Description
U.S. Mark 82 Mod 1 500-lb General Purpose Bomb with M904E2 Nose Fuze, Mark 5 Mod 1 Fuze Drive, and Mark 15 Mod 6 Snakeye Fin
This inert U.S. Mark 82 Mod 1 General Purpose Bomb is configured with an M904E2 nose fuze, Mark 5 Mod 1 fuze drive, and Mark 15 Mod 6 Snakeye bomb fin. The complete display is mounted on a custom steel stand, creating an impressive example of Cold War and Vietnam-era American aircraft ordnance.
The Mark 82 belongs to the Mk 80-series low-drag general-purpose bomb family and is the 500-pound-class member of that series. It became one of the most widely used American aircraft bomb designs of the modern era and has remained important because the same basic bomb body can accept different fuzes, fins, retarders, and precision-guidance kits.
This example is an inert display assembly and contains no live explosive fill. The existing Ordnance.com identification lists DODAC/DODIC/DDAC 1325-F243, NSN 1325-00-580-1779, and NAVAIR/NAVSEA P/N LD165796INERT for this display configuration.
Historical Significance
The Mk 80-series bomb family was developed after World War II as the U.S. military moved toward a standardized family of streamlined, low-drag aircraft bombs. The family included the Mk 81 250-pound, Mk 82 500-pound, Mk 83 1,000-pound, and Mk 84 2,000-pound classes.
The Mk 82 became especially important during the Vietnam War. Its relatively compact size allowed aircraft to carry several bombs while still providing substantial blast and fragmentation effects against general battlefield targets.
Over the following decades, Mk 82-family bombs appeared on aircraft such as the F-4 Phantom II, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair II, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-15E Strike Eagle, A-10 Thunderbolt II, F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet, and B-52 Stratofortress.
The design also became the basis for later precision-guided weapons. A Mk 82-family bomb body can be combined with guidance packages to create weapons such as the GBU-12 Paveway II and 500-pound-class JDAM configurations. The bomb in this listing, however, is presented in its traditional unguided configuration rather than as a GBU.
What This Item Is and Does
A live Mk 82 is a general-purpose aircraft bomb designed to produce blast and fragmentation effects.
The basic bomb body provides a common platform that can be fitted with different nose and tail components depending on the intended aircraft, delivery method, and mission.
This display combines several important components from that system:
- Mark 82 Mod 1 bomb body
- M904E2 nose fuze
- Mark 5 Mod 1 fuze drive
- Mark 15 Mod 6 Snakeye retarding fin
- Custom steel display stand
Together, these components show much more of the complete aircraft-bomb system than a bare Mk 82 body alone.
M904E2 Nose Fuze
The M904E2 is a mechanical bomb nose fuze associated with Mk 80-series general-purpose bombs.
It was designed as an impact-functioning fuze with provisions for delayed or rapid functioning depending on the authorized configuration. It became a familiar nose-fuze design on U.S. conventional aircraft bombs during the Vietnam and Cold War periods.
The large pointed M904 profile is also one of the most recognizable features of period Mk 82 bomb assemblies.
Mark 5 Mod 1 Fuze Drive
The component commonly described in this listing as the Mark 5 Mod 1 Drive Fuze is more precisely a Mk 5 Mod 1 fuze drive.
It formed part of the mechanical arming system used with compatible Mk 3, Mk 4, and Mk 5 arming assemblies. Navy technical documentation identifies the Mk 5 Mod 1 as the governed-drive version used with low-drag general-purpose and Snakeye bomb configurations.
Mark 15 Mod 6 Snakeye Bomb Fin
The Mark 15 Mod 6 is a retarding-fin assembly associated with the Mk 82 and commonly known as part of the Snakeye system.
Unlike a conventional fixed conical fin, the Snakeye design used large folding drag surfaces. In service, the retarding configuration increased aerodynamic drag after release. This provided greater separation between a low-flying aircraft and the bomb.
The Mark 15 series became strongly associated with Vietnam-era low-altitude strike operations. The Mod 6 was a later refinement of this established Snakeye fin family and remained associated with Mk 82 installations. Navy documentation specifically identifies the Mk 15 Mod 6 fin assembly for the Mk 82.
Key Features
- Official bomb designation: Mark 82 Mod 1
- Common designation: Mk 82
- Type: General Purpose Bomb
- Nominal class: 500 lb
- Status of this item: Inert display assembly
- DODAC / DODIC / DDAC: 1325-F243
- NSN: 1325-00-580-1779
- NAVAIR / NAVSEA P/N: LD165796INERT
- Nose fuze: M904E2
- Fuze-drive component: Mark 5 Mod 1
- Fin assembly: Mark 15 Mod 6
- Fin type: Snakeye retarding fin
- Era: Cold War / Vietnam War through later service
- Country: United States
- Application: Fixed-wing military aircraft
- Display stand: Custom fabricated steel stand
Why This Item Matters
The Mk 82 is one of the most recognizable conventional aircraft bombs ever placed in U.S. service, but a display with the correct period components offers much more historical value than a bare bomb body.
The M904E2 nose fuze shows the impact-fuze system associated with conventional delivery. The Mk 5 Mod 1 fuze drive represents the mechanical arming equipment, while the Mk 15 Mod 6 Snakeye fin shows how the same basic bomb could be adapted for low-altitude delivery.
The result is an excellent cross-section of the equipment and engineering that surrounded the Mk 82 during the Vietnam and Cold War periods.
About This Item
This is an inert Mark 82 Mod 1 configured display assembly with an M904E2 nose fuze, Mark 5 Mod 1 fuze drive, Mark 15 Mod 6 Snakeye fin, and custom steel display stand. The existing product record identifies it as a configured inert display rather than a live bomb.
The bomb may show scratches, finish wear, paint variation, staining, oxidation, faded markings, handling marks, and other signs of age or military storage.
Ideal For
- Vietnam War aviation collections
- Mk 82 bomb displays
- Snakeye bomb collections
- U.S. Navy aviation displays
- U.S. Air Force ordnance collections
- F-4 Phantom II displays
- A-6 and A-7 aircraft exhibits
- F-16 and F/A-18 displays
- Aircraft-armament museums
- Cold War military collections
- Inert ordnance collections
- Technical and educational exhibits
- Large museum centerpiece displays
Approx length 95", Approx width 45", Approx height 70", Approx weight 700 lbs.
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.
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