P.A.T.R.I.O.T. (Not the missile)

[Cobra]

Super Sweet!!!!!!! You've Done Awesome So Far,Keep it up!!!! 1 Idea:Try a 2 Color Stripe on the Tail,Some B-47's had that, Including 1's in Storage!!!! Stay Cool!!!

[Ed S]

Looking good.  I like what you're doing with this one.  The B-47 was such a cool looking a/c.  Too bad it didn't stick around long enough for something like this.



Ed

[BlackOps]

Chuck, this has a very nice look to it. Glad you've decided to get back into the hobby

[Acree]

OK, I know that it has been a VERY long time since I started this project, and anyone who ever had any interest has completely forgotten it.  However, I have FINISHED!!! 

THe pictures are pretty crappy, I'll try to get my daughter (who has a better camera and better photography skills) to take better ones tomorrow.  For now, here is the finished MB-3A. 



Note the dual MTS sensor balls under the nose (modified Sniper pods from F/A-18), the datalink radome on the dorsal spine (orignally the mapping radar radome from the B-47), the synthetic aperture radar canoe under the aft fuselage (scrathbuilt from wood).  The tailcone is the nose of an F/A-18F.  The tip gear are the mains from an A-10, with the A-10 wheel-well fairings grafted onto the B-47's fuel tanks mounted further outboard.  The engine pods are from an Airbus A-319.  The winglets were scratched from part of an F/A-18 fuselage part.  She carries triple racks of AGM-165 Mavericks on each wing outboard, and GBU-10s inboard to part, while the starbord wing carries SLAM-ERs inboard.  The bomb-bay would be used for GBU-39 SDBs.  The canopy is from an F/A-18F. 


I learned a lot from this project, including: I hate 1/144th scale - everything is too small!; I'm terrible at working with canopies - I really screwed this one up (as well as the spare), WHIF is fun, but harder than it looks - especially making two parts identical (like winglets) and getting angles right. Anyway, I hope my next project will not be so small or so slow.  Hope you enjoy!!!

Chuck

[Weaver]

Hi Chuck, missed you original posts so this is new to me - what a corker! 

Remember, all sorts of ideas will now occur to you with respect to the leftover bits, so that $100 can actually be accounted for over more than just this model (an argument to bear in mind when negotiating with the Mrs.... ).

I know what you mean about making two parts identical: sometimes I feel like I couldn't cut two 10mm flat squares the same shape.... Likewise canopies: in this scale, it's so hard to see anything through them that many people just paint the inside black or blue. Hey, if it's good enough for manufacturers display models....

Glad you got back into the hobby and glad to have you here! 

[Sauragnmon]

That is one cute little bomber, to be honest.  Tip gears are an interesting development, love the new engines, and the whole layout's just nice in general.  I'm planning on 1/144 for the bombers I want, just for the space concerns in my place (and money, but who's counting?).

Welcome to the party!

[Acree]

Thanks for the comments, guys.  Weaver, I know what you mean, I've already been playing around with leftover A-10 and F-18 bits - not sure what sort of backstory will develop, but it's fun to just throw various pieces together.  Also looking at that A-319 as an ASW patrol plane (the JATO panels from the B-47 look a lot like sonobuoy launchers!).  But the next time I buy stuff, I'm going to a bigger scale.  I'm hoping to see my skills get better, too.  It was frustrating to spend a fair amount of time making that F-18 cockpit tub look pretty decent and fit into the B-47 only to ruin two canopies so it can't be seen - I guess the painted canopy idea is a pretty good one at this scale. 

Chuck

[sequoiaranger]

I really like what you did with the B-47. It is one of my favorite post-WW II aircraft. Great shape and proportions. I was going to do a proposed Luft '46 German "1000 X 1000 X 1000" jet bomber from the old 1950's box-scale Revell version (and call it 1/72), but won't (sold off all the components). I'll just have to look at yours instead!

[Taiidantomcat]

That is an awesome model  Way to stick with it, and thanks for sharing it with us  Simply put: Excellent!