Add a classic modern close air support rocket to your collection with this 2.75" / 70mm M151 High Explosive Hydra Rocket with Mark 66 Mod 2 Motor and M440 Dummy Fuze, correctly assembled on a Mark 66 Mod 2 rocket motor and finished with a CNC-machined aluminum M440 dummy fuze. Externally, it mirrors the look of a live “10-pounder” HE rocket as flown on U.S. helicopters and attack aircraft, while remaining completely inert and safe for display.
Hydra 70 and the M151 “10-Pounder.”
The Hydra 70 is the current U.S. 2.75" (70mm) rocket family, derived from the earlier Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rocket of the late 1940s and Vietnam fame. Modern Hydra rockets pair an improved Mk 66 motor with a wide range of unitary, cargo, and training warheads and are carried by platforms such as the AH-64 Apache, AH-1 Cobra/Viper, OH-58 Kiowa, UH-60 Black Hawk, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and F-16.
Within that family, the M151 High Explosive warhead is the classic general-purpose warhead—traditionally called the “10-pounder”. It uses a steel body filled with roughly 2.3 lb of Composition B-4 and weighs about 8.7 lb without fuze. On detonation, it produces a burst radius of about 10 meters, with lethal fragments capable of reaching out to 50 meters or more, making it effective against troops, light materiel, and lightly armored vehicles.
Mark 66 Mod 2 Rocket Motor – WAFAR Powerplant
The Mk 66 is the wrap-around fin rocket motor that defines the Hydra 70 system, replacing the older Mk 4/Mk 40 motors. The Mk 66 Mod 2 variant is a HERO-safe (Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance) version developed for the U.S. Navy and Air Force, using a more powerful, smokeless propellant and WAFAR (Wrap-Around Fin Aerial Rocket) fin assembly.
Typical Mk 66 motor characteristics (live configuration) include:
- Diameter: 2.75 in (70mm)
- Length: about 41.7 in
- Motor weight: about 13.6 lb
- Average thrust: roughly 1,335 lbf (Mod 2/3)
Fitted with the M151 warhead, the complete rocket forms the backbone of modern 70mm unguided rocket loadouts for close air support and armed reconnaissance.
M440 Fuze – Point-Detonating Nose Option
Hydra 70 warheads can be fitted with a range of nose fuzes, including point-detonating (PD), proximity, and programmable multi-option types. Among the PD options listed for the Hydra family is the M440 point-detonating fuze, one of several designs used to provide impact detonation for unitary warheads.
On live rounds, a PD fuze like the M440 is threaded into the nose of the M151 to initiate the explosive fill the instant the warhead strikes a target. Your rocket replicates that distinctive nose profile with a solid anodized aluminum dummy fuze, modeled directly from an original.
About This Specific Restored Rocket
- Authentic 2.75" Hydra 70 Components (Inert)
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- Built from genuine 70mm rocket components that have been fully demilitarized and rendered completely inert.
- Correct overall length and silhouette for an M151/Mk 66 combination.
- Restored M151 High Explosive “10-Pounder” Warhead (Inert)
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- Warhead body refinished to represent the olive drab M151 HE fragmentation warhead with correct yellow stenciling.
- No explosive, no live fuze—this is a display-only HE configuration, not a functioning warhead.
- Mk 66 Mod 2 Rocket Motor
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- Real Mk 66-pattern rocket motor body, externally representing the wrap-around fin Hydra 70 motor.
- Inert: no propellant grain, igniter, or energetic components.
- CNC-Machined M440 Dummy Fuze
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- Dummy M440 point-detonating fuze machined from solid aluminum in our shop.
- Modeled from an original M440, capturing the correct external shape, shoulder, and nose profile used on service rockets.
- Completely inert and permanently non-functional; for visual correctness only.
- Display-Ready Finish
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- Professionally cleaned, prepped, and painted for an authentic, service-correct look.
- Ideal as a stand-alone display piece or mounted alongside launchers, pylons, or other aviation ordnance.
This rocket is 100% inert and intended strictly for static display and educational use.
NSN / NIIN / DODIC Reference
In U.S. inventory, Hydra 70 items are cataloged under FSC 1340 – Rockets, Rocket Ammunition, and Rocket Components, with NSN and DODIC assignments that vary by warhead, motor version, and packaging configuration. While there are NSNs for generic “2.75 inch HE rocket warhead” items (for example, 1340-00-725-9484 for a high-explosive 2.75" warhead)
Ideal For
- Vietnam-era and modern attack helicopter or CAS aircraft displays
- Museum exhibits on air-to-ground ordnance, rotary-wing fire support, or the evolution of 70mm rockets
- Advanced ordnance collections focused on aviation munitions and modern HE fragmentation rockets
- Shop, hangar, or office displays where a real Hydra “10-pounder” rocket becomes an instant focal point
The M440 Dummy fuzes are manufactured in batches and have a lead time of up to 1 month. If this is an issue, please email or call to see if we have them in stock.
Approx length 16", Approx width 2.75", Approx height 2.75", Approx weight 10lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
Please visit our page about order lead times here: Order Lead Times
