Skeg Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Am coming to the finishing stages of my harrier t10 and want to add a couple of bombs, which look like training bombs because of the blue colour of them. The thing I want to know is what is the blue used on this ordanance. I would post an image but dont know how. Thanks Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 The blue coloured British inert training bombs are finished in Oxford Blue (BS105) think maybe Humbrol do it or maybe Xtracolor. Edit - Humbrol - 104 and Xtracolor X023. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selwyn Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 The blue coloured British inert training bombs are finished in Oxford Blue (BS105) think maybe Humbrol do it or maybe Xtracolor. Edit - Humbrol - 104 and Xtracolor X023. Sorry but this is wrong! With British weapons there is always a confusion between training and inert, or to give the correct UK terms for training and inert, training is "practice," inert is "Drill". Practice bombs are painted Deep Saxe blue (can't remember the BS number) which is a light blue colour. Practice weapons are not necessarily inert. As an example, don't try standing in front of a gun loaded with practice rounds its a recipe for a short life! Drill Bombs are Oxford Blue which is a dark blue. Drill bombs are inert and usually not for flight. The best way to remember is that practice weapons are for designed for aircrew training. Drill is for groundcrew training and instructional/display purposes. Saying that,practice weapons that are inert are used for groundcrew training as well! Drill is a UK only designation, but it is sometimes used by countries that have UK manufactured weaponry. The tail units for Practice weapons are the usually the same as used with live bombs so although the bomb body may be blue the tail may be green. hope this helps, Selwyn 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slater Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I think this would be roughly similar to the shade FS 35109 used on US inert ordnance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeg Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 So now I need to find out if they're training or inert bombs used. Will probably just try and source a few blues and try and match the closest. Thanks to all for help, all very interesting. Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotthldr Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Most practice bombs are usually stored outside so fade very rapidly, I've seen some that look more Powder Blue than anything else, so I wouldn't get too engrossed in it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selwyn Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I think this would be roughly similar to the shade FS 35109 used on US inert ordnance? No, it would be FS35109 as used on US Practice ordnance. As stated in my post above, Practice does not necessarily mean inert! In contrast to UK rules, US service Inert ordnance is clearly labelled "Inert" or "Dummy." Selwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 I have found that humbrol WWI blue is a good match for US bombs. As with a lot of thing they are left out and the colour can vary bomb to bomb depending on where they were in the dump. It does not help that some new inert bombs are painted the same colour as live ones minus the yellow stripes. Note these are inert and not for flight as oppsed to for practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Drill: Practice: Both are "inert", confused? you will be!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 On the Paveway IV its even more confusing; Drill: Practice; ????? Any idea what Green bands mean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotthldr Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Can't give you the answer, but I can tell you that Sweden use there own colour coding system, which has caused confusion at joint exercises like Joint Warrior and Red Flag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slater Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 The US also uses an overall bronze shade for inert ordnance used in classroom and other training environments, although this is fairly uncommon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) ????? Any idea what Green bands mean? in the Swedish air force green weapons or obviously also bands mean inert or training weapons normally labeled BLIND (blind, inert) Edited March 23, 2015 by exdraken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selwyn Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Drill: Practice: Both are "inert", confused? you will be!! The bottom practice bomb is not inert. it has an active guidance which contains hazardous components. Selwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selwyn Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) On the Paveway IV its even more confusing; Drill: Practice; ????? Any idea what Green bands mean? The paveway IV is a mismash as the bomb is British so Drill blue, but the guidance is US manufacture so marked in practice Blue and stencilled Inert, The Stencilled Drill marking has been added to comply with UK Regs. If you notice the Hardback has been stencilled Drill as well, and although you can't see it probably the tail as well. The Third picture down GBU 12 on the wing is not Practice but Drill (Dark blue bands) Selwyn Edited March 24, 2015 by Selwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slater Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 (edited) That green band on the nose of the Swedish bomb would understandably cause consternation if it arrived on a US base. A dark green band (FS 34108) indicates a toxic chemical filler in the US (NATO?) system. Edited March 23, 2015 by Slater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobski Posted March 24, 2015 Share Posted March 24, 2015 (edited) Practice; ????? Any idea what Green bands mean? Neither of these are Paveway IVs. The top one looks like a bog-standard GBU-12. The bottom one is an EGBU-12 (aka a GBU-49), and has a conduit running the length of the weapon on the other side, as opposed to a Paveway IV that has a short one running along the side of the guidance unit at the front. I took pictures of the same weapon at RIAT in 2011. Neither of them has the Paveway IV hardback either. Edited March 24, 2015 by Bobski 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JagRigger Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Why have I got a dark blue 3kg practice bomb then ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Why have I got a dark blue 3kg practice bomb then ?Did the colours change at some point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selwyn Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) Why have I got a dark blue 3kg practice bomb then ? Because, and this may sound silly,but you have an Inert Drill version of the 3kg practice bomb! A 3kg practice bomb is not inert, it has a smoke and flash unit in it which goes off on impact with the ground to make it easier for the spotter to mark its impact point in relation to the target. (in real life it has a brown low explosive hazard band marking around the blue bomb body ) During trade training The armourers learn all about practice bombs and how to load them in the classroom. You obviously can't have a real Practice Bomb in there because it could go bang, so you have a drill bomb to instruct them, which is inert. The Drill bomb can either be painted overall Oxford (Dark) blue, or Practice light blue with a dark blue band! I have seen examples in both colour schemes over the years. Selwyn edit- you might find this link interesting http://www.aeroresource.co.uk/articles/2010/pembrey/ Edited March 28, 2015 by Selwyn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Somewhere I have a copy of the DEFSTAN on Uk munitions colours - it used to be available on the MOD DEFSTAN website, but they have made that password access only now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Never noticed the brown band, even though I managed to shoot a photo of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 On 3/22/2015 at 7:11 AM, Selwyn said: Sorry but this is wrong! With British weapons there is always a confusion between training and inert, or to give the correct UK terms for training and inert, training is "practice," inert is "Drill". Practice bombs are painted Deep Saxe blue (can't remember the BS number) which is a light blue colour. Practice weapons are not necessarily inert. As an example, don't try standing in front of a gun loaded with practice rounds its a recipe for a short life! Drill Bombs are Oxford Blue which is a dark blue. Drill bombs are inert and usually not for flight. The best way to remember is that practice weapons are for designed for aircrew training. Drill is for groundcrew training and instructional/display purposes. Saying that,practice weapons that are inert are used for groundcrew training as well! Drill is a UK only designation, but it is sometimes used by countries that have UK manufactured weaponry. The tail units for Practice weapons are the usually the same as used with live bombs so although the bomb body may be blue the tail may be green. hope this helps, Selwyn Selwyn, I assume it's the same for missiles? I've seen pictures of some ASRAAMs with a much darker blue band than I would expect. Regards, Murph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selwyn Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 19 minutes ago, Murph said: Selwyn, I assume it's the same for missiles? I've seen pictures of some ASRAAMs with a much darker blue band than I would expect. Regards, Murph ASRAAM is a British manufactured weapon and has a drill version with dark blue bands. Selwyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted May 11, 2017 Share Posted May 11, 2017 1 minute ago, Selwyn said: ASRAAM is a British manufactured weapon and has a drill version with dark blue bands. Selwyn Thank you for the information. Regards, Murph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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