Eduard AGM-154A/C Block I & AGM-154C1 Block II (648383 & 648384) 1:48

[Mike]

AGM-154A/C Block I & AGM-154C1 Block II (648383 & 648384)

1:48 Eduard Brassin

 

 

The AGM-154 is a medium-range cruise missile, or Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) that is air-launched from a distance that saves the launching aircraft from having to engage with the target position's defences.  It glides to its target from up to 17 miles at low-level launch, and 68 miles at high altitude launch, with a 1,000lb payload in a compact form factor.  The wings fold back for storage and carriage, and deploy once launched to improve the weapon's glide-slope to the aforementioned levels. 

 

The A variant uses GPS and inertial navigation throughout its flight, and carries a cluster of smaller submunitions that are armour piercing incendiaries that are designed to penetrate and destroy armoured targets.  The C variant adds infrared for terminal guidance and carries a single two-stage warhead that improves penetration by a fraction of a second so that the 2nd charge blows through the initial damage.  The C1 has avionics and cost-saving upgrades to the original C specification.

 

As usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in the oblong Brassin box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched wrapped around, providing extra protection.

 

 

AGM-154A/C Block I (648383)

 

 

There are two missiles in the box, with 24 resin parts in total, plus a small sheet of decals for the stencils.  The wings are separate, so can be posed open or closed, and they are then covered by a top-section, which has one of the two suspension lugs added into the depression on the top.  The horizontal stabilisers are added to each side into depressions in the missile body, and the four diagonal vanes fit into similar depressions for a good snug fit.  The colours are called out in Gunze codes as usual, and decal placement is detailed on the painting diagram for your ease.

 

 

 

AGM-154C1 Block II (648384)

 

 

If you were expecting something vastly different, you're in for a surprise because they're not massively changed, just the odd panel line and fastener here or there, as the major changes are inside the fuselage of the missile.  You get exactly the same number of parts, and they build up in exactly the same manner.  They also use the same stencils, so the two are interchangeable.

 

 

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