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Bomb colour


Skeg

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

13266396-Inert-Laser-Joint-Direct-Attack

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????? Any idea what Green bands mean?
p4%202.JPG

in the Swedish air force green weapons or obviously also bands mean inert or training weapons

normally labeled BLIND (blind, inert)

Edited by exdraken
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On the Paveway IV its even more confusing;

Drill:

p4%2011.JPG

4%2003.jpg

Practice;

p4%203.JPG

p4%206.JPG

????? Any idea what Green bands mean?

p4%202.JPG

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 by Selwyn
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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 by Slater
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Practice;

p4%203.JPG

????? Any idea what Green bands mean?

p4%202.JPG

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 by Bobski
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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 by Selwyn
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  • 2 years later...
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

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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

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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

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