Eduard BLU-27 Fire Bomb (648389)

[Mike]

BLU-27 Fire Bomb (648389)

1:48 Eduard Brassin

 

 

The BLU-27 was used extensively in Vietnam as a method of delivery for Napalm – a mixture of highly volatile chemicals that gave it the name, and a gelling agent to improve adhesion to any target.  It gained a horrific reputation for its use there, and could be deployed either with a finned tail for a more directed detonation, or without fins, which usually resulted in the canister tumbling, making for a larger spread of the fiery content on impact.  Although it isn't banned, it is actively discouraged in use by modern conventions and the fear of the public backlash if it was used in our modern world.

 

 

 

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.  Inside are three zipolok bags of grey resin parts, plus another bag containing enough parts to create four canisters with or without fins, or any mixture in between.  The four bodies terminate aft of the rear weld seam, and have four of each type of tail, which fits into a cut-out in the body, ensuring correct alignment with the shackles.  The finless tail is a mirror image of the nose, while the finned part has a fin base where the tail cone should be, which the separate fin part slides into.  The resin fins are so thin as to be transparent, so will need careful handling, but will look realistic once painting as a result.  The decal sheet included the red designation rings at nose and tail, with a small stencil that is applied aft of the nose cone to the side of the bomb.  The instructions use Gunze codes and show the weapon painted olive drab, although they could be left bare aluminium, so check your references if you are modelling a specific mission.

 

Detail is fabulous as expected, and although this is an awful weapon, they were carried by aircraft that we like to model and there's no point in airbrushing them out of history.

 

Review sample courtesy of

[Mick4350]

Has this weapon ever been used by the RAF ?