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Trumpeter 1/32 Bomb US Aircraft Weapons

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

Overview

One way to add interest to a model is to equip it with a variety of weaponry.  In some cases, these weapons can be found in the kit, but often times the model comes with little or no stores.  Several manufacturers, such as Hasegawa and Dragon, have answered that call with weapons sets, and Trumpeter has entered that realm now as well.  While the other manufacturers have focused on 1/72 and 1/48 weaponry, Trumpeter has tackled 1/32, matching many of their kit releases.

The Kit

This latest weapons set from Trumpeter covers American bombs, with five different types plus Triple Ejector Racks (TERs) and Multiple Ejector Racks (MERs).  I do not think any of these are new, as I believe these have all appeared in various 1/32 kits over the years.  It is good to have them all in one spot, though, to make it easier (and cheaper) to load out your aircraft.

The bombs include the Mk 82 with BSU-49 fins, the Mk 83 with BSU-85 fins, the regular Mk 84, the Mk 20 Rockeye, and an M117/SUU-30 oddity.  I say oddity because the painting instructions label it a M117 while the instructions identify it as an SUU-30.  Unfortunately that is just the start of the issues here.

Starting with the good, the Mk 82 with BSU-49 fins is pretty good overall.  All of these bombs are smooth, so check your resources to see if that matches up with your subject aircraft.  For example, US Navy bombs have a heavy texture applied to them, for thermal protection.  This is also the case with the Mk 83 with BSU-85 fins.  Both of these are modern weapons suitable for use on F-18s currently in service.

The Mk 84 appears to be a generic Mk 84, which would make it applicable for a wide variety of aircraft, ranging from Vietnam-era aircraft to current aircraft.  Unfortunately, this bomb suffers from some shape issues.  A very common problem with these standard iron bombs in model kits, regardless of scale, is that they tend to have the rear section as a curve, while the real thing is a simple cone with fins.  Given that this rear section was an add-on rather than cast with the main bomb casing, this is understandable.  The Mk 84, in addition to not having the straight cone on the rear, also has oversized fins.  These can be trimmed down fairly easily, though.

For the Mk 20 Rockeye, the overall shape is pretty good on this one, and it looks like it has the protective cap molded in place over the fuse.  The fins should be thicker, though, as these contain a fold-out extra fin for added stability.  The kit fins are about the thickness of this fold-out fin, so the best way to detail this would be to add plastic card on either side of each fin, to provide that layered look.  Again, check your references to see how this should look.

Which brings us to the M117/SUU-30 option.  As an M117, this is not even remotely close.  It is the completely wrong shape, with a too pointed nose, a main body that's not rounded enough at front, fins the wrong size and shape, and, well, it's obviously not an M117.  As an SUU-30, it is much closer to the right shape.  Here, about the only issue is the main center body is tapered, when it should be more cylindrical.  Also, I am not sure if it has the right fuse on it or not; my quick research was not able to determine that with any kind of certainty.

On to the TERs and MERs, these are nicely detailed and are probably the most complex out of everything in this box.  These have separate sway braces and rack pieces.  Unfortunately, these too have issues, namely they are too skinny.  As they are split into right and left halves, though, it might be possible to beef them up to the right thickness by adding a center plug.

For all of these weapons and racks, there are many decals, covering the various stencils, stripes, etc.  These are nicely printed and will greatly enhance the painted weaponry.  Speaking of which, there is a full color insert showing the colors and markings of all the bombs.

Conclusion

While it is admirable for Trumpeter to release a separate weapons set, this would have been much better had there been a bit more research into the weapons.  Getting accurate weaponry is tough, as it is often an afterthought in regular kits.  Given that these were culled from existing kits, though, I guess that premise is still valid.  For the most part, though, the problems with the bombs in this set are fairly easy to fix, so this can be a good way to supplement the weaponry found in your aircraft kit.  My thanks to Stevens International for the review sample.