Put a full-size modern rocket on your wall, rack, or pod with this 2.75" / 70mm M229 High Explosive (17-Pounder) Hydra Rocket, correctly assembled on a Mark 66 Mod 2 rocket motor and finished with a machined, anodized M440 dummy fuze. Externally, it mirrors the look of a service-ready “17-pounder” HE round as carried by U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force aircraft—while being completely inert and non-functional.
The M440 dummy fuze is made in our machine shop from solid 6061 aluminum, then anodized and hand ink-marked, and is dimensionally modeled from an original fuze for maximum authenticity.
M229 High Explosive – The 17-Pounder Hydra Warhead
The M229 HE warhead is the heavier, elongated evolution of the classic M151 “10-pounder”. It is a high-explosive fragmentation, general-purpose warhead that greatly increases the destructive footprint of the 70mm rocket system.
Key reference characteristics (live warhead):
- Type: High Explosive (HE) warhead
- Description: Elongated version of the M151, commonly called the “17-pounder.”
- Length (with fuze): about 26 in (66 cm)
- Fuzed weight: about 17 lb (7.7 kg)
- Explosive filler: approximately 4.8 lb of Composition B-4 high explosive
- Roughly 50% increase in lethal area compared to the M151 10-pounder warhead
In service, rockets with the M229 warhead provide improved aerial artillery capability, used from rotary-wing platforms (AH-64 Apache, AH-1 Cobra/Viper, UH-60, OH-58) and fixed-wing aircraft (A-10, F-16, F/A-18, AV-8, etc.) for anti-personnel, anti-materiel, and area suppression missions.
Mk 66 Mod 2 Rocket Motor – WAFAR Power for Hydra 70
Your rocket is built on the Mk 66 Mod 2 rocket motor, part of the Hydra 70 family’s evolution from older Mk 4/Mk 40 FFAR motors. The Mk 66 was introduced:
- A more powerful, smokeless propellant
- A wrap-around fin (WAFAR) tail section that hugs the rocket body in the tube and flips out sideways on launch
- Canted nozzle to spin-stabilize the rocket while the fins deploy
Mk 66 Mod 2 is the HERO-safe (Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation to Ordnance) variant developed for the U.S. Navy and Air Force. Live Mk 66 motors are approximately 41.7 in long and weigh about 13.6 lb, with an average thrust of about 1,335 lbf for Mod 2/3 motors.
On aircraft, a complete M229/Mk 66 rocket gives pilots a powerful, relatively compact HE punch, typically carried in 7- or 19-tube launchers such as the M260, M261, LAU-68, and LAU-131.
M440 Point-Detonating Fuze – SQ & Delay
Hydra 70 warheads can be fitted with several point-detonating and proximity fuzes. The M440 is one of the nose-mounted point-detonating (PD) options listed for the Hydra family. Reference data describe M440 as a point-detonating fuze within the standard Hydra fuzing matrix, providing super-quick impact action and, when configured, delay options to optimize detonation in open terrain or after penetrating light cover.
While many live M229 rounds are fielded with the M423 fuze, the M440 remains a recognized PD fuze type for 70mm rockets—making it a historically appropriate choice for a nose-fuzed HE display rocket.
Your rocket uses a dummy M440 fuze that faithfully captures the external look of a live Hydra nose fuze.
About This Specific Rocket
- Authentic 2.75" / 70mm Hydra Assembly (Inert)
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- Built from genuine Hydra components that have been fully demilitarized and rendered inert.
- Correct overall silhouette for a 2.75" rocket with M229 17-pounder warhead and Mk 66 motor, configured as a live-service round, would appear on the rail.
- Inert M229 High Explosive 17-Pounder Warhead (Display Only)
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- Restored exterior to represent the olive drab M229 HE fragmentation warhead with appropriate yellow HE markings.
- No explosive filler, no functioning fuze, this warhead is display-only.
- Mk 66 Mod 2 Rocket Motor (Inert)
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- Real Mk 66 pattern rocket motor body, externally correct for a Hydra 70 WAFAR motor.
- Completely inert: no propellant grain, igniter, or energetic components.
- 6061 Aluminum M440 Dummy Fuze – Anodized & Hand-Marked
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- Machined from solid 6061 aluminum in our shop for strength and corrosion resistance.
- Anodized for a hard, durable finish with a clean, professional look.
- Hand-ink-marked to echo the appearance of original production markings.
- Dimensionally modeled from an original M440 fuze, giving the rocket an accurate nose profile and visual detail without any internal fuze mechanism.
- Completely Inert & Non-Functional
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- No explosive, no propellant, no live fuze components.
NSN / NIIN / DODIC Reference (Live-Service Round)
For collectors and researchers, the live Rocket, High Explosive, 2.75-Inch with M229 Warhead appears in U.S. ammunition references with the following identifiers:
DODIC / DODAC H488 – ROCKET, 2.75 INCH HE WITH WARHEAD M229
- NSN 1340-00-143-7101 – Rocket, 2.75 inch HE with warhead M229, unassembled
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These identifiers apply to live rockets and are provided purely for historical and cataloging reference. They are not marked on this inert restored rocket, and this item is not a controlled munition.
Ideal For
- Vietnam-era and modern attack helicopter displays (AH-1, AH-64, UH-60, OH-58, etc.)
- Fixed-wing CAS and multirole aircraft exhibits (A-10, F-16, F/A-18, AV-8, and others that carried Hydra pods)
- Museums and training institutions teaching modern air-to-ground ordnance, rocket fuzing, and aerial artillery concepts
- Advanced ordnance collections where an accurate M229 17-pounder Hydra rocket is a must-have centerpiece
Approx length 66", Approx width 2.75", Approx height 2.75", Approx weight 22lbs.
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.
