Monogram 1/48 F-84F 'stores configuration study model'



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Mark 15 Mod 4 practice bomb

Here's the first scratch-built store in progress. It's the Mark 15 Mod 4 practice bomb. I found some small bombs in the spares boxes, and used my motor tool as a lathe to achieve the body shape, with the cilinder being 4.2 mm diameter and 8.7 mm length. Fins are still to be added. It has a small magnet so it attached to an outboard pylon.
To build the tail section, I used a drawing from manual TM-9-1325-200 from 1966. I decided to use 0.3 mm plastic card, which is overscale but sturdier. Work was started with the open 'box' of 2.2 x 2.2 mm with a length of 2.6 mm. I chamfered the corners to provide a glue surface for the four indentical fins, that I cut from a piece of 4.8 x 2.6 mm plastic card. Tamiya Ultra Thin was used to glue the fins provisionally to the box, so I could work on the alignment. After I was satisfied with the fin alignment I overcoated the joints with thin super glue.

A bit of sanding was needed to remove glue remains and sharp edges. Lastly I test-fitted the tail on the bomb tail, and noted that the attachment points had to be cut a bit. I used a fresh scalpel blade to exert minimal force on the vulnerable construction. And then I had a very sweet and very tiny box tail. I glued it on a piece of 0.15 mm card for casting, the card being equal in thickess to a JLC saw that would be used to remove it from the casting block.

I detailed the bomb body with 0.2 mm lead wire, to represent what looks like welds on the real thing. But I wasn't happy with the result.
I built a new bomb from what later turned out to be a Bullpup from a Matchbox 1/72 A-4M/N, from the spares box. It had the correct 4.2 mm diameter, but I had to fill the hollow interior with more plastic. An electric drill combined with a model knife were used as a lathe to create the rounded nose and the conical tail, plus the circumferential panel lines. I decided to use engraved panel lines this time, although they are not correct.
I wanted two 'Blue Bird' bombs for my stores display, so resin copies were made of the master. I painted the two resin copies with a 1:1 mix of MRP-044 UkrAF Su-27 Blue and MRP-045 UkrAF Su-27 Dark Blue.




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