Here's
a quick review of item #48117 from Cutting
Edge Modelworks. This of course, is their 1/48 M117 750 lb. bomb set, and
contains twelve bombs with the late style tail fins. These bombs were
developed in the 1950's, and have been hung on such aircraft as the F-100,
F-105, F-4, F-111, and the B-52. Most recently, these bombs were carried (and
dropped) by B-52s during Operation Desert Storm. They are, or were, in the
inventories of other nations, including Israel. Each casting block
contains two bomb halves and an arming fuse. Instructions are not
provided, as assembly is fairly straightforward....simply remove the bomb halves
from the casting blocks, glue them together, and then glue the fuse to the nose.
The parts are molded in the standard gray Cutting Edge resin, which is very
robust. One of the things that impresses me about this line is the resin
itself. It is not brittle at all, and almost exhibits properties similar
to styrene. It also seems to produce less odor when sanding than you'd
expect.
The bombs themselves were all well formed, and look good in terms of overall
shape and outline. The only thing that may be required is some cleanup on
the fins....they are thin and well-molded, but you may experience a slight
degree of roughness on the fin edges themselves, as you can see on the photo
below.. This is easily cured with a few swipes of a sanding stick.
You'll also encounter some flash here and there, but again, this is an easy fix
for anyone with a modicum of experience with resin parts.
I'm thinking that a
centerline-mounted MER full of these bombs would sure look great on a
Vietnam-era F-105, or maybe even a Phantom. I would like to thank Cutting
Edge Modelworks for providing me with this review sample.
Steve
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