M118 General Purpose Bomb

M118 General Purpose Bomb. Air Force Armament Museum. The M118 is an air-dropped general purpose bomb used by United States military forces. It is designed for a higher blast effect than other general purpose bombs of comparable weight. It dates back to the time of the Korean War of the early 1950s. In the 1950s through the early 1970s the M118 was a standard aircraft weapon, carried by the F-100 Super Sabre, F-104 Starfighter, F- 105 Thunderchief and the F-4 Phantom. It was also used as a component of the BU-9/B version of the Rockwell electro-optically guided Homing Bomb System (HOBOS). As well as the Texas Instruments Paveway I series of laser guided bombs. , , The M118 has a short ogival nose, a cylindrical body, and a tapered aft end. A conical-type fin assembly is bolted to the rear of the bomb to improve its aerodynamic performance and accuracy in flight. Two conduits for an electric fuze cable harness connect the nose and tall fuze cavities with a charging receptacle located between the suspension lugs on the outer case. Since electric fuzes are not used, a plug is threaded into the charging receptacle cavity. Mechanical fuzes are used in the nose cavity, tail cavity or both. Adapter-boosters are installed in the fuze cavities to permit use of the mechanical fuzes. The bomb uses a mechanical tail fuze which projects into the airstream on the side of the tailfin cone. Approximately 65 percent of the bomb's total weight is the explosive charge. The suspension lugs are spaced 30 inches apart and are bolted into the bomb body. , , Specifications M118 General Purpose (GP) Bomb with; MAU-132 tallfin , Length 185 1/2 in with MAU-132 tallfin , Diameter of body 24 1/4 in , Weight 3049 Ibs , Explosive type Tritonal , Weight of explosive 1975 lbs of Tritonal , Fuze, Nose AN-M103A1, T750, AN-M166, M126A1 , Fuze, Tail M192 (1761), T4GE3 , Adapter-Boosters T45E1 (Nose), T46E4 (Tail) , Launch Platform F-100, F-104, F-105 and F-4 Aircraft , , This bomb is part of the USAF Heritage Program Collection , Do Not Climb, Sit Or Stand On Any Static Display Exhibit .