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I have managed to finish two models, and took them along to the GRSM club for display.
First was the B-58 Hustler, which I did in the South East Asian camouflage scheme, basically Vietnam era. The B-58 was never used in Vietnam, but there was a Project Bullseye to evaluate it, and people who claimed to have seen it in the camouflage instead of its usual bare metal.
It was actually an extraordinary aircraft. Not large as bombers go, it was delta-winged, and extraordinary fast. It set many speed and altitude records, some of which still stand today, like the longest supersonic flight: London to Tokyo (12900km) in 8 hours 37 minutes; the last hour was subsonic due to an afterburner problem. Several in-flight refuellings along the way. It could not carry a huge bomb load like the B-52 though; it was designed to drop nuclear bombs. Also, it was maintenance-heavy, and apparently rough for pilots on long flights; they sat in fighter-style seats (so no moving around), it was so noisy they communicated with a pulley system with clip-on notes, and after long flights, they often had to be lifted out of the cockpit.
My build was OK, but I ended up with some rough paint on the top due to paint drying too quickly quile airbrushing. I was very happy with the bottom though.
Next was the Leduc 022. The kit was terrible - lots of flash, poorly fitting parts, lots of gap-filler need, no decals or markings, and it fitted together fairly well. The aircraft was an experimental ramjet with turbojet to get it to speed until the ramjet could take over. For something from 1956, it really looked like something out of sci-fi. The all-glass cockpit was inside the nose cone!
Here are links to the albums with all build pictures:
B-58
Leduc
Next models I'm busy with are a Lear Fan (a propeller-driven business aircraft), and a Concorde, which I'll do in fictional Lufthansa livery.
I managed to re-do my display shelves, and added some LED strip lights so the models are actually visible:
First was the B-58 Hustler, which I did in the South East Asian camouflage scheme, basically Vietnam era. The B-58 was never used in Vietnam, but there was a Project Bullseye to evaluate it, and people who claimed to have seen it in the camouflage instead of its usual bare metal.
It was actually an extraordinary aircraft. Not large as bombers go, it was delta-winged, and extraordinary fast. It set many speed and altitude records, some of which still stand today, like the longest supersonic flight: London to Tokyo (12900km) in 8 hours 37 minutes; the last hour was subsonic due to an afterburner problem. Several in-flight refuellings along the way. It could not carry a huge bomb load like the B-52 though; it was designed to drop nuclear bombs. Also, it was maintenance-heavy, and apparently rough for pilots on long flights; they sat in fighter-style seats (so no moving around), it was so noisy they communicated with a pulley system with clip-on notes, and after long flights, they often had to be lifted out of the cockpit.
My build was OK, but I ended up with some rough paint on the top due to paint drying too quickly quile airbrushing. I was very happy with the bottom though.
Next was the Leduc 022. The kit was terrible - lots of flash, poorly fitting parts, lots of gap-filler need, no decals or markings, and it fitted together fairly well. The aircraft was an experimental ramjet with turbojet to get it to speed until the ramjet could take over. For something from 1956, it really looked like something out of sci-fi. The all-glass cockpit was inside the nose cone!
Here are links to the albums with all build pictures:
B-58
Leduc
Next models I'm busy with are a Lear Fan (a propeller-driven business aircraft), and a Concorde, which I'll do in fictional Lufthansa livery.
I managed to re-do my display shelves, and added some LED strip lights so the models are actually visible: