Looking for a Pave Claw Gun Pod in 1/72

[Troffa]

Good evening all, I'm looking for some advice from the excellent BM Hive mind.

 

I'm searching for a 1/72 GPU-5/A "PAVE CLAW" Gunpod for a forthcoming project.

 

I know that there is one in the Hasegawa Aircraft Weapons set III  (X72-3) and I'll have a look through my stash tomorrow to see if I have that particular box, but I have a nagging feeling that there is a 1/72 kit with one of these in- but I can't recall which one. 

 

Does anyone know of any kit's with this pod in or of any aftermarket sources?

 

Thanks to all for stopping by,

 

Stay well,

 

Troffa

[Jabba]

If you do not find one in the weapons set, I am sure that I have a spare one.

[RidgeRunner]

If it’s in that set I have one, I think. I’d need to check 

[Hook]

Italeri's so-so 1/72nd F-15E has a representation of the GPU-5/A as well. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre  

[Troffa]

Thanks very much for the responses gentlemen, that's a great help- and I think it was the italeri F-15E that I had in mind, I think I may have that in the stash- I will have a look and see if I can find it.

 

if not I will be back to request one from you fine folk.

 

Many thanks,

 

Troffa

 

 

[Giorgio N]

The Monogram F-15E kit also included that gun pod

[Hook]

I should have a Hasegawa to spare - no way I'll ever use all four in my two Hasegawa air to air missiles sets.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Troffa]

Bingo!

 

I thought I had one- it's a Dragon re-brand of the Italeri kit for the Hong Kong and Chinese market- thanks so much for all of your help and support. 

 

Gunpod ahoy! 

 

[Julien]

So whats it for

[Hook]

12 minutes ago, Julien said:

So whats it for

 

NY ANG Desert Storm F-16A, I'd wager. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

[Julien]

11 minutes ago, Hook said:

 

NY ANG Desert Storm F-16A, I'd wager. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

I forgot they used it there, I did read it was not a success tho?

[Troffa]

😄 Mr Hook is correct, although I got there in a round about way.

 

On the bench is a Lizard F/A-16 that was going to get the gun pod, but during my research into the beast I came across the Boys from Syracuse and their rough day during Desert Storm. 

So I decided that I would have a crack at my fellow Desert Warriors 😎

 

 

[Troffa]

And no, they were less than a stunning success 🤔

 

Pave Claw shenanigans

[Bozothenutter]

15 minutes ago, Troffa said:

And no, they were less than a stunning success 🤔

 

Pave Claw shenanigans

love this quote:

"but one can only imagine how effective it could have been at providing suppressing fire for landing Marines. I would imagine just the long throaty cries of "bbbuuuurrrrpppp" would keep the enemy in their foxholes long enough for the individual Marines to start plying their trade."

 

I guess that was just what the Airforce thought.......

[Jabba]

2 hours ago, Troffa said:

And no, they were less than a stunning success 🤔

 

Pave Claw shenanigans

Good to read that. I too am doing a NY ANG F-16A from Desert Storm in the F-16 STGB.

[Troffa]

Well there's no competition from me Jabba, 🙂  My 1/72 one will be at least third on the line and dependent on how the distinctly second hand decals are when they turn up from ebay- and if I can ascertain exactly how the pod is slung on the centreline- but the story is fabulous- I can imagine the Senior USAF faction desperate to get rid of A-10 and hoping that the F-16 can fill the role with the Pave Claw, and all of the GE Reps committed to the system working and the ANG guys giving them all the bad news, whilst in combat!  

 

Did you see the photo of the damaged F-16A, GPU 5/A on centreline and ALQ-119 (V) on the wing pylon?

 

Interesting fit. 

 

Getty Images F-16A with Gun Pod

[Jabba]

Yes i have seen a few photos of that aircraft here:- https://dstorm.eu/pages/en/usa/f-16.html . That is the fit that I am going for, plus a AGM-65D on the other. The mounting of the pod itself is only problem I am trying to solve too.

[Whitewolf]

I cannot honestly believe they ever seriously thought they could mount that on an F16 in the desired role. The vibration was bound to play hell with the jet and you would have thought  that was detected very early on in trials? Crazy idea born out of desperation perhaps? 

Edited July 15, 2021 by Whitewolf

[Hook]

1 hour ago, Jabba said:

The mounting of the pod itself is only problem I am trying to solve too.

The small pylon in Hasegawa's kit (pt. D9) looks suitable. 

6 hours ago, Julien said:

I forgot they used it there, I did read it was not a success tho?

Well, a shaking Pave Claw spraying 30 mm depleted uranium milk bottles all over the battlefield would for sure convince me to keep my head firmly down if I were an Iraqi soldier...

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Giorgio N]

5 hours ago, Whitewolf said:

I cannot honestly believe they ever seriously thought they could mount that on an F16 in the desired role. The vibration was bound to play hell with the jet and you would have thought  that was detected very early on in trials? Crazy idea born out of desperation perhaps? 

 

We have to keep in mind what the world was like when the GPU-5 was developed: the cold war was still in full swing and the enemy the A-10 had to face was very different from the machine gun armed Talibans they ended fighting against for most of their career. The 30 mm gun was acknowledged as being an effective tank killer but by the mid '80s there were serious (and founded) doubs about the capability of the A-10 to survive in the Central European theatre. The Soviets were developing more and more advanced light SAMs and fighters capable of tracking low flying objects and against such threat the A-10 armour would have been useless while the low speed was seen as a serious disadvantage.

The GPU-5 was seen as a way to get the GAU-8 gun in the air under faster and ideally less vulnerable platforms, so maintaining a tank-killing capability without the A-10 drawbacks. As seen, the concept just didn't work and since by the time the pod was tested in action the Cold War was over, it was abandoned.

Edited July 15, 2021 by Giorgio N

[Slater]

Interesting that in the late 1990's, the US Navy tested the GPU-5 pod on it's LCAC landing craft as a fire support weapon. Apparently that also went nowhere.

[alex]

Quote

Although the GAU-13 cannon was not specifically designed for the F-16, and A-7, F-15E and even F-5s could carry the GPU-5 pod,

 

I guess after the first few rounds, the F-5 would fall from the sky in pieces...

 

Alex

[Hoops]

On 7/14/2021 at 8:51 PM, Troffa said:

Bingo!

 

I thought I had one- it's a Dragon re-brand of the Italeri kit for the Hong Kong and Chinese market- thanks so much for all of your help and support. 

 

Gunpod ahoy! 

 

 

I'm not familiar with the Italeri pod, only with the one in the Hasegawa weapons set. From your provided image it already looks to have some advantages of the Hasegawa item, specifically the upturned rear end and the strong back are both better represented. Good luck with the build!

[Jabba]

@Troffahave you been able to compare the Hasegawa one with the Italeri one? I ask because the one that you have got with the F-15E kit looks a lot better than the Hasegawa one in the photo and there is chance that I might be able to get a F-15E kit for this gun pod.

[Troffa]

@Jabba I haven't got a Hasegawa weapons set example to hand, but I may have soon. In the meantime I'll get some close up shots of the Italeri F-15 pod posted asap. 

 

 

Update: Photo's of the part in post below!