Testors/Italeri 1/72 B-2 Stealth

[Madhatter]

Hi all

 

I recently purchased this kit from Tom Probert after being inspired by his amazing efforts in taming this well known beast of a kit. I tried to build this once before when I was younger and inexperienced and as expected, it didn't go so well. However, with age and children comes an infinite amount of patience so I thought I'd try it again. I really had forgotten how much of a pig this is of a kit (despite the well documented short comings). But strangely, this time, I am actually enjoying myself with it.

This is a bit of a side project to the DC10 and star ship scratch build so updates on this won't be thick and fast (but neither is fixing the problems with it)

I thought I may as well do a WIP because you don't see many of these online and it is an interesting subject.

I am contemplating making this into an inflight display and buying the 1/72 Anigrand KC-10 to go with it and show the B2 being refueled by the tanker but I also have limited shelf space left, so that may just be a pipe dream for the moment.

 

So, here's where I am at the moment.

First up - that horrid top wing joint. I'm still not 100% happy with it so I shall keep on adding putty and sanding until I am

 

 

The leading edge still has to be fixed up as you can clearly see:

 

 

 

I have started scratching up a second bomb bay:

 

 

 

And I have scratch built a bit more detail behind the cockpit. How much will actually be seen is still out in the open, but I am planning on adding a red SMD inside. Again, time will tell if that is a viable option:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obviously, the 2 parts are just resting on each other and not glued in place as yet but that'll happen soon enough. I was thinking about adding the crew access tunnel etc, but I don't think I will. Mind you, I change my mind like I change my socks, so who knows?

Well, that's it for now, but as always, thanks for stopping in and having a look

Si

 

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

I got one of these. Din't think I want to fork out US$150 for the Modelcollect one coming so I think I will build mine as well...  

 

Nice work with the cockpit.

[billn53]

Modelcollect's website shows pre-order price is just $69.99

[tomprobert]

Great to see you've made a start on this - you're doing a great job so far, too. The cockpit looks amazing. 

 

A little advice - add the cockpit glazing before you glue the top and bottom fuselage sections together. I added the glazing afterwards, and being a terrible fit (there's a suprise) it requires a lot of sanding to get it flush to the fuselage. 

 

When I did mine, a load of sanding dust got into the flightdeck and I had to cut an opening in the roof to get it all out! 

 

Will look forward to further updates... and good luck!

 

Tom

[tomprobert]

Oh and if you can get hold of the Aircraft in Miniature vac KC/DC-10 it's a far better kit than the Anigrand one, just in case you follow that mad idea through!

[Madhatter]

3 hours ago, tomprobert said:

Great to see you've made a start on this - you're doing a great job so far, too. The cockpit looks amazing. 

 

A little advice - add the cockpit glazing before you glue the top and bottom fuselage sections together. I added the glazing afterwards, and being a terrible fit (there's a suprise) it requires a lot of sanding to get it flush to the fuselage. 

 

When I did mine, a load of sanding dust got into the flightdeck and I had to cut an opening in the roof to get it all out! 

 

Will look forward to further updates... and good luck!

 

Tom

 

That's a really good tip about the glazing and one I will use. I have also read the frames are at the wrong angle, but I couldn't really tell from looking at pics of the real one. I obviously need to look harder

Also good to know about the aircraft in miniature KC10. I'll look into it later today. 

Thanks Tom!

[snapper_city]

Good job so far. Watching with interest. 

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

7 hours ago, billn53 said:

Modelcollect's website shows pre-order price is just $69.99

 

Correct, for the first hundred kits, then it goes incrementally up until the retail price is $149.99.

 

 

[Sten Ekedahl]

Don' forget the civilian camping bed in the rear part of the cockpit. Saw an interview on TV with a (female) USAF colonel B-2 pilot. IIRC she was the deputy wing commander. She said that the biggest problem flying long intercontinental missions, was the lack of bunks in the rear area. They had to lay on the hard cockpit floor there. Air force byrocracy would need several years to provide a solution. So the pilots went to the local Walmart store and bought cheap civilian camping beds themself.

[Madhatter]

I will also need to build the toilet that sits behind the co-pilot's seat. You wouldn't want to be stuck in that cockpit if one of you had an upset tummy... 

[AngstROM]

Well, what an excellent project! This kit is a little 'challenging', by all accounts but I'm sure you've seen UMM's John Vojtech having fun with it:

 

B-2 Gallery

 

It's probably best to look on the thing as a scratch-building exercise, with a few helpful components somewhere in the box...

 

And what is with the 'facilities' on these aircraft? The B-1 has a similar anti-social arrangement, whilst Tupolev's White Swan managed to arrange a reasonable degree of separation -better plumbers in the former SU? 

 

Watching this with much interest!