Mk.84 Bombs

Eduard BRASSIN, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Mark Davies

Eduard Brassin’s 1/72 scale Mk.84 Bombs are available online from Squadron.com

The Mark 84 or BLU-117 is an American general-purpose bomb; it is also the largest of the Mark 80 series of weapons, and entered service during the Vietnam War.

The Mark 84 has a nominal weight of 2,000 lb (907.2 kg), but its actual weight varies depending on its fin, fuse options, and retardation configuration, from 1,972 to 2,083 lb (894.5 to 944.8 kg). It is a streamlined steel casing filled with 945 lb (428.6 kg) of Tritonal high explosive.

The Mark 84 is capable of forming a crater 50 feet (15.2 m) wide and 36 ft (11.0 m) deep. It can penetrate up to 15 inches (381.0 mm) of metal or 11 ft (3.4 m) of concrete, depending on the height from which it is dropped, and causes lethal fragmentation to a radius of 400 yards (365.8 m).

Many Mark 84s have been retrofitted with stabilizing and retarding devices to provide precision guidance capabilities. They serve as the warhead of a variety of precision-guided munitions, including the GBU-10/GBU-24/GBU-27 Paveway laser-guided bombs, GBU-15 electro-optical bomb, GBU-31 JDAM and Quickstrike sea mines.

Source: Wikipedia

Eduard Brassin offers a growing range of aftermarket bombs, amongst the latest of which is the pair of Mk.84’s 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 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 casting-blocks attached to the tail of the bomb and its fins by thin wafers, whilst two separate blocks providing alternate fuse options, although my sample was missing the extended and-off fuses used for above ground detonation.

The others two are what I assume is the regular fuse, and what may just be a penetrating nose cap or delayed action fuse for hard targets. There is one spare fuse for each of the three types supplied. The PE fret provides the tiny rings that fit to the bombs’ tails, with two spare parts. All of these spares are a handy insurance, and allow for the carpet monster’s share.

Painted and decaled, Brassins’s Mk.84’s should be an excellent addition to any suitable model, and are sure to be a vast improvement over any injected kit items.

Eduard also  offers a pair of Mk.84 bombs in 1/48 as Part # 648212 priced at about a third more than the 1/72 scale pair.

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This pair of Mk.84 bombs 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 & Black Background Images Copyright © 2015 by Mark Davies
Page Created 5 November, 2015
Last updated 5 November, 2015

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