bomb that served three decades

The twenty-pound bomb was among the most common armament of British aircraft from the fighting over the Western Front, through colonial service in the period between the wars, right up to the first years of the conflict that began in 1939. It was small, cheap and could be hung even under machines that had no load capacity for heavy munitions: under reconnaissance biplanes, liaison aircraft or training types sent hastily into action. It was hung in fours and in dozens on simple racks under the fuselage and under the lower wing. The targets tended to be marching columns, encampments, light field fortifications and everything that did not call for a large explosive charge.

Box contents

Twelve pieces are enough for the full arming of one machine, with some left over for a reserve laid out beside it. The shape of the body, the tail fins and the suspension eye are drawn out so as to bear close inspection. On an object that is barely two centimeters long once reduced, it is exactly this fine rendering that decides the final impression: a sharp edge on a fin and a legible eye make the difference between a part and a prop.

Before you reach for the paint

Racks and carriers are not included and are supplied according to the particular aircraft. The same brand offers them in the same size separately, so the whole armament can be put together in one stylistic register. It pays to think out in advance how many bombs will go under the wing and how many will stay loose as part of a scene, because practice and live rounds differed in their coloring and in the lettering on the body. For a scene on an airfield apron, twelve pieces is a pleasantly generous number.