German Bomb ID Help Required

[Rockteer]

SD50 Bomb

Hi Phil,

Thanks for that. I am attaching a pic of a damged set of fins that I had displayed on the SD50 but I was convinced that they were wrong for the bomb. Are these in fact the correct fins for the SD50?

Thanks

Dan

 

[Rockteer]

Also, you may find these pics from a recent visit to the IWM London interesting. Love the way the incendiary bombs are displayed!

 

[Fusse2004]

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Hello! This do not plot-hurry belonged on a German SD-50 bomb. That is part a US bomb!!! Harry

 

[Tmine35]

Also, you may find these pics from a recent visit to the IWM London interesting. Love the way the incendiary bombs are displayed!

The both bombs in picture seem to be SD50, the red one with fins made of steel sheet and black one with fins of cast alloy.

 

[Rockteer]

Hi to all, and thanks to everyone for their assistance on this one!

Just to clear things up I am still not sure if the cast alli tail I have (see pics) is ok for an SD50 or not? it looks pretty much the same as the one in the IWM (see photo) It certainly looks British and was being used as a flower pot in the London area! However what confused me even more is that in the After the Battle Blitz book it says the SD50 was sheet steel tail?

Being a new member I warned you all about my dumb questions and I think I have really driven the point home on this post.

Thanks again

Dan

 

[Tmine35]

The black bomb in your picture is SD50 and has an alloy tail. Try yours if it fits on your bomb, if it fits it shoyuld be o.k.

 

[Rockteer]

Thanks T-Mine! I will try it and post a pic, it looks ok to me but I am no expert - after all I very nearly started work on some SC50 fins for my SD50 bomb! Now that would have been final confirmation of my inexperience!

 

[Fusse2004]

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Hello! I do not agree with the statement of T-Mine35! I do not know a tail unit for German bombs whether that is 50 or 250 kg of bombs be-being those from a poured Matrial! The Matrial for German tail units were always from steel sheet.

 

[Tmine35]

Fusse, what do you think of this tail:http://www.bocn.co.uk/vbforum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7461&d=1234431797 it's clearly cast alloy.

 

[Fusse2004]

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I have that gesehn!!!! But I do not believe that the original German am. In my documents never on a poured tail unit one reported. German Black Bomb for wat?????? Harry

 

[Tmine35]

Hi Harry, I have neither seen any documents showing cast alloy tails in small bombs ( except SD1 ), but in 1000 kilo bombs yes.
However this bomb in all respects looks like SD70 including tail that fits nicely on it. Black color may be painted later on, the same with red color on the other bomb in same pictures.

 

[blu97]

Hope this page of the OP 1666 clears it, I hope you can read it but it is stated that there are 2 types of tails. One with a cast alloy adapter with steel fins and one made in one piece made of cast magnesium alloy. This is correct because we have both tails in our collection.
Blu.

 

[Fusse2004]

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Ashes on my head!!! Thanks for the instruction. Harry:sad:

 

[Tmine35]

Thanks Blu, that confirms my thoughts.

 

[Rockteer]

Hi, Just to set the cat amongst pigeons, I have a lump of tail fin (cast alloy) that was picked up by a school boy during world war two from a bomb crater! Also the example I have was reputed to having being dropped during World War Two over London (hence damge).

The small locating screws on the cast alloy tail fin locate perfectly with the recessed collar of my SD50 (see pics).

Thanks

Dan

 

[Rockteer]

Hello Blue 97, Thanks for the information you beat me to my post! Any chance of posting a pic of your tail unit?

Dan

 

[Tmine35]

Yes Rockteer, they fit together. Good luck indeed.

 

[blu97]

At last found some time to take some pics. The first two shows the alloy tail, I didn't remove as I was afraid of damaging the paint. The other pics are of the sheet steel tail. The adapter is a bit differnt than the manual states, ours is also made of sheet steel and is screwed to the base end of the bomb. I also have seen one which was made from a ticker steel but was unabl to take pics becaus I forgot my camera ( you should never forget it).

 

[blu97]

last two pics.

 

[Rockteer]

Alloy/Steel tail fins

Hi Blu97,

Thanks so much for taking the time to post the pics of the cast alloy fins, it really helps seeing the beast in the flesh. I am now looking at ways I can repair my tail unit but being cast alloy is very difficult. I originally hoped I could make up a complex insert piece and have it welded but cast alloy does not take a weld at all! Someone suggested using fibre glass to recreate the missing part, one advantage to this I guess is that it could be removed thus preserving the fin 'as is'. I just don't like using modern materials and it just feels that this would be wrong somehow?

Anyway, thanks again, any advice/comments would be appreciated.

Dan