1:72 British 1000lb HE-Blast, GP, High Drag (Retarded) bombs (4 pcs)

British 1000 pound bombs 1:72, four pieces

A set of four British aerial bombs weighing a thousand pounds in 1:72 scale, made by three-dimensional printing. It is the form with a retarding mechanism, that is bombs intended for an attack from low altitude. Three-dimensional printing makes sense here: the opening braking elements have thin surfaces and a complex shape that cannot be cast from a mold without simplification, and it is precisely the part the viewer has in front of them on a model.

The real subject

The thousand-pound bomb was among the basic armament of British combat aircraft of the postwar period. A retarding mechanism was fitted so that an attacking aircraft would get away from the point of impact before the bomb went off: after release it opened and the bomb slowed, so the flying machine gained the lead it needed. Without that, an attack from low altitude would have endangered the aircraft with its own charge.

Building and painting tips

The printed parts have no casting blocks but thin carrier supports, which you cut off with a sharp knife and sand the marks down. They are bonded with super glue, that is cyanoacrylate. Apply a primer before painting, or the paint will not hold on the smooth printed surface. When hanging them under the wing, make sure the bombs hang parallel and at the same height. Check the markings against photographs of the period concerned, because the colored bands on aerial armament changed with the filling and with the time.

Who the set is for

• builders of British combat aircraft in 1:72 scale
• modelers who dislike simplified armament in plastic
• anyone interested in postwar aviation
• more advanced builders used to printed parts

The set is supplied unassembled and unpainted and it is an accessory, not a kit. The model, the glue and the paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.