Shawn Hull (Shull24.com)

1/48 GBU-31(V)3/B JDAM

Product # 4817

Product Article by Lutz Gretschel of F-15E Strike Eagle.com

 

 

 

Manufacturer:            Shull24.com
Product Number:       4817
Product:                    GBU-31(V)3/B JDAM (BLU-109 Penetrator Warhead)
Scale:                       1/48
Notes:                       - Set includes fine moulded resin parts for two highly detailed GBU-31 JDAMs
                                 - excellent fit
                                 - easy alignment of parts
Credit:          I would like to thank Shawn Hull of Shull24.com for the review sample.

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The GBU-31(V)3/B JDAM Set is the latest release from Shawn Hull's line of 1/48 scale resin weapons sets. The set contains enough parts to build two highly detailed bomb units.

The bomb bodies are built from two parts. The front part consists of the BLU-109 penetrator warhead with the JDAM strap on kit already cast in place while the rear part consists of the JDAM tailkit.

Fit of the parts is nothing less than excellent and a perfect alignment is achieved almost automatically. The tailkit virtually slides onto the bomb body, a drop of cyano and you're done. No nervewrecking alignment of the fins - as with other weapons kits - is required, since the thin fins are already cast to the tailkit. What's left to do is to glue the GPS antenna into place and start painting.

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Once painted, the bombs build up into beautiful highly detailed replicas. Comparing the parts with reference photos of the GBU-31(V)3/B in the 'Reference Photos' section of my website, I must say that Shawn has once again done an outstanding job. None of the details is missing, everything looks just like the real thing.

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Modelers who want to load Shawn's beautiful JDAM replica to their F-15E model should consider that JDAM requires the MIL-STD 1776 databus for data transfer between the aircraft and the weapon system. Operational F-15Es have been updated with the new databus on five of its 15 bomb racks. Illustrations above show all possible weapons stores and one loadout configuration that was used by aircraft of the 492nd FS during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This kit is highly recommended for those who want to build their F-15E Strike Eagle with one of the recent loadouts used during Operation Iraqi Freedom.


Rap.

Photos and text © by Lutz Gretschel