BOMBING WEEK - Royal New Zealand Air Force

the process before returning to Whenuapai. From takeoff from Ohakea to
landing at Whenuapai took just under two hours.
Normally the bombs are dropped at the Kaipara Bombing Range, an
uninhabited coastal strip north of Auckland. Due to unusually low rainfall
the range was considered a fi re risk and couldn’t be used.
It was a successful and productive week for Armourers and Aircrew alike
with six sorties fl own and 16 Mk82 bombs and 72 BDU48s dropped.
MK82 GENERAL
PURPOSE BOMB
The MK82 is a free-fall, non-guided general purpose [GP] 500pound
bomb. The bomb used by No.5 Squadron is equipped with
a mechanical M904E3 (nose) fuse. While general purpose bombs
may use both nose and tail fuses and conical or retarded tail fi ns,
the MK80 series bombs used by No.5 squadron are high drag with
a high drag tail allowing time for the aircraft to get out of the
fragmentation envelope.
The MK80 series was developed in the 1950s in response to the
need for bombs producing less aerodynamic drag. All MK80 series
bombs are similar in construction. MK-80 series bombs are cylindrical
in shape and are equipped with conical fi ns or retarders for external
high-speed carriage. The RNZAF’s MK82s are fi tted for nose fuses to
ensure reliability and to simulate depth charges.
They always have a fuse and delay element but for the purposes
of the recent exercise the delay was set to zero seconds to explode
on the sea surface.
www.airforce.mil.nz
AFN69, APRIL 06
Armourer AC Ed Garvey makes fi nal adjustments
to a bomb in the Orion’s bomb bay.
A MK82 general purpose bomb opens its springloaded
fi ns as it drops from the Orion’s wing.
A red fl ag on the runway indicates the Orion is being ‘bombed’ up.
OH 06-0098-10
OH 06-0098-12
WN 06-0123-01
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