++ Finished ++ RB-47 (1/144 Academy)

[bianfuxia]

 

This is a pretty simple kit I think. It's going to look good next to its Boeing stablemate, the Rivet Joint, which I am also tackling in this GB. I picked this up in Hong Kong in 2018.

 

In amongst the multiple bomber versions you can do from this kit, there are two recon versions.

 

 

Apart from the nose/tail number the two versions appear to be the same. I will probably go for the one based out of Japan.

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2023 by bianfuxia

[Col.]

This is a kit I'm keen to see you work on as it's tempted me more than once and the RB- version is an uncommon subject.

[stevehnz]

I picked up this kit a year or so back so I'm keen to see it go together. The recon versions are the best looking to my mind.

Steve.

[bianfuxia]

 

Made a quick start today. I don't have the zinc chromate colour exactly but this one I have in Vallejo is near enough for government work. 

 

that's all I've done so far but at least I've started!

[Col.]

Good to see you getting underway with this one  

[bianfuxia]

Further progress:

 

 

 

I'm fully committed to the recce version now - the rear fuselage has the little bulges and i added the recce nose. Counter-intuitively, maybe, it's the one without the little thimble antenna casings on it.

 

Also, I've done the engines:

 

I wondered what was going on with the twin pods until I realised that's where the outrigger wheels go. For some reason I pictured the B-47 to have its outriggers on the wingtips like the B-52. They're actually on the inboard engine pylons.

 

It's a great looking plane this one. 

 

[Col.]

Taking on its nice lines well now. How well is the fit of all those parts?

[Ryan Lumb]

I love the b47 its becoming a rather pricey kit in 1:72 but the local hobby shop has a 1:144. Is any weight needed in this kit to stop it sitting on its tail or is it rather stable without any weights? I look forward to seeing this being progressed.

[bianfuxia]

9 hours ago, Col. said:

Taking on its nice lines well now. How well is the fit of all those parts?

The fit is actually pretty good. The only spot that didn't fit that well was the nose cone. I'm not sure I'm going to do tons of sanding to fix it,but it is noticeable.

The big radome style fairing on the bottom wasn't a perfect fit either but I was able to tidy that up with a swipe of putty.

5 hours ago, Ryan Lumb said:

I love the b47 its becoming a rather pricey kit in 1:72 but the local hobby shop has a 1:144. Is any weight needed in this kit to stop it sitting on its tail or is it rather stable without any weights? I look forward to seeing this being progressed.

I put some weight in the front just to be sure but I think it would probably stand up fine without it. 

[Ryan Lumb]

Thats pretty good. Once I work through my stash I will get a b47 hopefully a 1:72 as I like that scale but failing that a 1:144 will do fine 😊

[bianfuxia]

Here it is with a first blast of Tamiya AS-12 spray paint.

 

 

You can see i've paid less attention to the underside seam than I did on top. That's normal for me.

 

There is another reasonably long bathtub sensor array that goes over the worst part of that underside seam, just head of those side-mounted blisters. So it won't look as bad as it does.

 

After this I will mask off some areas and spray them a different shade of silver just for some visual variety. I only have three cans and they are all quite similar but it does give a subtle difference.

 

 

The nose area is where the worst fit is - that nose cone didn't really fit super well. You can't actually tell so much in this photo so maybe I am over-analysing it. The very front of the radome will be a different colour (black I guess) so I didn't bother being too careful with the spray right on the front.

 

The engine pods will go on at the end as they seem to fit pretty neatly.

[Col.]

That layer of silver paint has made a big difference to the look of this one

[bianfuxia]

So this one is getting closer to the final lap now. I masked up some randomized areas - wing flaps, some panels here and there. I then today sprayed them all with TS-17 gloss aluminium. The original base coat was AS-12.

 

 

 

[bianfuxia]

Made quite a bit of progress on this over the weekend although there's perhaps not so much to see given how much time went into it.

 

First I added the final colour to the engines. Hard to believe there are two shades of silver on them as well as this newly added light gun metal colour.

 

 

 

 

I discovered that big sink hole on the underside of the single engine pylon there. Not fixing it.

 

Then it was time to crack out the decal sheet.

 

This one, predictably, didn't fit perfectly even with Mr Mark Softer but it looks pretty good and I can probably tidy up the lumpy bits with a sharp knife and maybe a touch of gloss black.

 

 

It was still a bit easier than masking this, I guess.

 

Meanwhile, underneath, I hand painted that front sensor pod with matt black and Tamiya titanium gold. The instructions suggested a 50-50 mix of silver and gold.

 

 

I've tried hard to get a shot showing the two shades of silver on the model. You really can't see it in the pics but it is there. You can notice it here on one square panel right between the wings, but it's all over the place actually. I will maybe have more luck photographing it outside when it's finished.

 

Still a little way to go but it's coming along nicely.

 

[stevehnz]

I like this. For a big silver bird, they've enough points of interest colour wise to make them rather attractive to my mind. This one is looking just better & better.

Steve.

[bianfuxia]

58 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

I like this. For a big silver bird, they've enough points of interest colour wise to make them rather attractive to my mind. This one is looking just better & better.

Steve.

thank you - i'm pretty amazed how well it's gone so far!

[Col.]

I always think the panel shade variations have to be subtle to look right and that isn't always easy to display in photos.

[bianfuxia]

A bit more progress. Since this photo I have applied the very last decal on top of the right wing. So all that's left is adding the engines, wheels, and canopy and then it's basically done.

 

 

 

Not sure what those big holes on the left side beneath the cockpit are meant to be - access ladders?

[bianfuxia]

 

Got a little more done tonight - the engine pod go on pretty neatly. There are a few gaps but nothing that worries me. 

 

I added the rear radome thing too, the black one at the back.

 

At the last minute I noticed the tyres needed a bit of a sand - I will touch up the paint on them later.

 

[Tbolt]

Looking very nice 👍

[bianfuxia]

Not a lot to report on this one except this:

 

 

Somehow I managed to let it be lopsided.

 

 

I am hoping that I can fix this situation at least a little bit by fooling around with the outrigger undercarriage - that connects from the middle of the inboard engine pods. We shall see!

 

I also discovered that this decal had somehow come off the surface:

 

I bathed it in Mr Mark Softer again, and for now it seems to have settled down onto the surface nice and smoothly.

 

Finally, I realised that the rear of the outer engine pod pylons had these giant sink holes in them. I've filled them up with Vallejo plastic putty and I will have to touch up the paint there at the end.

 

 

 

Once I get through fixing all these things, I just need to add the canopy and paint the black tail tip, plus touch up the tyres. 

 

Not long til take off for this guy.

[stevehnz]

Looking good, though quite a few things to look out for, things to try & remember.

Steve.

[bianfuxia]

 

This is finished. 

 

I finally found time tonight to do the last few steps. 

 

 

 

When doing the undercarriage, the instructions tell you to trim the outriggers until you get the right stance - something that was way off when the "raw" gear was installed. Bad pic but it shows the issue.

 

 

The canopy went on perfectly.

 

 

The tail guns seem very long, but perhaps that's right.

 

Anyway, I will post some better pics over the weekend.

 

 

[Romeo Alpha Yankee]

Looks good, nice work!

[Pantherhawk27263]

I'm enjoying your progress as I have one of these in my stash. It's looks great so far!