Bombs
With Geoff Coughlin
Target project: Airfix Consolidated B-24H Liberator, 1:72 scale
(Photo: The M65 1,000-pound general purpose (GP) bomb was typically used against reinforced targets like dams and concrete or steel railroad bridges. The P-47 Thunderbolt could carry two M65s, while the B-26 medium bomber could carry four. The AN-M65 is on display in the World War II Gallery, National Museum of the United States Air Force – courtesy of same)
The recently released new tool Airfix Consolidated B-24 Liberator (2024) is typical of many WW2 USAAF bomber kits in offering a bomb load for the subject aircraft. The kit instructions are also clear in terms of painting and getting a good colour match.
Decals are also supplied for the ear thin yellow stripe that can often be seen in photographs of the M65 1,000lb bombs, or, as in the one above on display at the excellent National Museum of the USAF.
A few things to consider though as scale modellers:
How do you paint the yellow nose section when 1:72 is such a small scale and you have to create a neat circle around the aft edge of the yellow marking?
No decal is supplied for the yellow nose area – probably because it would be almost impossible to create one that would fit neatly around the curved surfaces without wrinkling
How can you weather the bomb in a realistic fashion in this small scale?
How far should I go in trying to represent an authentic looking bomb?
Inevitably, scale plays a big part here and the larger the scale, arguably the more scope there is for wanting/needing to add more detail.
How to do it
What follows is a series of still images plus a few videos to take you through my approach and the process I followed – just one way of course that is designed to give you a few tips and help you if you too want to try and recreate authentic-looking USAAF WW2 bombs to add to your aircraft models.
Making a start…
VIEO DEMO
VIEO DEMO
When the yellow is dry, gloss varnish for the four decals to apply to each bomb…
And when that’s dry, more gloss warning to seal the decals in place…
Then flat varnish for everything (Tamiya with Mr color Levelling Thinner)…
The bombs will need to be weathered and we can do that now.
VIEO DEMO
And here are the completed bombs attached to their racks and inserted into the B-24 bomb bays. You can’t really see a great deal, especially in this smaller scale but at least the area looks busier and more interesting after this work.
Hope you found this useful…
Geoff C.
Paul Ainsworth says
“Hello,Geoff” – Thank you for sharing this great technique.
The final details like this really make a big difference to the completed model.Superb precise work.
As Always,
Paul.😉👍
Geoff Coughlin says
Thanks Paul :) G