Bomb Type query

[Beeayeate]

Possibly someone here could help with some gen for a recent query I've had regarding an "M117" Type GP bomb. Is there/was there such a thing in the RAF's inventory? If so, what size (poundage) was it? Was it part of a "family" of bombs? My correspondent seems to believe that it was used by us in Korea.

Hope someone can help. Thanks in advance.

[StbdD]

If you were dropping ordnance of U.S. origin, yes. The U.S. M117 was a 750 LB GP bomb which was first employed in Korea and is still in the U.S. inventory.

Also notable as the worlds first laser guided bomb (BOLT 117) with the addition of an appropriate seeker head and control surfaces.

[Pontius Navigator]

A British Mk117 refers to the tail unit. The Mark 107 was a simple tail cone and fins. The Mark 117 incorporates filp out vanes and parachute webbing to retard the bomb.

Both Mk107 and Mk117 use the same bomb body.

The BL755 uses the Mk119 available for £25 from surplus stores.

[Beeayeate]

PN
Thanks for that, I'll pass that gen along.

StbD
Thanks for your info. May have mislead you a bit as I notice now that I didn't put the "us" in capital letters in my original post. Reads as if the UK used the hardware.

Background to the query is that I was asked if anything could be found out about this "ordnance" or, as it now seems, this bit of hardware. Seems that when the Argies bought their Canberras from us (early 70s), supply of M117 "bombs" was part of the package. Any comment on that?

Surprised that my query has been moved away from the history forum by the mod(s), but there must be a reason I guess. :confused: Maybe someone can tell me.

[Pontius Navigator]

Canberras and M117's makes sense. The 117 tails can be delivered from low level with fairly crude aiming equipment. The Vulcan used a bit of plastic with some fancy name that I can't remember but the dates fit as the 117's came in to service around the time of the '67 war when the Israelis demonstrated a need for a retard weapon. We had the 117 tail at that time but while not exactly secret it was not widely advertised.

The current US series of bombs are 8n s.

[FJJP]

It was the Co Pilot's Visual Bombsite, pre-curser to the SFOM [and don't ask for a translation for SFOM!]

[rivetjoint]

The US still use the Mk117 is large numbers, definately from a Buff not sure about any other platforms, as a "general purpose" bomb. The Mk82/3/4 reference these days tends to refer more to the explosive part of the munition rather than the package name. The primary bomb name tends to reflect its guidance and propulsion (yes on a bomb!) these days.

[Clarence Oveur]

Mk 117 (http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/dumb/m117.htm)

[Stray Fin]

We still use the 117 tail, usually strapped to 1000lb of HE -equivalent to the US Mk83 GP bomb with HD (high drag) tail. The 117 tail is still manufactured in the cental/south of the UK - predominantly for the Saudis.