North American B45: the RAF penetrations

[TheBaron]

No sniggering at the back :0

I've been interested for some time in the deep penetration flights the RAF flew from Sculthorpe in the mid 50s using RB45Cs and am considering building one of these reconnaissance birds, given the dramatic nature of these missions. My question is: who actually makes B45 models?

I can't imagine there's actually an RB45C available OOB and a quick web search only showed up a B45 from Mach2 at an eye watering $95 in 1/72.

Cheers,

Tony

[Giorgio N]

Not too many options for the B-45: the Mach 2 short run or some older vacform kits from Gerald Elliott, Aeroform and maybe others

[TheBaron]

Thanks Giorgio,

I've just seen bentwaters81tfw had a post of the same Mach 2 model here:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234959587-north-american-b-45-tornado-mach2-172/

It seems the Mach2 build is the only game in town but at the prices being quoted too much for me.

A pity as it might have looked interesting in RAF markings...

[Julien]

Its $54 plus postage from hannants.

Julien

[Gmat]

It also has the extra parts to make an RB-45C.

Grant

[TheBaron]

...and Hannants has that Westland Sikorsky as well. You were both clearly sent by the devil. Now to check the savings account...

Thanks for the pointers lads,

Tony

[Julien]

[Graham Boak]

Be warned, if you weren't already aware, that the Mach 2 kits require a lot of work, and their transparencies tend to be cloudy. I speak from limited personal experience, but not of the B-45.

[TheBaron]

Thanks Graham,

I'd seen another thread on this forum somewhere in which 'issues' were also mentioned with the B45. I'm having to hold off on this purchase anyway at present as after checking I see that I need some necessary fiscal adjustments to my quantative easing portfolio (ie. spent too much on Hannants and Ebay this month already...)

Appreciate your input on this,

Tony

[Biggles81]

You didn't mention a scale preference (assuming 1/72) but there is also the eyewateringly expensive Collectaire 1/48 scale kit (assuming it is even still available):

http://www.ipmsusa.org/reviews/Kits/Aircraft/collectaire_48_b45/collectaire_48_b45.htm

[TheBaron]

You didn't mention a scale preference (assuming 1/72) but there is also the eyewateringly expensive Collectaire 1/48 scale kit (assuming it is even still available):

http://www.ipmsusa.org/reviews/Kits/Aircraft/collectaire_48_b45/collectaire_48_b45.htm

Holy Bovine Biggles! Only Russian oligarchs must be able to afford that one in their stash...

[Ivor Ramsden]

I built the Mach2 B-45 some years ago as a RAF-marked aircraft shortly after the museum (see my signature) received the flying log book of a RAF pilot who had spent a period flying them. To say his log book entries for the period were vague would be understating the situation. Whatever he did, he was awarded the Air Force Cross some time later.

I don't remember anything too nightmarish about the actual build. In addition to needing to clean up the parts to remove surface marks and mould ejector pin marks on the insides I think I had to make some adjustments to the shape somewhere but there was nothing like the psychosis-inducing problems that other forum members always seem to have with Mach2 kits. It's not Airfix or Hasegawa and it needs a bit of modelling skill to build but it's the only way you'll get a B-45.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Ivor Ramsden

[TheBaron]

I built the Mach2 B-45 some years ago as a RAF-marked aircraft shortly after the museum (see my signature) received the flying log book of a RAF pilot who had spent a period flying them. To say his log book entries for the period were vague would be understating the situation. Whatever he did, he was awarded the Air Force Cross some time later.

I don't remember anything too nightmarish about the actual build. In addition to needing to clean up the parts to remove surface marks and mould ejector pin marks on the insides I think I had to make some adjustments to the shape somewhere but there was nothing like the psychosis-inducing problems that other forum members always seem to have with Mach2 kits. It's not Airfix or Hasegawa and it needs a bit of modelling skill to build but it's the only way you'll get a B-45.

Hi Ivor. Great to hear from you. The log book sounds fascinating. Was the pilot in question based at Sculthorpe by any chance?

[Julien]

The Mach2 kit is not too bad, my friend Frank built one on here if you want to see his build;

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234955179-mach-2-b-45-172-scale-picture-heavy/?hl=%2Bb-45+%2Bmach

Julien

[popeye]

Tony - if you are going to tackle the Mach2 Tornado you might want to have a look here:

http://hyperscale.com/features/2004/rb45crb_1.htm

Rolf

[TheBaron]

The Mach2 kit is not too bad, my friend Frank built one on here if you want to see his build;http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234955179-mach-2-b-45-172-scale-picture-heavy/?hl=%2Bb-45+%2BmachJulien

Cheers Julien. Your man Frank had a good wrestle with that one! All credit to him for getting the results he did. Interesting to see on the thread there was a Collect Aire 1/48 (resin?) version.

Tony - if you are going to tackle the Mach2 Tornado you might want to have a look here:

http://hyperscale.com/features/2004/rb45crb_1.htm

Rolf

Hi Rolf. Gawd. That and reading a couple of WIPs leaves me feeling underwhelmed at this particular kit quality, given the ££ involved. Thanks for the heads-up.

Tony

[JohnT]

I think there is at least 1 good chapter in"Spy Flights of the Cold War"

My copy at home but with family on holiday this week

[Ivor Ramsden]

Hi Ivor. Great to hear from you. The log book sounds fascinating. Was the pilot in question based at Sculthorpe by any chance?

Yes he was.

[TheBaron]

I think there is at least 1 good chapter in"Spy Flights of the Cold War"

My copy at home but with family on holiday this week

Spot on John. That's where I first came across it in Paul Lashmar's book. Chapter 5: 'Sculpthorpe Skullduggery'.

Curtis Peebles devotes a few pages to these missions (pp.24-27) in his later 'Shadow Flights' book as does William E. Burrows in his 'By Any Means Necessary' (pp131-135). Neither author though adds any new material to Lashmar's original research, so preseume they relied upon his account.

Lashmar also mentions a BBC 'Timewatch' documentary from 1994 in his Introduction doesn't he?. I'd love to see it but haven't been able to track any old VHS transfers down through the web.

Yes he was.

I wonder was he one of the lads in this photo of the Special Duty Flight at Sculthorpe (the pic is from Lashmar's book):

[Dave Fleming]

I have both a VHS and the original and follow up articles at home somewhere. I also managed to work out the serial of at least one of the USAF aircraft used (although removed for the mission)

[rholland]

Fascinating stuff, this. Why the huge fin flashes, one wonders? "We Are Not Americans" last line of defence? What an interesting period this was.

Richard in NZ

[Ivor Ramsden]

edit: Ref TheBaron's post & photo above, which I thought I'd quoted but hadn't:

"I wonder was he one of the lads in this photo of the Special Duty Flight at Sculthorpe" end edit

I couldn't possibly say......

He was only with the 91st SRW at Sculthorpe from late October to the end of December 1952. There is no real detail of his flights other than their duration but several logbook entries include the word "profile". Sometimes this is referred to as abortive, and vague reasons are given, but on two occasions the profile flights were of long duration. One can only guess what he was up to. I wish I knew.

I met him on a number of occasions; he joined the RAF in 1943, was flying Lancasters operationally by 1945, flew bombers throughout the 1950s plus a lot of weird experimental radar stuff and was still flying in the RAF until 1967. His old Navigator is still around. I'll try to contact him and ask if he knows anything. The problem is, a lot of these old boys take the word secrecy very seriously and, even 60 years later, me might not say anything. You've got to admire them for that in these days of Wikileaks and the like.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Ivor Ramsden

[Ivor Ramsden]

I also managed to work out the serial of at least one of the USAF aircraft used (although removed for the mission)

The log book entries include 3-figure serials which might be the last 3 of the USAF serials. They are 023, 029, 036 and 041.

I've just done some Googling and these do appear to be 91st SRW aircraft serials.

I await MI5's knock on the door ....

Edited April 14, 2016 by Ivor Ramsden

[Dave Fleming]

That's useful Ivor, I'll compare with my note when I get home

[Dave Fleming]

Fascinating stuff, this. Why the huge fin flashes, one wonders? "We Are Not Americans" last line of defence? What an interesting period this was.

Richard in NZ

Almost - they could deny being American aircraft as they had British markings and crew. The UK would say 'But we don't have any aircraft of that type'