Pin Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Flying wings are supposed to be ultimate flying machines. But for different reasons there are very few examples of successful flying wing designs. Most of aviation enthusiasts know about mighty XB-35, but have you ever heard of DB-LK - Soviet pre-WW2 attempt to build a long range bomber based on flying wing concept. ДБ-ЛК stays for "Long Range Bomber - Flying Wing", the plane was designed by Victor Belyayev and remains one of the oddest aircrafts ever flew. AMT/ERTL XB-35 kit is well known, DB-LK replica in 1:72 is represented by resin kit from AirKits http://modellingworkbench.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/db-lk-172-resin-kit-review-kajukair.html The photo of completed model by made by kit manufacturer himself Okay - let's get started. The boxes Airbrushed parts with Mr. Resin Surfacer Mounting rear turret assembly Fuselage parts glued together - had to remove a lot of resin from the side walls and do some scratch building In a mean time - assembled and painted XB-35s cockpit Joinned it with ..... a wing ?.... The canopy has developed an incurable crack when I removed if from the sprue so I decided to "push" a new one from acetate film Filled the original canopy with epoxy for strength and mounted a piece of film is attached to a piece of cardboard whith a hole that matches the canopy and heat over portable electric cooker (no open flame) once the film is hot and soft it is gently "pushed" over the mounted canopy "master" I made about 10 copies and chose the best The result Usually I use Mr.Surfacer as a primer, this time I decided to prime with Halford's Alluminium that I poured out of spay can and apply with conventional airbrush to reveal scratch marks Well well - American approach in visibly different from Russian 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiton Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 I am fun of this topic !! BD-LK very interesting plan. And B-35 is on of my modelling dream(I Have not places for this model ,-)). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 No. To your question..never heard of it but thank you for enlightening ME.. Very good start. I quite like the interesting unusual shape .. Keep it coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glueman Posted February 7, 2014 Share Posted February 7, 2014 Wow, what an amazing cockpit. When I first saw it I thought it was something from Star Trek. Is that long thing by the third forward facing seat a type of periscope? Fantastic build. Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Have to agree on cockpit detail, such a shame you won't see it all later on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Wow, what an amazing cockpit. When I first saw it I thought it was something from Star Trek. Is that long thing by the third forward facing seat a type of periscope? Fantastic build. Pete I would have called it a Bridge rather than a cockpit too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Thanks for the hint John - it is a bridge indeed - sometimes I'm struggling with my second language Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanja #66 Posted February 8, 2014 Share Posted February 8, 2014 Great stuff, XB's bridge is stunning... DB-LK is something different indeed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 Scratch built transparencies in DB-LK wings 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Great stuff, XB's bridge is stunning... DB-LK is something different indeed... A mix of types. A flying wing with a twin fuselage. Predating the Zwilling and the Twin Mustang. Looks more German though. You don't expect radical innovation from Soviet designs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 (edited) A mix of types. A flying wing with a twin fuselage. Predating the Zwilling and the Twin Mustang. DB-LK is 1939 design - long before the planes you've mentioned. Additionally, DB-LK was initially designed with two fuselages - it is not a Siamese twin thing. Looks more German though. You don't expect radical innovation from Soviet designs. Strongly disagree. There were A LOT of unusual, weird and innovative soviet pre-war planes. Just to name a few http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalinin_K-7 http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/1578/pics/1_2.jpg http://www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sam7.html http://www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sam9.html http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww2/sam13.html Edited February 9, 2014 by Pin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanja #66 Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 You don't expect radical innovation from Soviet designs. Yeah, and then they spend three years in the wind tunnel with Su-27 rotating it 360 degrees trimming and tweaking it until they got exactly the same pressure layout on both halves of the thing for every angle of attack... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 A couple of cool choices... the cockpit in the XB-35 is straight out of 50s Sci-Fi, isn't it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 A couple of cool choices... the cockpit in the XB-35 is straight out of 50s Sci-Fi, isn't it? Perhaps the other way around - XB-35 bridge has inspired B-class movie creators 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 DB-LK is 1939 design - long before the planes you've mentioned. Additionally, DB-LK was initially designed with two fuselages - it is not a Siamese twin thing. Strongly disagree. There were A LOT of unusual, weird and innovative soviet pre-war planes. Just to name a few http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalinin_K-7 http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/1578/pics/1_2.jpg http://www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sam7.html http://www.airwar.ru/enc/xplane/sam9.html http://www.airwar.ru/enc/fww2/sam13.html Thank you, a day when you learn something is never a day wasted. Considering the reputation in the west of the Soviet Union under Stalin it does supprise me to see so much thinking outside the box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 16, 2014 Author Share Posted February 16, 2014 Well covers are contaminated with sink marks and air screws are quite flashy. Cured and primed Propeller shafts are in place. Some putty was needed but not much Finally all the major parts are glued together. This beast is quite large I was ready to fight with large gaps but the fit is in fact rather good Sharpened trailing edges 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Lovely build so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_W Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 It is a big beast indeed. Going to be impressive when it's done. Shame they never made it in to service 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 17, 2014 Author Share Posted February 17, 2014 Inspiring video - thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 17, 2014 Author Share Posted February 17, 2014 One more - in colour 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanja #66 Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 That thing is glorious in it's size... Just had a look at it's wingspan - 52.4m (172ft), just like B-2 Spirit... Not one bit surprised... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viking Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Don't know how I've missed this up to now, but glad I found it. Fantastic looking subjects , that XB-35 cockpit looks like the bridge of the starship Enterprise, as others have said, and I see you are doing youn usual stunning build! Cheers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mxyzptlk Posted February 17, 2014 Share Posted February 17, 2014 Some impressive work so far. That video of the YB-49 inflight makes me want to dig out my AMT/ERTL YB-49 to build (I have the XB/YB-35 kit as well). The thing in flight makes it look like an escapee from a Sci Fi movie. I wonder what the reaction was, if the general public saw it in flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jckspratt1 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Wow, this is impressive on so many levels. Great modelling and subjects (never even heard of the Russian job), and I've learned so much here. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shalako Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Fantastic looking subjects , that XB-35 cockpit looks like the bridge of the starship Enterprise, Totally agree!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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