History

In 1967 Rockwell received a U.S. Air Force contract to develop an electro-optical guidance kit for the 2000 lb MK 84 bomb. The system, which became known as HOBOS (Homing Bomb System), was evaluated by F-4 Phantom units in combat in Vietnam in 1969. A HOBOS kit consisted of a nose section with the black&white TV camera and seeker electronics, strakes along the bomb body, and four cruciform tailfins with flying surfaces to control the EOGB (Electro-Optically Guided Bomb). The delivery aircraft's pilot and WSO (Weapon System Officer) had to manoeuver the aircraft to align the seeker with a target, while the WSO watched a TV screen with the camera's image. When the TV screen's center "gate" was on a target of sufficiently high image contrast, the WSO could lock the seeker. After lock-on, the bomb was released and was guided by the seeker logic toward the target

In the box

Packed in Eduards standard blister pack, the kit, if it can be called a kit, comprises of 2 GBU 8 HOBOS bombs and 2 clear resin parts for the nose sensor.
Now this is a big bomb, its comparable in size to a 1/48th Paveway, and this bomb is in 1/72nd scale.
Detail is good with the bomb strakes nicely reproduced, and the rear fins are quite thin, but not thin enough to worry about breaking them.
The clear resin parts slot into a pre-drilled hole in the nose of the bomb.
All the parts are connected to a pour plug. The bombs are connected by the tail units and the clear parts are attached to the end which fits into the bomb. Clean up should be a easy.

Decals and markings

A small decal sheet is supplied for the stencils, which are all legible. A painting guide covers the opened instruction sheet. Painting the bombs looks to be the hardest part of this kit, as several paints have to be mixed to get the correct shades for the bomb body.
All the paints are for the Mr Color and Aqueous range of paints.

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AEROSCALE.