Fictional Bomb Shape

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Several years ago I was blessed with a few extra 1:48th scale Little Boy Mk 1 shapes.  I was not interested in using these things as molded to represent nuclear weapons so I opted to modify them into something large and bomb like in appearance that could pass for an antishipping mine or an ASW depth bomb.  The attached images demonstrate what modifications were done to the parts from the Monogram B-29 kit. 

Image 1 depicts the bomb shape as stock from the kit and assembled. 

Image 2 represents the bomb shape after modifications were made to it.  The modifications consisted of removing the short stem between the bomb body and the tail fins.  The fins were sanded flush with the box fin assembly and this in turn was attached to the end of the bomb body at the apex of the truncated cone that makes up the rear of the bomb shape.  The radar fuzing features were removed and the entire bomb body was sanded smooth.  The end result is a slightly shorter bomb shape that can be used as a fictional weapon to portray something nuclear or conventional.  All depends on what you want to do with it.  This same process could also be applied to the 1:72nd scale Little Boy shape supplied with some of the Academy B-29 kits.  Though I suspect the cost might outweigh the attainability of multiple weapons. 

[kitnut617]

  Though I suspect the cost might outweigh the attainability of multiple weapons.

It looks simple enough to cast Jeff --- 

[elmayerle]

As a strictly impertinent question, if this bomb was based on a shortened Little Boy, would it be a "Less Johnson"?

[Daryl J.]

 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

As a strictly impertinent question, if this bomb was based on a shortened Little Boy, would it be a "Less Johnson"?

I suppose you could apply that name if it were to be performing a role as a nuclear shape :)