Mk.20 Rockeye II

Eduard BRASSIN, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Mark Davies

Eduard Brassin’s 1/72 scale Rockeye Missiles are available online from Squadron.com

The MK-20 Rockeye is a free-fall, unguided cluster weapon designed to kill tanks and armored vehicles.

The system consists of a clamshell dispenser, a mechanical MK-339 timed fuse, and 247 dual-purpose armor-piercing shaped-charge bomblets. The bomblet weighs 1.32 pounds and has a 0.4-pound shaped-charge warhead of high explosives, which produces up to 250,000 psi at the point of impact, allowing penetration of approximately 7.5 inches of armor.

Rockeye is most efficiently used against area targets requiring penetration to kill.

Fielded in 1968, the Rockeye dispenser is also used in the Gator air-delivered mine system. The bomblets free fall over a 3,300 square yard area and detonate on impact. The shaped warhead charge in the bomblet is good against armor and soft skinned targets.

Source: Global Security.org

Eduard Brassin offers a growing range of aftermarket guided bombs, amongst the latest of which is the set of six Mk.20 Rockeye II’s reviewed here.

The six cluster bombs come attractively packaged in a blister pack with sponge cushioning. Very clear instructions are included, with colour call-outs cross-referenced to the Gunze Aqueous and Mr Color paint ranges.

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The instructions detail the finish applied to this weapon and a small sheet of decals provides for the bomb markings. A PDF copy of the instructions is downloadable from Eduard’s website

The quality of casting is excellent, with the pour sub attached to the tail of the bombs and their fins by thin wafers. There is the option of fitting fuse covers, which if used require the fuses to be cut off the bombs. A PE fret supplies eight base-plates, so two are spare.

Painted and decaled, these Rockeyes should be an excellent addition to any suitable model, and are sure to be a vast improvement over any injected kit items. Eduard also offer a 1/48 scale pair set of Mk. 20 Rockeye II’s for about seven US dollars more than their smaller scale equivalent (see Brassin 648168). 

This set of six Rockeye IIs by Brassin is very nicely rendered. It offers a real opportunity to improve and refine the appearance of numerous subjects. I definitely recommended it

Thanks to Eduard for the samples and images.

Review Text & Black Background Images Copyright © 2015 by Mark Davies
Page Created 28 October, 2015
Last updated 28 October, 2015

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