1:48 Mark 82 bombs with BSU-86 Snakeye II fins (4pcs)

Mark 82 bombs with the BSU-86 retarding tail, 1:48, Reskit

Four Mark 82 bombs fitted with the BSU-86 retarding tail assembly, in 1:48 scale. This is an accessory for an airplane model, not a kit. The value of the set lies mainly in the tail: the retarding surfaces are very thin in scale and in injected plastic they necessarily come out thicker, so that the mold fills at all. A resin casting keeps them slender and sharp-edged, so the bomb on the pylon looks the way it should and not like a toy.

The real subject

The retarding tail assembly replaces the ordinary low-drag cone and increases the drag of the bomb after release. That lets the aircraft attack from low altitude and still get clear of the blast area. The Snakeye II designation refers to the follow-on arrangement of the mechanical retarding surfaces. A bomb with a retarding tail is a typical store for low-altitude missions, and on a model it can be told from the clean version at a glance.

Tips for working with resin

The thin retarding surfaces are the most vulnerable point of the whole set, so work with the parts over a mat and never in your hand above the floor. Apply super glue in small amounts, ideally as a drop off a piece of wire or a pin, otherwise it runs along the edge and the edge thickens. It pays to have an accelerator spray at hand to fix the joint before the part can move, but use it from a distance and as a thin mist. Wash the parts to remove mold release before gluing and painting, and clean them up wet.

Who the set is for

• Builders of tactical aircraft in 1:48 scale
• Modelers who build low-altitude missions
• Those bothered by thick retarding surfaces from a plastic kit
• More experienced builders used to small resin parts

The set is an accessory, not a kit. It is supplied unpainted. Glue, paints and the base model are not included in the package.