1:32 GBU-10 Paveway I laser guided bombs with BSU-4/B fin and BSU-3/B wing (2 pcs)

The GBU-10 Paveway I with the BSU-4/B and BSU-3/B assembly

This pair of laser-guided bombs from Reskit matches the oldest form of the Paveway system, that is the variant with the fixed BSU-3/B wing and the BSU-4/B fin assembly. It is precisely this combination that sets the first generation apart from later kits with folding surfaces. Everything is made by resin printing, so the thin surfaces hold their shape without distortion.

How Paveway I worked

The basis stayed a classic heavy bomb body onto which a seeker head with a detector of the reflected laser beam was mounted and an aerodynamic assembly at the rear. The guidance unit worked in what is called bang-bang mode, where the control surfaces deflect fully into their extreme positions. The system was born during the Vietnam War, and its use against bridges that had survived dozens of raids until then fundamentally changed the view of precision ordnance. It was carried by Phantoms in the D and E versions, by the F-111 and by the carrier-based A-6A and A-7E.

Notes on the build

Assemble the parts dry and glue only then; the wing has to sit in line with the body, otherwise the bomb will be visibly askew under the pylon. It is a good idea to leave the thin surfaces in a warm place for a day after printing, so that they cure fully. The base shade used to be olive or light gray, and the seeker head tends to be contrastingly darker. The detector in the nose stands out when you treat it with a drop of gloss varnish after spraying.

Intended for

• models of American machines from the Vietnam War and later years
• modelers focused on the development of precision-guided ordnance
• large-scale arrangements with a full weapon configuration
• display cases with an overview of the generations of the Paveway system

The set comes with no finish, without glue and without a carrier machine.