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Belcher Bits
Jeffry Fontaine:
--- Quote from: GTX_Admin on March 20, 2012, 04:18:24 PM ---How about the Bomarc for the B-58 pr XB-70?
--- End quote ---
If that BOMARC kit had been priced a bit less I would have been very tempted to acquire a pair of the things but at $32.00 each that is a bit more than I am willing to pay. :(
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I did do some business directly with Mike instead of trying to get Emil the Enabler to order the stuff for me and with the exception of waiting for the money order to arrive at Mike's address and my wait for the package to be delivered to my address the experience was not so bad. About normal considering my previous cross border transactions to Canada and Europe.
This time around my acquisitions from Belcher Bits consisted of the following items with links to the product page that contains instructions and good images of each item:
(BL2) 1:72nd scale RAF 2000, 4000, 8000 and 12000 lb HC Bombs
(BB9) 1:48th scale RAF 2000, 4000 lb HC Bombs
(BB10) 1:48th scale RAF 8000 and 12000 lb HC Bombs
These were also known as "Cookies" (4000 pound HC) and "Block Busters" for obvious reasons. Some of the 2000 and 4000 pound HC bombs were filled with an incendiary material and used to mark targets during the night time bombing campaign conducted by the RAF during World War Two. These target markers were dropped on or near the target and used to guide the bomber stream to the target. Needless to say that for carpet bombing accuracy was not a requirement.
(BL3) 1:72nd scale RAF Nuclear Weapons This set consists of 1X Blue Danube, 1X Yellow Sun, 1X Red Beard and two versions of the WE.177 (Kitnut617 is getting the W.E.177 bits this time around).
(BB13) 1:48th scale Mk 28 Nuclear Bomb Set For anyone that has an interest in nuclear weapons the Mk 28 series is one of the most interesting and this set contains parts to make five versions of the Mk 28; Mk 28EX, Mk 28RE, Mk 28IN, Mk 28RI and Mk 28FI. A must have for anyone wanting to do a Zulu Alert bird in USAF and NATO service during the cold war.
(BB14) CF-104 Weapons Set Not sure which F-104 kit this was intended for since it was released before the Hasegawa kit was available. Parts are included to make 1X Mk 28 nuclear bomb (Mk 28EX or Mk 28RE), 1X B43 nuclear bomb, center line pylon, wing pylons, Twin Stores Carriers, 5X BL-755 cluster bombs, fuselage mounted radar warning antennas (fore and aft locations), and 1X VICON reconnaissance camera pod.
(BB27) 1:48th scale Matra BLG-66 Belouga Cluster Bombs Something a bit out of the ordinary for anyone wanting to model a Mirage III, V, or F.1. Four Belouga cluster bombs in the kit. According to the description on the Belcher Bits page the Belouga was/is used by France, India, Greece and Iraq. I would rather have seen Mike produce a decent Durandal in 1:48th scale but that looks to be available soon with the GWH Mirage F.1 kits so problem solved.
(BB30) 1:48th scale French AN-52 Tactical nuclear bombs Enough parts to make two complete AN-52 bomb shapes and three different stores pylons for the Mirage, Jaguar A, and Super Etendard. Cute by nuclear bomb standards and I often wonder if the Israeli nuclear bombs were based on the AN-52.
(BB31) 1:48th scale Modern US Nuclear bombs Includes enough parts to make a pair of B61 nuclear bomb shapes as a B61Mod 0 through B61 Mod10 or the B61 Mod 11 with the conical feature added to the tail section. The remaining parts allow you to build 2X B83 thermonuclear bomb shapes. Neighborhood nuclear superiority!
(BB20) 1:48th scale Mk 24 Mine (ASW Homing Torpedo) and Sonobuoys The cover name was Mk 24 Mine but it was really an antisubmarine torpedo with acoustic homing features that allowed it to home in on the noise emanating from a submerged submarine. The only other Mk 24 ASW homing torpedo and sonobouys that I have encountered were in the Lindberg 1:48th scale TBF/TBM Avenger. Horrible blue plastic but there they were and no other company has ever considered or attempted to model this weapon until Mike Belcher stepped up and offered it in resin. This very important anti-submarine weapon was instrumental in sending a number of submarines on their final dive including a Japanese submarine full of war critical supplies bound for Japan that was sunk in the Atlantic ocean. This kit provides enough parts to build a pair of Mk 24 weapons with a choice of features including a nose cap and tail shroud to protect the weapon during the drop. The four sonobouys look pretty much like a sonobouy from that period and are as far as I can tell the right size and shape depicted in resin as a couple of can-shaped blobs to which you should add an antenna if it is deployed on the water.
(BB17) 1:48th scale RAF Small Bomb Containers (SBC) this set is also available in 1:72nd scale as BL5 on the Belcher Bits web page. In American nomenclature these would be described as sub-munitions dispensers. The RAF used these things to carry small bombs filled with explosives or incendiary materials and were often seen filling the bomb bay of many Lancasters with one 4000 pound HC "Cookie" as a standard bomb load for night time bombing missions over many German cities during World War Two. The set consists of 12X SBC units and they are all loaded with what appears to be incendiary bombs. All you need to do to finish these is to paint them and mount them on the RAF bomber of your choice. I thought I might take a shot and loading some of these on something else that will remain unnamed for now. :)
(BB11) 1:48th scale RAF 1,500 lb Mine and 250 lb Depth Charges Another unique weapon set. Between this set and the 2000 pound HC bombs you could make a couple of different mines by combining these parts. The dimensions are the same with the only real difference being the tail sections which can be a parachute pack or just an empty section to stabilize the weapon during the drop. The 250 pound depth charge shapes are quite featureless but will work very well for filling up the bomb bay of any RAF Coastal Command subject you happen to be working on. The 1500 pound mine was used in large numbers to mine sea coast and inland waterways to halt maritime commerce during World War Two. This was a very dangerous mission and many aircraft were lost on the mining missions due to the need to fly low and slow to drop the mines where they could do the most damage.
(BB1) 1:48th scale CH-124 Sea King Wheel Sponsons (floats) and Radome. I wanted something symmetrical for one of my Sea King kits. I was not happy with the smoke markers and MAD rig on the Hasegawa Sea King kit so I figured why not use this set designed to convert the SH-3 to the CH-124 and not use the radome part. Works for me.
(BB2) 1:48th scale CH-124 Sea King Sonobuoy Launchers and CPI. Actually sourced this from someone on ARC that was trying to get rid of it for a reasonable price. Had no real need for anything in the set except the CPI part. After looking at the instructions and the rest of the parts in the kit which contains several sections of different size aluminum tube, a resin jig to cut the tube and the part to hold all of the cut tube sections inside of the fuselage it looks like a lot of work to get it built and to fit it properly in the Hasegawa Sea King kit. Certainly nothing I want to deal with and I really had no interest in anything in the set save for the CPI part.
(BB3) 1:48th scale CH-124 Sea King Gulf War Mods. All of the parts you need to build a CH-124 for service in the Persian Gulf conflict. Parts included in this set represent the add-on FLIR, chaff and flare dispensers, and IR jammer, and radar warning antennas that were essential for any helicopter operating at low altitudes in a hostile and SAM/MANPAD SAM rich environment.
(BB16) 1: 48th scale Liberator GRV Dumbo Radome and Leigh Light. A must have for anyone wanting to do an RAF Coastal Command Liberator or in my case a what if PB4Y Liberator. The set includes all of the parts needed for the Leigh Light and two different radomes so you can have the radar mounted in the lower gun turret position or under the nose.
(BB7) 1:48th scale Consolidated PBY-6/OA-10 Catalina Replacement Tail. When Monogram released their PBY-5/PBY-5A Catalina some of the "experten" were griping about the shape of the tail. Mike Belcher offers a corrected tail for this kit as BB5 on his web page and this conversion to make a tall tail PBY-6 Catalina. I was not too concerned with the tail issue as highlighted by the "experten" but the tall tail Catalina did appeal to me since it was the last version of the PBY made. The conversion also addresses the tail issue of the Monogram kit but with the taller tail. I purchased this conversion several years ago from Emil the Enabler at Skyway Models so it is not a recent acquisition.
(BB8) Bell 412 / CH-146 Griffon conversion designed to be used with the Heller or Italeri UH-1N to create a CAF aircraft or commercial Bell Model 412. You get all of the major parts to convert and the success of the conversion will depend on your own skills and abilities. This is another set that was purchased at the same time as the PBY-6 conversion from Emil at Skyway Models a few years back.
LemonJello:
Set BB31 has piqued my interest. I see an "instant sunshine" delivery project being added to my build queue. Maybe for the next "End of the World" GB? Thanks for the link!
Jeffry Fontaine:
--- Quote from: LemonJello on December 24, 2012, 08:00:42 PM ---Set BB31 has piqued my interest. I see an "instant sunshine" delivery project being added to my build queue. Maybe for the next "End of the World" GB? Thanks for the link!
--- End quote ---
John,
That set of nuclear shapes is a definite must have for anyone that enjoys modeling nuclear combat, toe to toe with the [insert foe name here] :)
The other source for B61 shapes was from Italeri in the F-117 Stealth kit (1:72nd, 1:48th, and 1:32nd scales) and the 1:72nd scale NATO weapons set. Some folks griped about the accuracy of the shapes but for me it really did not matter as it was a nuclear weapon shape and how often does anyone offer that in any scale.
Gingie:
Mike's a member at the local club - I hope to get some time on his lathe in 2013 to turn an Honest John. Pics will be posted here of course!
Jeffry Fontaine:
--- Quote from: Gingie on December 26, 2012, 01:41:16 AM ---Mike's a member at the local club - I hope to get some time on his lathe in 2013 to turn an Honest John. Pics will be posted here of course!
--- End quote ---
Wish Mike was my neighbor, it would certainly be fun to provide advice and share ideas with him.
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