Many or maybe even most know of the Mk.82 bomb- it’s been used for many years as the primary unguided, general purpose low drag bomb. It is convertible to precision guided with a seeker head and fins (which can make it a GBU-12 Paveway II or a GBU-38 JDAM) and this has seen use for many years. To make the bomb available for use at low level bomb runs and not have the plane hit by bomb fragments, the Mk.82 can be fitted with a special tail unit (the Mk. 15) which opens in a cruciform shape and slows the descent enough to allow the plane to be gone when the bomb explodes. This bomb is the Mk.82 with Mk.15 tail unit but it is commonly called the Mk. 82 Snake Eye. And that is what this review is about.

Eduard’s 1/32^nd scale set includes enough parts to make six Mk. 82 Snake Eye bombs. The set consists of six resin Mk.82 bodies, six sets of Mk. 15 fins and six fuses and six plugs. A set of instructions and a decal sheet are also included. Construction is simple- remove the casting block on the tail unit and bomb. Make sure the surfaces are even and parallel to one another and glue the fins to the bomb. I had to do slight putty work around the seam and smoothed with a Qtip and lacquer thinner. Once done, I primed with Alclad gray, let dry and painted the bomb olive drab. The fuse and plugs were painted also. There is a complete set of decals with each bomb receiving five each. I was worried about the yellow bands but they settled very well and look good. These could also be painted. If you look at the pictures, you can see the excellent resolution on the bomb markings. Once dry, I added a wash and wiped it off to highlight the excellent fin detail and then added Dull Cote. I showed both nose attachments in the picture and they are just pushed into place to allow a choice later.

With all the detailed models coming out, it was always a weak point in the weaponry being under detailed. The kits have improved but the Eduard sets are still night and day above. Most highly recommended.

My thanks to Eduard and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this great set.