B-47 Stratojet finished

[The Rat]

After seeing the RAF V-bombers in their overall anti-flash white schemes, the USAF decided to pursue the concept on the B-47. Airframe 12212, with the 306 Bombardment Wing was the first aircraft converted to a solid-nose configuration and painted all white, with the rest of the wing following later.











This is the Hobbycraft kit, not bad, certainly good enough for a quick build. Parts of the instructions could be better, and the outrigger gear is not well thought out. It should have been designed with a little more care, in order to prevent it from taking all the support and lifting the main gear off the surfce. Instead, they assume that it may do that, and tell you to trim them as needed. Not an easy task, because there are no indications of where it would be best to cut, and you need to shorten two pieces for each leg. Mine does, indeed, lift the mains off the ground, but I'll just live with it. Paints were Tamiya  X-2 white, black parts were whatever was in reach at the time I did each piece, wheel bay green was Vallejo. Decals needed a coat of Microscale Liquid Decal Film, which, of course, I only figured out after the first decal broke, but fortunately it was salvaged.

So there you have it. I just wanted to see one in an all-white scheme, no other reason for the build. Sometimes I'm easy to please.

[kerick]

That's a very sharp looking Stratojet!
You could make a simple runway diorama with the B-47 rolling down the centerline. This could let you place a slight crown at the centerline and slope way to compensate for the long outriggers. Or is there an easy way to lengthen the main gear?

[Weaver]

And very pleasing it is too.

I suspect the problem the kit designer had was that the B-47 wing was very bendy, and finding out the length of the outrigger struts with weight on them might have been quite difficult. Obviously just speculating here, but if there's only a millimetre or two in it, it might have been as easy or easier to shim the main gear legs inside the bays to make them slightly longer. It doesn't look llike there's much detail in there, and even if there was, how many people would know enough about it to critique a small square of plasticard under the leg?

[kitbasher]

It's a rather pretty machine, the B-47.  And it suits the anti-flash scheme.

Dave do you think pink/light blue US national markings (akin to V-Force pale national markings)  would work?

[PR19_Kit]

An excellent build there, looks most impressive in that scheme. 

[chrisonord]

Very nice, I do like the look.of the B-47, it looks supersonic stood still. The 1/72nd scale B-47 does exactly the same, the outriggers are too long, and the front main gear/wheels are up in the air. Because of the way they attach, it could be awkward to sort, but not impossible.

[Dizzyfugu]

Elegant. 

[zenrat]

Nice job.
 

[The Rat]

It's a rather pretty machine, the B-47.  And it suits the anti-flash scheme.

Dave do you think pink/light blue US national markings (akin to V-Force pale national markings)  would work?

Thanks, and I would say yes.

[Old Wombat]

  

[NARSES2]

Elegant. 

Very much so 

[Beermonster58]

I've got three of the very nice Academy kits. One of which will be in the RAE "raspberry ripple" colours, one in anti flash white and, one in SAC camouflage.
I just dislike natural metal finishes as much as I dislike boring grey jets! 😉😂

[Joe C-P]

Nicely done, a very handsome aircraft.