I am going to start on this in the next week or so. Has anyone built this or could provide links to others that have? Also, does anyone make any detail parts for this kit? This is the Testors kit. It is also the 1st plane I have built in over a year. Thanks in advance.

All I can say is good luck. Most experienced modelers I've heard from have said how terrible the kit is in terms of parts fit, and some casual modelers have called it "unbuildable."

Looking forward to hearing about your experience.

I had it years ago, but never finished it. It, along with most of my model collection, were destroyed in a basement flood. I know the wing fit is a major issue but with winter coming I have lots of time to watch putty dry!

I built mine about 5 years ago, I remember the wings did not line up and you either had the choice of getting the top to line up and putty a lot on the bottom or getting the bottom to line up or putty a lot on the top. I think I did the first.

Any way here is a pic of my b2 in formation with b70, sr75, & b49. All 1/72. I bought the sr75 off ofebay already built.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/crobles442/detail?.dir=ecc4re2&.dnm=1dcere2.jpg&.src=ph

rest of my planes are here and some model shows.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/crobles442/my_photos

take care and buy some tylenol before you start on the b2.
gr

I only see red x's. I know what you mean about the Tylenol! I just got mine in the mail and surprisingly there is very little warpage compared to my first one. I am going to marry the the upper wing surfaces to the upper fuselage and the same for the lower and then join the top and bottom. I worked yesterday on the fit for about an hour or so. I heard the color guide in the instructions is wrong as well. What is the correct color for the main fuselage? Oh, and I'm more of a car and scifi guy than a plane guy so please excuse my ignorance!

Well, this month's FineScale Modeler has a feature on a Testors B-2 buildup that completely blows me away! I guess it ISN'T unbuildable! :lol:

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/

Yep, hopefuly Hobbytown still has the issue Friday when I head out there. The closest LHS is about an hour from me, :( . That issue should help a lot.

Guess I'm heading back to HTUSA today. Need some fine piano wire, anyway. Since 1:72 is my scale, this project will have my attention. Lots of progress photos, please.

Well, this month's FineScale Modeler has a feature on a Testors B-2 buildup that completely blows me away! I guess it ISN'T unbuildable! :lol:

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/

You can say that again.
(ooops, by quoting you, you just did).

1,000 hours!!??
Bomb bays are what really knock my socks off.

I doubt very much I will spend a thousand hours on mine! I would be happy to just get the darned thing together! I'm taking the easy way out and building it in "in flight" mode so as to bypass the landing gear and bomb bays. Plus, I don't have anywhere to even set the model. Hung from the ceiling baby!

Yes, you should pick up the latest issue of fine scale magazine for January 2007. There’s an article of a Testors 1/72 scale B2 Bomber that a hobbyist superdetailed the kit. It’s a really an amazing, mind-boggling model. He added hydraulics and wiring in the undercarriage and bomb bay, somehow made his own tires, weathered it, and added the top secret B2’s radar. I’ll see if I can post a scanned pics of the article because I wanted to ask a question on this board about how to make my own rubber tires instead of just painting it.

I love the job the guy did on his and I was tempted to buy another one of these, but then I remembered how much of the plane he scratch built and how bad the fit was out of the box and I told myself I have enough other projects I'll never get too....

Well, started working on this a week or so ago. Even though my parts weren't warped to bad the fit of the wings was still terrible. Even after several hours of sanding and fitting I still wound up with sizeable gaps to big for putty. I used a lot of strip styrene to fill larger gaps. I knew this kit had fit problems going into it but holy cow! I think I have lost intrest in this build and may just slap the rest of her together, sand her down, paint and decal and call her done! I have other projescts waiting! However, the fit of the canopy was near perfect, go figure!
Edit- Plus how bad is it when the model company tells you the kit is probably warped to begin with? Here is a quote from page 5 of the assembly book- "The size, transport and temperature shifts in getting these parts from the factory to your workbench can effect the shape slightly." But, if you want a B2 with a 26 inch wingspan it's the only game in town. Happy building.

I've always wanted to build a B2 Bomber, just found it difficult to source the kits. Ended up finding a 144 scale kit on e bay - still unbuilt with all the other models that I've collected over the years. My last job was working for Northrop Grumman (Navigation Systems Division) - London Office (9 years). I had a small diecast B2 on my desk - looked pretty cool. I'm sure you've got plenty of photos of the B2 for reference, but here's another anyway.

Look forward to the pics upon completion.

http://www.is.northropgrumman.com/gallery/usaf/lo_res/b2/93s33518.jpg


FYI - more hires pics of the B2 can be found on the NG website.

Thanks for the photo. Whats the wingspan on your 1/144 kit? I knew that one existed but wanted to go for the big one. And I'll tell ya, the Testors 1/72 is a pain in the arse! I think I have used half a tube of putty just to get the contour of the wings to hull shape correct. One wing was very straight but the other was bowed badly. I should have it done soon. I am currently working on 4 models at the same time so the goings is slow.

Also plenty of pics at the Air Force site:
http://www.af.mil/photos/index.asp?galleryID=14

Whats the wingspan on your 1/144 kit?

Revell kit

36.4cm

First thing you must do: e-mail Jeff Garrity at Rare Plane Detective (malamutant@cableone.net) and spend $10 or so on the IPMS 2006 decal set. These (at last!!!) are brand new replacement decals (including stencilling) for the awful 1/72 Testor's decals. They don't include all those wicked grey triangles as featured in FSM, but they are still a massive improvement over the kit's. Careful fitting, filling all the joints with gap filling super glue, a ton of putty, and sanding off all the inaccurate panel lines will give you a nice smooth base from which you can make a really nice model. But now that I've got new decals, I guess I have to sand the old finish off mine and repaint. Sigh. But that FSM cover model is the most beautiful model of anything that I've ever seen. Makes you want to kick it up a notch.

Thanks for the info on the decals! I think I'm done with the wings. They look pretty straight and smooth now. Next step is to remove the panel lines and give a nice gloss coat for the decals. I doubt I will kick it up anymore than I already have. I have a PL Refit Enterprise in the wings waiting for current builds to be finished.

Speaking of the decals.......

Does either set....the kit set or the new set offer any specific aircraft?

I and my father went to the commisioning ceremony of the Spirit of Indiana in 1997 at Grissom A.F.R.B. in 1997. It was the last of the fleet to be named after any particular State of the Union. I'd like to do mine in that aircraft's markings if available.

Also on a side note. I got the honor of going to a buddy of mine's retirement ceremony this past July who I served with in Desert Shield and Storm. His last 9 years in the Air Force was at Whiteman A.F.B. Missouri......He drove me down the road directly next to Hanger Row just outside the maintenance fence. Got to see two of the Spirits sitting in the hangars...no pictures allowed though. I've seen them five times now.....2 at the commisioning (one did a fly over ), 1 at a flyover of the Indy 500, and the 2 in Hangar Row........They are impressive machines.

Hat

The IPMS decals are for Spirit of Missouri and Spirit of Kansas. Two Microscale sheets including stencils and walkways. About 1/3 of one sheet is for an A-10 from the 442. My original Testors decals seem generic, for AC 21066.