I've just watched this excellent video on the Mk-80 bomb series so I decided to post it in this new thread, I'm surprised that there isn't already an existing thread on the Mk-80 bomb series.
From the Mk-80 series wikipedia page:
This thread is for everything Mk-80 series related.
From the Mk-80 series wikipedia page:
American: the Mark 80 series
A Mk 82 GP bomb loaded on an F/A-18 Hornet, showing nose fuze and textured thermal insulation
During the Korean War and Vietnam War the U.S. used older designs like the M65, M117 and M118, which had an explosive content about 65% higher than most contemporary weapons. Although some of these weapons remain in the U.S. arsenal, they are little used and the M117 is primarily carried only by the B-52 Stratofortress.
The primary U.S. GP bombs are the Mark 80 series. This class of weapons uses a shape known as Aero 1A, designed by Ed Heinemann of Douglas Aircraft as the result of studies in 1946. It has a length-to-diameter ratio of about 8:1, and results in minimal drag for the carrier aircraft. The Mark 80 series was not used in combat until the Vietnam War, but has since replaced most earlier GP weapons. It includes four basic weapon types:
Vietnam service showed the Mk 81 "Firecracker" to be sub par, and it was withdrawn from U.S. service. However, recently, precision-guided variants of the Mk 81 bomb have begun a return to service, based on U.S. experience in Iraq after 2003, and the desire to reduce collateral damage compared to Mk 82 and larger bombs (e.g., when attacking a single small building in a populated area).
- Mark 81 – nominal weight 250 pounds (113 kg)
- Mark 82 – nominal weight 500 pounds (227 kg)
- Mark 83 – nominal weight 1,000 pounds (454 kg)
- Mark 84 – nominal weight 2,000 pounds (907 kg)
This thread is for everything Mk-80 series related.
