Aviastone/Alliance 1/72 Bell X-2 Starbuster

[hsr]

This is my build of the Aviastone AKA Alliance 1/72 Bell X-2 "Starbuster". The X-2 was the first aircraft to fly faster the Mach 3. The X-2 project was ill fated with the destruction of the first aircraft when the engine exploded during a captive flight killing the test pilot and and one B-50 crewman. The Mach 3 flight was the last flight of the second aircraft which then crashed killing the test pilot. More information can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_X-2.

 

I first purchased the Mach 2 kit, which for Mach 2 wasn't bad, but as a backup I also purchased the Aviastone resin kit which is a rebox of the Alliance kit. Unfortunately the first version I purchased had 2 left fuselage halves and no right half. I then purchased a second one which was complete. So I had 1 plastic kit and 1 1/2 resin kits. The Mach 2 kit came with decals and a plastic canopy while the Aviastone one had no decals and a vac canopy. I was torn between which version to build since they both had plusses and minuses so I did something I very seldom do and started them both in parallel.

 

Both kits represented the second aircraft early in the test program. Before the Mach 3 flight it had; large conical rocket exhausts added, the strut on the main skid was shortened giving it a more level stance, and the "wisker" skids were removed from the wings.

Also there was a wheel well door for the nose wheel but it was placed on the aircraft with the gear up and was jettisoned when the gear was lowered so you never see photos with it on. 

 

This is how far I got on the Mach 2 kit before I abandoned it

  

I ended up using the landing gear and tail from the extra Aviastone kit because the Mach 2 ones were totally unusable or warped. Even so the mach 2 wings were a bit warped and the resin tail was also warped so I set it aside and finished the resin kit. 

 

The Aviastone resin was very good with only minor pinholing and provided a smoother surface then the Mach 2 plastic. The vac canopy was easy to cut out and fit to the fuselage. You can't really see much of the interior through the small windows so I didn't spend a lot of time on the cockpit. In the past I have had some success with Mach 2 decals but the ones for this kit were close to useless. The entire sheet consisted of a single film that required trimming around each marking and it had yellowed. They also tended to disintegrate when removed from the backing. I did try scanning them and spent hours using GIMP to fix them up but even though I sprayed them with decal fix the colors still came off in the water. The only pieces that I was able to use were the Bell logos on the nose. The rest came from the left over pile.

 

Here is the end results:

 

  

On the whole I am happy with the results.

 

Next up is the MPM 1/72 Bell X-4 Bantam yet another white plane.

 

Enjoy

 

[Graeme H]

I have always had a soft spot for the X Planes, and the X2 is one of the lesser known, a great job in the end, and good to see it completed to such a great standard.

[Angell328]

Wow a wonderful build and finish from a very tasking kit!

Matt

[swralph]

Nice one.😀

[RMCS]

Niiiice 

[Homer]

Nice model sir 👍

[Eric Mc]

That is a very nice rendition. The X-2is a historically significant aeroplane but fairly forgotten now because the two examples built were both destroyed in accidents.

[SAT69]

Nicely done. To me, the X-2 was among the most elegant of the X planes. wish there was a 1/48 scale kit.

[hsr]

3 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

The X-2is a historically significant aeroplane but fairly forgotten now because the two examples built were both destroyed in accidents.

Plus even given the low X number it was quickly overshadowed by the X-15

3 hours ago, SAT69 said:

wish there was a 1/48 scale kit.

I wish the was a good one in 1/72, but I guess I should be grateful for what is available.

 

Thanks

[Eric Mc]

I recently acquired a Maintrack vac-form X-2.

[hsr]

4 hours ago, Eric Mc said:

I recently acquired a Maintrack vac-form X-2.

Good luck with it. I had one, but I think the shape was off compared to the other 2 so I passed it on. 

[Eric Mc]

I didn't fancy wrestling with the Mach 2 kit. Maintrack vacforms were usually OK shape wise. It's a pity if they got this one wrong.

[hsr]

On 12/2/2020 at 3:34 AM, Eric Mc said:

Maintrack vacforms were usually OK shape wise. It's a pity if they got this one wrong.

I could easily be wrong since I never found 1/72 drawings. I just remember reading somewhere that the Alliance resin was the most accurate and when I compared the Alliance, Mach 2 and Maintrack, the Maintrack didn't match the other 2. And yes, avoid the Mach 2 if possible.