1:32 Mk-XVII Depth bombs (350 lb) (4 pcs)

A depth charge for anti-submarine missions

An anti-submarine weapon differs from an ordinary bomb in that it is not meant to go off on impact but at a depth set in advance. That is the job of the hydrostatic pistol, which responds to the pressure of the water column. Crews therefore dropped this load from low altitude and on a precisely flown run over the supposed position of the target, often guided by data from sonobuoys or from a magnetic detector.

What you get in the box

The set brings four charges in the 350 lb class, the caliber that carrier and patrol aircraft carried throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The large 1:32 scale lets the shape of the rounded nose, the band around the body and the fine structure of the tail section come out, which a smaller casting could never hold.

Recommended procedure

Clear the remains of the casting system from the charge first, level the surface with a file and polish it with fine abrasive paper so that it does not show once gloss paint goes on. US Navy anti-submarine ordnance was usually a single color, with narrow bands and small stencils near the nose; a matte finish with a slightly worn edge keeps the result believable.

The mounting assumes the racks of a particular kit, which you get separately. Try the spacing dry before you glue anything.

Small extras

In a large scale it pays to add what a casting cannot cover by its nature. Thin copper wire will serve as the arming wire of the pistol, a strip of foil will suggest the securing strap, and both take a few minutes. It is exactly such small things that tell a mounted weapon from a piece of material laid on the wing.