What if

Picture Post => Current and Finished Projects => Aircraft => Topic started by: TomZ on October 14, 2024, 11:45:41 AM

Title: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: TomZ on October 14, 2024, 11:45:41 AM
Northrop B-49G Night Shadow

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54066946966_339daa0282_b.jpg)

Developed as a follow-up of the Nortrop B-35 flying wing, the B-49 was designed to avoid many of the shortcomings of the unsuccessful B-35. It offered a much improved stability and had an impressive performance.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54067204968_7da3b1999a_b.jpg)

Even so the USAF initially favoured the piston engine Convair B-36. However when the B-36 ran into significant problems with its Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major which tended to overheat and seize up, the B-49 was reconsidered and ordered into a limited production run. These B-49A Night Shadow series proved to be so successful that a further 300 were ordered as B-49B and B-49C.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54066073287_78371bd40c_b.jpg)

In the mid-fifties, Boeing developed the B-52 as a replacement for the B-49. However the B-49 was so successful that the Air Force opted to keep developing it and the E, F, G and H models appeared. Each featured successive upgrades and to electronics and engines.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54067277159_608f65374c_b.jpg)

In 2020, the B-49 still soldiered on and a major upgrade programme was started to re-engine the airframes and give them the latest electronic package. This variant will be named B-49K when it enters service in 2027.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54067204588_db0fda14b2_b.jpg)

The photo's with this article depict a Northrop B-49G used in the Vietnam war.

(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54067204893_8eb098f203_b.jpg)

Model: 1/72 AMT/ERTL Northrop YB-49

TomZ
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: McColm on October 14, 2024, 12:00:54 PM
Well done  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Hoddernut on October 14, 2024, 12:16:18 PM
Looks great!
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: DogfighterZen on October 14, 2024, 12:27:36 PM
That's very nice work indeed, great idea and i love the pics!  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: sandiego89 on October 14, 2024, 12:42:16 PM
Looks great.  kit and scale please
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: chrisonord on October 14, 2024, 12:57:52 PM
I like that  :wub:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: RAFF-35 on October 14, 2024, 01:07:58 PM
Absolutely fantastic build once again!!
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: kerick on October 14, 2024, 01:13:35 PM
Well done indeed! And nice pics.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Pellson on October 14, 2024, 01:54:06 PM
Love it! And I have an Italeri issue that eventually will become something that would fit very well somewhat later in your backstory.  ;)
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: killnoizer on October 14, 2024, 02:33:15 PM
G O O D     J O B   !
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: McColm on October 14, 2024, 02:55:35 PM
Quote from: sandiego89 on October 14, 2024, 12:42:16 PMLooks great.  kit and scale please
Scale 1/72
Kit AMT although you can get the same model repackaged by Italeri
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Glenn Gilbertson on October 14, 2024, 03:50:08 PM
Good looking & great photography!
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: zenrat on October 15, 2024, 03:36:17 AM
 :wub:  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: NARSES2 on October 15, 2024, 06:04:23 AM
That is terriffic  :bow:  :bow:  and weell deserving of its Wiffie nomination  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: PR19_Kit on October 15, 2024, 07:21:23 AM
An XB-49/XB-35 takes up a LOT of space in 1/72, even though they don't have fuselages!
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: loupgarou on October 15, 2024, 10:38:19 AM
Beautiful!  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Weaver on October 15, 2024, 05:53:30 PM
Nice job!  :thumbsup:

You might imagine an advanced version with B-52 upgrade-style mods such as EO turrets, ECM fairings and the like.
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Captain Canada on October 15, 2024, 08:11:53 PM
Very nice ! Glad to hear they are still flying....maybe I'll see one at an airshow near me !
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: kerick on October 15, 2024, 08:29:37 PM
Now I have to do one in gunship grey.
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: HarryPhishnuts on October 17, 2024, 02:24:21 PM
Great build.  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: kerick on October 17, 2024, 03:14:35 PM
Quote from: Weaver on October 15, 2024, 05:53:30 PMNice job!  :thumbsup:

You might imagine an advanced version with B-52 upgrade-style mods such as EO turrets, ECM fairings and the like.

Sounds like a cool idea. I might just have to try the 20mm tail gun. I might change the shape of the fins a little to look a bit more modern. Call it an ECM refit. Plus other kinds of sneaky Pete lumps and bumps nobody knows anything about.
I heard that when the B-52 was flying low level missions the wing span was so long it had to pull up to turn. It looks like this bird might have the same problem.
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Wardukw on October 17, 2024, 08:22:44 PM
Love it Tom 😀 😍
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Dizzyfugu on October 17, 2024, 11:45:11 PM
Neat.
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: comrade harps on October 20, 2024, 04:36:57 AM
 :bow:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: kerick on October 20, 2024, 09:30:23 AM
Just for fun I searched the web for a flying wing kit. Typical price was about $50 with some over $100! This won't happen unless one falls my way.
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Joe C-P on October 27, 2024, 01:48:46 PM
Lovely birds, very cool, even got to nuke invading aliens.

Thank you for your production!   :wub:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Vulcan7 on February 19, 2025, 04:03:37 AM
Fantastic!!! :mellow:  :tornado:  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Leading Observer on February 19, 2025, 12:13:13 PM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 15, 2024, 07:21:23 AMAn XB-49/XB-35 takes up a LOT of space in 1/72, even though they don't have fuselages!

I can confirm this - and despite having no fuselage it still has enough depth from the nose to the back of the wing tip to make finding a shelf difficult
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: PR19_Kit on February 19, 2025, 02:03:14 PM
Yeah, they're VERY large! I have two B-25s and a B-49, and they cover ACRES of shelf space!
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: frank2056 on February 19, 2025, 07:25:42 PM
It looks great! I remember the long, long threads on rec.model.scale coming up with fun alternate histories for the plane.
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: PR19_Kit on February 20, 2025, 02:28:45 AM
;D  ;D

See here https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=39554.0
Title: Re: Northrop B-49G Night Shadow
Post by: Joe C-P on February 20, 2025, 02:53:46 PM
Bat-plaaaaane!

 :wub:  :thumbsup:  :mellow:

I once had the 1/72 B-35 I planned to build as a USN long range patrol plane.  Sold it, may find a smaller scale one to do so someday.