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Post by snaphead on Apr 30, 2022 11:51:14 GMT 12
I have completed a significant restoration recently to make my house "elder " proof. I have ended up with 3 blank walls, which I intend to hang framed aircraft photo's from. I have selected 3 pix and my query is about the 3rd item, it is a well known 75 sqd pix of NZ6203 flying over Crater Lake on MT Ruapehu bombed up. My grand kids have already asked me what capacity the bombs were. I said 500 pounders . Can any one confirm the bomb size??
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Post by saratoga on Apr 30, 2022 19:19:39 GMT 12
If its the image with the white underwing tanks, they look to be 250lb, though could be 500lb. I think the 250s were phased out during the KAHU upgrade.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on Apr 30, 2022 21:46:43 GMT 12
One very nice photo in my collection is of newly camouflage-painted pre-kahu (it has a hump) Skyhawk NZ6203 flying left to right over the crater lake, has two under-wing camouflaged drop tanks and a white-painted practice multiple bomb rack (PMBR with no bombs it) visible under the starboard wing. Could that be the photo you have snaphead?
Al
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Post by phil on Apr 30, 2022 23:51:23 GMT 12
Posting the photo would make this a lot easier...
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Post by snaphead on May 1, 2022 9:09:03 GMT 12
Sorry, my scanner will not scan. The aircraft is an original model with the straight inflight refuel probe, all pre Kahu. It has the white 200 gall drops and the ACM equipment hump.
I thought this was a common photo, sold by the 75 sqd knucks for their "joe" fund.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 1, 2022 9:58:52 GMT 12
I am guessing it is this shot? From HERE
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on May 1, 2022 13:59:23 GMT 12
The shot you have posted Dave is the one in my collection that I referred to. Looking through Don Simm's book, Skyhawks, there is a photo on page 70 which is probably the one snaphead is asking about. The bombs on this aircraft look to me to be Mk81 250lb HE fitted with low-drag (slick) tail fins, although the centre-line multiple ejector rack (MER) may have hi-drag (snake-eye) fins fitted to the bombs on the rear stations which are not visible in the photo. Al
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Post by snaphead on May 2, 2022 9:44:05 GMT 12
Sorry, that is not the photo I have. The camo drops are the giveaway. In fact in the photo the drop, stb, has 206 stencilled on the side about 1 foot back from the pointy end.
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Post by Brett on May 2, 2022 11:47:16 GMT 12
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on May 2, 2022 16:17:06 GMT 12
The photo on page 70 of Don Simms book SKYHAWKS and the photo from Brett are the same and match snaphead's description. A jolly good photo too and a nice one to hang on your wall. Al
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Post by snaphead on May 3, 2022 10:10:09 GMT 12
Yes, thats the one. So what size bombs are they??
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Post by phil on May 3, 2022 19:32:33 GMT 12
They look like Mk81s.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on May 3, 2022 20:04:51 GMT 12
I agree with phil, the bombs do appear to be Mk81 250lb HE bombs - probably on their way to impress the army at Waiouru ;-) Al
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Post by pepe on May 4, 2022 12:35:01 GMT 12
If you follow the link for the photo credit they are confirmed as Mk 81's
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Post by snaphead on May 5, 2022 11:39:26 GMT 12
Thanks for the response. I appreciate the assit. Did we ever have 2000lb weapons .I recall a crisp early morning at "camp Sanson" (the A4 tie dwn area). and asking an armoorer what the effect would be of an accidental drop, like what happened to the Canberra, when a practice bomb "flew " in the bomb bay.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 5, 2022 12:03:05 GMT 12
A bomb was dropped on a Bulls house by a Skyhawk in the late 1980's or early 1990's, wasn't it?
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Post by phil on May 5, 2022 19:14:27 GMT 12
We never had live Mk84 2000lb bombs. The largest we had on the skyhawks was Mk83 1000lb bombs. As well as being used with low drag tails, these also served as the warhead for the GBU-16 LGB.
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Post by snaphead on May 6, 2022 10:10:14 GMT 12
Thanks for all the assistance everyone it has cleared up a lot of miss information I had collected over the years.
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Post by davidd on May 6, 2022 11:02:22 GMT 12
snaphead, I am thinking that the NZ Canberra with a practice bomb loose in the bomb bay was probably a B.2 with 75 Squadron (Singapore), but the item rattling around in the bomb bay was (from memory) an operational 1,000 pounder. I hasten to confirm that I was not there at the time, being aged about nine, and never having served in the RNZAF, but this incident was explained in some detail in the squadron's official history sheets. I think the Canberras were normally armed for the CT strikes (Communist Terrorists, yes, they were the enemy then, hiding in the hills and jungles of Malaya) with six 1,000 pounders. Will have to see if I can find out further details, but would have been during the period 1959/60/61.
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skyman
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 82
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Post by skyman on May 6, 2022 16:26:28 GMT 12
I was present in 1970 when a 1000lb HE bomb fell from the bomb-bay of a 14 Squadron Canberra when the aircraft was being armed at the end of the runway at Ohakea. Nobody was injured, only rather shocked that such a thing could happen (I believe more laundry was required to be done that night !!). It fell from the bomb carrier about four feet to the concrete and then rolled over as the release and jettison circuits were plugged in. An investigation found a fault in the pilot's jettison switch was to blame. The bomb was then reloaded on another aircraft to be dropped in the proper manner. Al
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