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SNEB rocket pods


iainpeden

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I'm in a conversation with a modeller from the Ukraine about the SNEB/Matra rocket pods carried by the RAF and RN aircraft during the 1950s through to the early 90's.

 

I'm familiar with the Matra 155 pod which was reusable and held 18 - or 19? - SNEB rockets but until our conversation started had not been aware that prior to the use of the French system the UK had its own "home grown" pods firing 2 inch rockets - 36 at a time.

 

My Ukranian buddy has done a load of searching - as have I - but would be grateful if any body could supply more detail - in particular plans and dimensions as he is aiming (sorry) to produce resin copies in 1/72 and 1/48.

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RAF used the Reusable 155 18 shot pod and the 115 19 shot disposable pod, the RN used the 36 shot 2" pod. at the same time.

 

More info here

 

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234927607-rn-2-inch-36-round-rocket-pods/&tab=comments#comment-1140876

 

http://www.alleycatmodels.co.uk/royal-navy-36round-2-rocket-pods-6544-p.asp

 

Selwyn

Edited by Selwyn
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Interesting aside, not sure if the RAF ever used the 'Matra\SNEB' in anger - it served during that period of the Cold War where fast jet operations delivering what's now known as 'kinetic effect' were few and far between. Even in the Falklands, the RAF Harriers carried the RN 36 round pods.

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Ordnance expended on the stricken oil tanker Torrey Canyon in 1967 reportedly included 11 "rockets".  Someone over on the Key Forum distinctly recalls seeing rockets fired from Hunters.  Someone else recalls Hunters being detached to RAF St Mawgan for the attacks, suggesting they were RAF (FAA ones would surely have used RNAS Culdrose) so maybe a handful of SNEB rounds were fired, probably in an attempt to ignite the napalm which the Hunters were primarily there to deliver.  Or were RAF GA types also using other types of rockets at the time?

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3 hours ago, Seahawk said:

Ordnance expended on the stricken oil tanker Torrey Canyon in 1967 reportedly included 11 "rockets".  Someone over on the Key Forum distinctly recalls seeing rockets fired from Hunters.  Someone else recalls Hunters being detached to RAF St Mawgan for the attacks, suggesting they were RAF (FAA ones would surely have used RNAS Culdrose) so maybe a handful of SNEB rounds were fired, probably in an attempt to ignite the napalm which the Hunters were primarily there to deliver.  Or were RAF GA types also using other types of rockets at the time?

 

It would have been around the cross over between 3 in stacked rockets and the 68mm ones, but I thought the RAF dropped fuel tanks and the previously secret napalm bombs

Edited by Dave Fleming
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When I'd finished armament training at St. Athan in March 1970 I was posted to Honington to the recently formed 12 Squadron with Buccaneer S.2's, and they used the "Royal Navy " 2in. rocket pods, as did the OCU ( 237 ) at that time.

HTH.  :cheers:

 

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See here, esp posts 6 and 7, for my sources.  NB there are wide discrepancies between the BBC and wilipedia on the amount of ordnance and other nasties expended.

 

https://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?89426-Torrey-Canyon-Disaster-Footage

 

I liked the reference to mixing napalm in 45 gallon drums with wooden paddles.

 

I thougnt SNEB pods were primarily anti-armour so the question arises whether they would have had warheads suited to igniting oil and fuel.

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14 hours ago, Dave Fleming said:

 

It would have been around the cross over between 3 in stacked rockets and the 68mm ones, but I thought the RAF dropped fuel tanks and the previously secret napalm bombs

I dont think that SNEB was in use this early, they were still usuing 3" rockets in Aden of hunters at that time. To me the key figure is 11 rockets.  If you are trying to open up a supertanker surely you would fire a full pod of SNEB rather than just eleven single little rockets?

 

Selwyn

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  • 2 months later...
1 hour ago, tweeky said:

Didn't (1F sqn) harries use the in the Falklands in 82.?

1(f) Sqn  or in fact any RAF Squadron  have never flown Harries as far as I know! :wait::lol:

 

 However the 1(f) Sqn Harriers   used 2" rocket pods in the Falklands.

 

Selwyn

Edited by Selwyn
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7 minutes ago, Selwyn said:

1(f) Sqn  or in fact any RAF Squadron  have never flown Harries as far as I know! :wait::lol:

 

 However the 1(f) Sqn Harriers   used 2" rocket pods in the Falklands.

 

Selwyn

Wasn't it 1(F)?

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6 minutes ago, Wez said:

Wasn't it 1(F)?

 

5 minutes ago, Selwyn said:

No!

 

Selwyn

 

:worms:

Pretty sure the 1(F) guys I was down South with in 86 were pretty adamant about that

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Just now, Wez said:

 

Pretty sure the 1(F) guys I was down South with in 86 were pretty adamant about that

My personal experience of 1(f) was that they were a right bunch of prima donnas, so I purposely always use a small "f"  when referring to them. Its a personal thing!  :whistle: :tease:

 

At Wittering when I was there they were generally known on the station as  "If" (that's as opposed to might!).

 

Selwyn

(Ex 233 OCU and 4(AC))

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Just now, Selwyn said:

My personal experience of 1(f) was that they were a right bunch of prima donnas, so I purposely always use a small "f"  when referring to them. Its a personal thing!  :whistle: :tease:

 

At Wittering when I was there they were generally known on the station as  "If" (that's as opposed to might!).

 

Selwyn

(Ex 233 OCU and 4(AC))

Being an ex OCU wallah I'm with you now!

 

Ex OCU types should stick together (ex 240 OCU)

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3 hours ago, Finn said:

Here is a Bucc firing some rockets:

 

 

 

it looks like one pod didn't fire.

 

Jari

Am I sad when the first thought on seeing that photo was “Health and Safety”?’

 

Trevor

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1 minute ago, Max Headroom said:

Am I sad when the first thought on seeing that photo was “Health and Safety”?’

 

Trevor

I was wondering where the photographer was hovering?

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12 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

Am I sad when the first thought on seeing that photo was “Health and Safety”?’

 

Trevor

Not really. Shooting off a full pod of rockets or multiples of such was always a hazardous enterprise as it was quite common that  some rockets decided "to go their own way" and not in the direction intended, or they might sometimes collide with another rocket in mid air. If you look at the picture there  is a  rocket  just in front of the A/C nose that seems to be heading skyward!  the propellant seems to be still burning which is wrong it should have been all consumed by the time it got to where it is, (note the others are just leaving smoke trails) and what goes up must eventually come down, and hopefully not on your carrier deck!

 

Selwyn

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