Matra Bomb Carrier name or part number?

[Gondor]

Brilliant! Looks much better than the old Hasegawa one.

I think you are getting mixed up with the MER, which is for carrying larger forms of ordinance, rather than this, which is just for practice bombs only.

[Charlie_c67]

It's the ones under the F-15 seen here that I meant. I think it's a SUU-20? Realise it's not exactly the same design, but it is the only other training pod I can think of and isn't the most refined.

[Gondor]

It's the ones under the F-15 seen here that I meant. I think it's a SUU-20? Realise it's not exactly the same design, but it is the only other training pod I can think of and isn't the most refined.

True, and the advantage of the type in that picture is that it can be loaded with four rockets as well, and yes, you are correct, that is an SUU-20 dispenser.

[NARSES2]

I'm still trying to get to grips with what 3D printing can do 

I still remember me and "Young Nick" watching a 3D printer in action at the childrens gallery in the London Science Museum many, many years ago.  It was just about capable of printing a rectangular solid block 

[scautomoton]

I'm still trying to get to grips with what 3D printing can do 

I still remember me and "Young Nick" watching a 3D printer in action at the childrens gallery in the London Science Museum many, many years ago.  It was just about capable of printing a rectangular solid block 

Ha, yes its fair to say things have moved on since then. Especially when you consider that some new aircraft use laser sintered 3d metal printed door hinges.....

Consider this, the entry point for a SLA Resin printer (which I use) can be as low as a couple of notes short of £140. But you then need to buy some resin at ~£15/L which will last a while for a beginner, and also a wash/cure station for ~£80, then say 5L of IPA (alcohol not beer!). So for ~£250 you can get up and running quite cheaply.

Plus Fusion 360 from Autodesk is a free CAD package, and Chitubox (to turn CAD files into sliced files for the printer) is also free. 

So as a hobby/enterprise its shockingly accessible. There is, however, quite a learning curve in terms of orienting objects so they print correctly and repetitively without annoying print failures.

[jcf]

The PMBR specification was cancelled several years ago, now it appears that the USN/USMC just use adapters mounted to the standard BRU-41/A MER.

[NARSES2]

So as a hobby/enterprise its shockingly accessible. There is, however, quite a learning curve in terms of orienting objects so they print correctly and repetitively without annoying print failures.

I think that's the point. Now bearing in mind when I was at school we did metalwork, woodwork and technical drawing, all of which were intended to prepare you for the workplace I wonder if teaching the art of 3D printing is a way forward for some youngsters ? It may well be being taught already for all I know, I'm way removed from the classroom.

[scautomoton]

I think its more than plausible for schools to have filament 3d printers (a lot less messy than SLA resin) to give pupils a taste. Similarly, basic CAD wouldn't be unreasonable either. 

When I think back 20 years to my Uni days, we learned all the hands-on Engineering stuff (Milling, Turning, welding, Electro-discharge Machining etc) and the digital side (CAD, CAM, Optimisation etc). And with the continued steer towards digital skills I wouldn't be surprised if some of these topics are covered, even at a very high level, in Upper School these days.