Eduard 1/72 Brassin Air-to-Ground Weaponry
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
Eduard has been going to town with producing some quality stores to hang under modern aircraft, and due to a mailing snafu I was inundated with a huge selection all at once. These range from Vietnam-era to modern-day air-to-ground weaponry, both bombs and missiles, all presented in beautifully cast resin and photoetch brass, with a small decal sheet providing details.
672-042 AGM-12C Bullpup B
This set provides four Bullpup B missiles. A radio-guided missile, the AGM-12C differed from other Bullpup missiles by having a semi-armor-piercing warhead in an enlarged center body. The rear fins were also larger and longer. The Bullpup B was used in Vietnam by F-4s and F-105s against difficult targets such as bridges, but was not as effective as the Navy's AGM-62 Walleye.
Each missile in this set comes with four separate resin rear fins, four photoetched forward fins, and a separate rocket motor. The decal sheet provides stripes and stenciling for an operational Bullpup.
672-044 AGM-45 Shrike
Developed in the early 1960s as an anti-radiation missile for taking out enemy radars, the AGM-45 remained in service for decades before finally being retired in 1992. It was used by the United States in Vietnam and the first Gulf War, the Israelis in the Yom Kippur War, and the British in the Falklands War. The Shrike had many limitations, and its success rate was not the greatest. Its successor, the AGM-88 HARM, has proven to be far more effective in this role.
This set comes with four AGM-45 Shrike missiles, and overall assembly is about as simple as can be. The missile body incorporates the rear fins, while the four forward fins are separate. The only photoetch piece is a ring for the rocket motor exhaust. The decal sheet provides stripes and stenciling.
672-048 AGM-78 Standard ARM
Developed shortly after the AGM-45 Shrike with the intentions of making up for that weapon's shortcomings, the AGM-78 Standard ARM was based off the RIM-66 SM-1 surface-to-air missile. Because of this, the development cycle was significantly shortened and the AGM-78 entered operational service in 1968. The AGM-78 was more capable than the AGM-45, but it also was significantly more expensive, and production stopped in the late 1970s.
This is a very simple set, consisting of two resin pieces and two photoetch pieces, combining to make two complete AGM-78 Standard ARM missiles. The photoetch rings attach to the rear of the missile body, and that's it for assembly. The decal sheet provides various pieces of stenciling as well as colored bands.
672-049 Mk. 20 Rockeye II
Also known as the CBU-100 Cluster Bomb, the Mk.20 Rockeye was initially deployed in 1968. The weapon consists of a clamshell dispenser and 247 dual-purpose armor-piercing shaped charge bomblets. Each bomblet weighs over 1lb and can penetrate over 7 inches of armor. Used to great effect during Desert Storm, the US military dropped nearly 30,000 Mk. 20 Rockeyes against targets.
This is another simple set, with each weapon assembly consisting of a single resin body and a photoetch end cap. The set comes with six total weapons, and as an interesting addition, the set also comes with the protective caps worn by Rockeyes to protect the impellers on the nose. To use these you will have to cut off the tip of the bomb and attach the new piece, but that adds some color as these caps were painted red. The decal sheet provides the expected stenciling and colored bands.
672-050 GBU-8/B HOBOS
During the Vietnam War, the Air Force tested several systems to improve the precision of their bombs. One such system was Rockwell's Homing Bomb System, or HOBOS. This mated a black & white TV camera and seeker electronics to a 2000lb Mk.84 bomb, with tailfins added for control. In operation, the Weapon System Officer (WSO) would pick out a high contrast target on a TV screen and lock the weapon onto the target. Once selected, the weapon was released and the launch aircraft could depart the area, a distinct advantage compared to the laser-guided bombs also being tested. The limitation of high contrast targets, though, reduced the effectiveness, and the LGB won out.
This set comes with two GBU-8/B HOBOS weapons, each consisting of two pieces. This time around, the two parts are resin, and there is no photoetch in this set. The smaller resin piece is the clear lens that fits on the nose. Painting these will be challenging, as these have an olive drab bomb body capped by a dull aluminum and bright aluminum piece and some pale gold ribs, nose cone, and tail fin structure. A colorful weapon to be sure. The decal sheet provides the appropriate stenciling as well.
672-051 GBU-10 Paveway I
The Doumer Bridge in Vietnam was the specific target that led to the development of precision guided bombs. First was the Rockwell GBU-8, then the Raytheon GBU-10, both designed to deliver a 2000lb bomb precisely onto a target. It was the latter GBU-10 that allowed F-4 Phantoms to finally destroy the Doumer Bridge in 1972. The initial variant of the GBU-10, known as Paveway I, featured fixed fins on the rear of the Mk.84 2000lb bomb and a laser seeker head on the nose operating control fins to guide the bomb onto target.
This set provides two bombs, with a total of fourteen resin parts. The main bomb body incorporates the rear fins, while the forward fins and seeker heads are separate. There are two different seeker heads, including one with a cover for the sensor. The decal sheet provides stenciling.
672-052 GBU-10 Paveway II
The success of the GBU-10 Paveway I seen above led Raytheon to improving the design. The result was Paveway II, which kept the same basic concept and tweaked it up. Still at the core is the Mk.84 2000lb bomb, but improvements in the seeker head made it more accurate. On the back end, the fixed fins were replaced with retractable fins, which gave the Paveway II better range and flight control. The GBU-10 Paveway II even boasts an air-to-air kill when an F-15E Strike Eagle dropped one on a flying Mil Mi-24 Hind helicopter in 1991.
Like the previous set, this set comes with two bombs and consists of nothing but resin bits. The forward fins are separate and like the previous set, there are two different seeker heads. The decals provide yellow stenciling for an olive drab bomb. For those who want to finish this as a more modern overall gray example, you'll have to source decals elsewhere.
672-054 AGM-88B HARM
Designed as the replacement for both the AGM-78 Standard ARM and the AGM-45 Shrike, the AGM-88 HARM entered service in 1985 and quickly proved to be a highly effective anti-radiation missile. The AGM-88 saw combat action in the Gulf War, Kosovo War, Iraq War, and the military intervention in Libya. It is currently used by several nations, including Egypt, Germany, Greece, Kuwait, Spain, and Taiwan.
This set provides parts for two AGM-88 HARM missiles, as well as two styles of rails. The missile itself has the four forward fins molded separately, and also has a separate photoetch rocket exhaust ring. The two different racks differ only in their length, so you will want to check your references to see which one to use. The decal sheet provides quite a bit of stenciling, as well as colored bands for the missile body.
Conclusion
These sets are superb replacement for those found in various kits, and even supersede the weapon sets that are out there. The resin is beautifully cast and the simple assembly will make these a fast addition to any model. My thanks to Eduard for the review samples.