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Canberra B(I) 8 bomb loads


cherisy

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HI all

I have got my hands on an old Frog Canberra B(I)8 and want to go with the 88 Sqn markings from the early 60s.

 

With the belly mounted gunpack I was looking at some wing pylon mounted ordinance .There seems very little online ( or perhaps I have missed it) so was thinking of using a pair of 540 lb bombs from the Phantom FGR1 kit. Does anyone know when the 540s first entered service and would they be correct for the early 60s? If not what else would have been carried at that time?

 

Thanks in advance

 

Lee

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A modeler on the IPMS Chile site posted this image showing a Peruvian loadout - I have no idea if this is accurate, or if it would be applicable to RAF aircraft (from here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ipmschile/canberra-b-i-8-fap-airfix-1-72-t12.html)

 

FB_IMG_13659822384068335.jpg

 

 

 

Also, this build contains a Venezuelan aircraft fitted with guns and rockets - the builder may have some insights and sources relating to possible loadouts (again, I'm not sure how applicable they may be to RAF aircraft) http://scalemodelshobby.blogspot.com/2011/01/canberra-bimk8-venezuelan-style.html

 

Canberra+Ven.+011.jpg

 

Canberra+Ven.+005.jpg

 

Edited by Blimpyboy
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According to the B(I)8 AP your options are,

 

2 X 1000 lb bombs

2 x 1900 lb Mk.7 bombs

2 x 4.5 inch RP pods

2 x 25lb practice bombs (for LABS role)

It would appear the wing pylons were used most when the rear of the bomb bay was occupied by the gun pack

 

John 

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On 10/17/2020 at 10:46 PM, Selwyn said:

You could fit 2X 1000lb bombs or  from the late 60's 155 SNEB rocket pods. They were probably cleared for 540's but I have never seen an image of one so loaded.

 

Selwyn

 

 

I think it may have to be 1000lb bombs as it seems 88 sqn disbanded in 1962 so a bit too early for 155s?

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On 10/18/2020 at 12:05 PM, canberra kid said:

According to the B(I)8 AP your options are,

 

2 X 1000 lb bombs

2 x 1900 lb Mk.7 bombs

2 x 4.5 inch RP pods

2 x 25lb practice bombs (for LABS role)

It would appear the wing pylons were used most when the rear of the bomb bay was occupied by the gun pack

 

John 

Thanks John, Ive tried looking for a photo of the 4.5 inch RP pods online but keep coming up with the US WW2 version. Any idea what they looked like? I take it the bombs were the modern typre and not the ww2 MC type?

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Search for Matra 155 (practice, conical nose) or 166 (round nose, combat).   The rockets are SNEBs, so you could search under that name.  Anyone who has the older Airfix Jaguar, Harrier, Hawk etc kits will have loads of the 155s in his spares box.  I certainly did, until I threw them all out as clutter.

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7 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Search for Matra 155 (practice, conical nose) or 166 (round nose, combat).   The rockets are SNEBs, so you could search under that name.  Anyone who has the older Airfix Jaguar, Harrier, Hawk etc kits will have loads of the 155s in his spares box.  I certainly did, until I threw them all out as clutter.

Brilliant thanks Graham. It just so happens I have three old Airfix Jaguars in the stash.

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On 10/18/2020 at 12:05 PM, canberra kid said:

According to the B(I)8 AP your options are,

 

2 X 1000 lb bombs

2 x 1900 lb Mk.7 bombs

2 x 4.5 inch RP pods

2 x 25lb practice bombs (for LABS role)

It would appear the wing pylons were used most when the rear of the bomb bay was occupied by the gun pack

 

John 

Dont get confused about Mk 7 Bombs

The US Nuclear weapon used by the German based canberras was the Mk 7

 but The RAF Mk 7 bomb was a 1000lb HE Weapon

As far as I know the RAF did not use 4,5" rockets.

 

Selwyn

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14 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Search for Matra 155 (practice, conical nose) or 166 (round nose, combat).   The rockets are SNEBs, so you could search under that name.  Anyone who has the older Airfix Jaguar, Harrier, Hawk etc kits will have loads of the 155s in his spares box.  I certainly did, until I threw them all out as clutter.

Graham, thats the 116 pod not the 166!

 

Selwyn

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28 minutes ago, Selwyn said:

Dont get confused about Mk 7 Bombs

The US Nuclear weapon used by the German based canberras was the Mk 7

 but The RAF Mk 7 bomb was a 1000lb HE Weapon

As far as I know the RAF did not use 4,5" rockets.

 

Selwyn

I'm I bow to your superior knowledge, I'm only repeating what it says in the book.

 

John 

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On 10/20/2020 at 12:20 PM, Selwyn said:

Dont get confused about Mk 7 Bombs

The US Nuclear weapon used by the German based canberras was the Mk 7

 but The RAF Mk 7 bomb was a 1000lb HE Weapon

As far as I know the RAF did not use 4,5" rockets.

 

Selwyn

Is that the same Mk7 offered by Valom? I take it that would be carried internally?

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49 minutes ago, canberra kid said:

@Selwyn the above is the AP page with the 1900 lbs Mk.7

Its a bit puzzling as the RAF did not use any bombs greater than 1000lb postwar. (The new postwar  2000lb bomb was never put into production, although I think they probably still had some WW2 larger bombs in store, and they were probably cleared for Internal carriage on the B2 and carried over to the B(I)8. Also please see the note at the bottom of the page ). The RAF as far as I know never had  a 1900lb bomb in postwar service.  I naturally assumed firsthand  that it was the US Mk 7 Nuclear Bomb  that was used by RAFG canberra Squadrons under SACEUR control but they were 1600lb weapons, not 1900lb. 

Looking at the AP page it states that the wing mounted bombs were used as a alternative to, " Rocket Batteries." I cannot concieve that a 1900lb bomb would be used as an alternative to rockets, certainly not a nuclear weapon! So thinking about it, I suggest this could possibly be just as simple as a Typo, the author put in 1900lb instead of 1000lb.  "9" and "0" are next to each other on a keyboard after all. Also I do have a picture somewhere of a B(I)8 with 1000lb Mk 7 bombs on the wing pylons somewhere.

 

Selwyn

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