Jump to content

1/144 Hobbycraft RB-47H-from the shelf of doom


Recommended Posts

I was suppose to build one in 2013. never did. Then got this as a bargain and started it and it went dead a year ago. In between I bought the new 1/144 Academy B-47E with Cartograph decals, why, no clue, I just did. So I found that the Academy had parts and decals for a B-47B and E  AND RB-47H so I will use the decals from the new Academy kit for this and there are still enough Cartograph decals left to do the B-47B from MacDill I had planned. I live about 10 miles from MacDill. Any ways I just added the engine pylons to the wings, I will now mask and do the black for the ECM lumps and bumps then do the NMF and add the engines lastly.

 

stratojet 15.JPG

stratojet 16.JPG

Link to post
Share on other sites

Dutch, or anyone else in "the know", on the Academy repop of this they have a decal, black, that goes around the canopy and to the nose, an anti glare area. Do you know if the canopy cut out area on the decal is oversized and should I paint a small area around the canopy on the model before I put the decal down?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Very nice, I built this particular kit when Hobbycraft first released it...have three copies of the B/E versions in the stash...despite the well-printed Cartograf decals in the latest Academy release, I probably won't start one until Caracal scales down 72091.

 

I don't have any insight on the antiglare decal though...

 

Chris

Link to post
Share on other sites

Jon,  I am pretty sure you place the anti-glare black decal on top of the fuselage/cockpit area BEFORE installing the canopy. Or you could use it as a template to mask the anti-glare area.  I have a few of the Hobbycraft kits in the stash, but none that include this decal.   So I guess that the outer edge is accurate for an anti-glare border, but you may indeed have to touch up paint black around the cockpit combing along the inside edge. HTH, Dutch

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks, I bought the Academy kit with the canopy anti glare panels after I had the canopy on the Hobbycraft kit installed. The Academy kit has 2 anti glare decals, one for a standard B-47, such as a B or E model, and one for the RB-47H model. I may try prying the canopy off and that will 100% tell me if there needs to be some touch up. Thanks for the input.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yup, I have removed the canopy and will paint the black lumps and bumps then mask them and paint the NMF then add anti glare decal # 14 to the cockpit area and after it is all set up add the canopy back on. Sounds like a plan to me.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice work on this kit.  You did a great job on getting the warping out of the wing.  Looking forward to  your posting photos when done.  I am currently building the Academy boxing as a B-47B updated to an E from the 22BW at March AFB.  Planes I saw growing up and it was always a bit scary watching a MITO takeoff as our elementary school was about 2 miles from the end of the runway (direction of take off) and just about 1/2 mile off the runway center line.  

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 11 months later...

Jon - I recently built this kit for an Electronic Warfare Officer (EWO) who had over 100 missions in the RB-47H (over 30 of those missions were in #4280, one of the kit's marking options).  A few items from my experience and discussions with the EWO:

- The opening in the anti-glare decal is slightly larger than the canopy, so the inner area around the canopy will need some touchup with black paint.

- The black protrusion on top of the fuselage was a star tracker.  The kit shows it on the aircraft centerline, but it actually should be slightly offset to the right.

- The EWO told me the H-models almost always flew with an ALD-4 pod (large black-and-nmf pod in the photo below, used for collecting ELINT signals) on the right side of the fuselage.  He also said the aircraft markings could vary considerably by squadron; for example, in his squadron there were no black walkway stripes or gray panels on the upper wings.

- The bulge in the bomb bay had rectangular fiberglass panels for the EWO ejection seats to punch through (downward!) in case they had to eject.  There were 3 EWOs in the bomb bay.  A good color for the panels is a 'dirty white'.  The same color is used on the back half of the bulge under the nose.

- Besides the ALD-4 pod, there is an antenna that hangs a little inboard under each wingtip.  None of these are provided in the kit, and I had to scratch-build them from online photos.

 

Below are a few photos -- looking forward to seeing your build!!

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_2130.JPG

IMG_2131.JPG

IMG_2140.JPG

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...