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GBU-8/B HOBOS

(CAD illustration courtesy of Eduard website)

Eduard BRASSIN, 1/72 scale


S u m m a r y :

Catalogue Number

Eduard BRASSIN Item No. 672 050 – GBU-8/B HOBOS

Contents and media

Two grey and two clear resin parts, and decals

Scale

1/72

Price:

Available online from these stockists

Eduard for €7.45,

Hannants for £4.67,

Squadron for US$9.95

Modelimex for €4.96, and

Lucky Model for US$7.99

Click here for currency conversion...

Review Type

First Look

Advantages:

Scale refinement and superb quality.

Disadvantages:

None noted

Recommendation:

This pair of GBU-8B HOBOS by Brassin is very nicely rendered. They offer a real opportunity to improve and refine the appearance of numerous subjects. I definitely recommended them.


Reviewed by Mark Davies


Eduard's BRASSIN 1/72 GBU-8/B HOBOS are available online from Squadron.com

 

Background

The GBU-8 Electro-Optical Guided Bomb was one of the "smart bombs" that revolutionized aerial warfare. A standard bomb fitted with a Homing Bomb System (Hobos), the GBU-8 was first used during the Southeast Asia War.

In 1967 the Department of Defense asked Rockwell International Corp. to develop the GBU-8 Hobos. It consisted of three parts: a television and a KMU-353 Image-Contrast Guidance Kit installed on a 2,000-pound MK 84 bomb, a sensor on the aircraft, and a control monitor in the cockpit.

While the pilot pointed the Hobos' sensor toward a target, the Weapon System Officer (WSO) watched a TV screen. If there was enough contrast between the target and the surrounding area, the WSO "locked" the bomb onto the target and released it. The electronic system on the bomb steered it to the target with control surfaces on the fins.

 

 

After a successful combat evaluation of the Hobos in 1969, F-4 crews eventually dropped more than 700 GBU-8s in Southeast Asia. More than 4,000 KMU-353 guidance and control kits were produced for U.S. and allied air forces.

Source: National Museum of the US Air Force

 

 

FirstLook

 

Eduard Brassin offers a growing range of aftermarket guided bombs, amongst the latest of which is the pair of GBU-8/B HOBOS reviewed here.

The two 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. The instructions detail the somewhat complex 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 bomb and its fins by thin wafers. Two small clear parts representing the TV lenses are provided for insertion into the bombs’ noses.

 

  • Eduard BRASSIN 1/72 GBU-8B HOBOS Review by Mark Davies: Image
  • Eduard BRASSIN 1/72 GBU-8B HOBOS Review by Mark Davies: Image
  • Eduard BRASSIN 1/72 GBU-8B HOBOS Review by Mark Davies: Image
  • Eduard BRASSIN 1/72 GBU-8B HOBOS Review by Mark Davies: Image
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Painted and decaled, these HOBOS 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 GBU-8/B’s for about four Euros more than their smaller scale equivalent (see Brassin 648169). 

 

 

Conclusion

 

This pair of GBU-8B HOBOS by Brassin is very nicely rendered. They offer a real opportunity to improve and refine the appearance of numerous subjects. I definitely recommended them.

Thanks to Eduard for the samples and images.

Review Text Copyright © 2015 by Mark Davies
Page Created 20 August, 2015
Last updated 20 August, 2015

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