B-2 Stealth Bomber WHIF Ideas

jcf · September 25, 2007, 12:12:29 PM

Hell go for a 1/32nd scale cockpit in the 1/72nd B-2.

It would scale out, in 1/32nd, as an aircraft with a real world wingspan of over 76 feet.

Cheers, Jon

Jeffry Fontaine · September 25, 2007, 12:20:30 PM

Sounds interesting but I don't have any elegible 1/32nd scale cockpits for such a WHIF. I was going with what I had in the parts bin and that just happens to include a couple of F-14, F-15, and F-111 cockpits. I think the Scale-O-Rama lash up with a 1/48th scale F-111 cockpit/canopy on the 1/72nd scale B-2 would be the least work.

jcf · September 25, 2007, 12:36:09 PM

Fair enough, always good to use what is on hand.

So you'd have a 'real world' aircraft with a span of around 114' 8", kinda big for carrier strike but not for a land-based USN long-range patrol bomber.

Two tone cammo maybe? Matte blue-black over slate grey with blue-grey markings? or summat similar.

or...

A forward based tactical strike/recce platform for the USAF in a metallic multi-grey cammo similar to the F-22?

Cheers, Jon

Jeffry Fontaine · September 25, 2007, 12:52:20 PM

Jon,

Good points on the Carrier Version. It would be a bit large even with folding wings. Guess the best WHIF out of this would be a USAF heavy figher/light bomber to replace the F-111 and F-15E.

Maybe the lash up of a 1/48th scale cockpit on to a 1/144th scale B-2 would be the solution. Of course the weapons bays would be a lot smaller so you would be looking at dimensions that would support the carriage of weapons in the Mk 82 500 pound bomb or Mk 83 1000 pound bomb category instead of larger and longer weapons such as the Mk 84 2000 pound bomb or the AGM-84 Harpoon missile.

Guess the real proof comes when the razor saw starts ripping up the plastic to make the pieces fit.

upnorth · September 28, 2007, 07:14:07 AM

Every time I see the B-2 I feel the urge to put a planing hull on it and some wingtip floats and make a fire killer out of it.

The engine intakes are up on top of the wing and well back of the leading edge so water ingestion shouldn't be an issue and it should have plenty of room in its existing weapons bay for decent load of water or retardant.

I can just see it coming down on a lake to refill like the Canadair 215/415.

GTX · September 29, 2007, 11:39:59 AM

How about one in old style camo with white underbelly such as this artists impression of a stealth bomber:

Regards,

Greg

Jeffry Fontaine · October 05, 2007, 11:03:29 AM

Back in the day, before RADAR, LIDAR, and FLIR/IIR the best form of camouflage was your basic white finish. Camouflage painting only helps hide the aircraft in the trees when it is on the ground or flying really close to the ground.

In the air, the all white finish makes the aircraft almost invisible at a distance with the right light effects. Of course an all white finish is quite boring.

Jeffry Fontaine · October 05, 2007, 11:07:58 AM

QuoteFair enough, always good to use what is on hand.

So you'd have a 'real world' aircraft with a span of around 114' 8", kinda big for carrier strike but not for a land-based USN long-range patrol bomber.
Two tone cammo maybe? Matte blue-black over slate grey with blue-grey markings? or summat similar.

or...

A forward based tactical strike/recce platform for the USAF in a metallic multi-grey cammo similar to the F-22?

Cheers, Jon

Another option to the large wingspan would be to cut it down a little, turn the B-2 planform into a rhomboid shape by clipping the wings just outboard of the engines. The airfoil shape of the fuselage would still provide lift and the wing span would be reduced to a point that it might be elegible for use on an aircraft carrier flight deck.

That might be a project to take on in 1/72nd scale with the 1/144th scale B-2 and for added effect, try to add an F-14 cockpit/canopy to the thing. The raised cockpit would be better suited for carrier operations anyway.

SebastianP · October 08, 2007, 10:07:38 AM

How about an FSW B-2? Cut the wings off and install them on the opposite side, easy as pie...

SP

Spey_Phantom · October 08, 2007, 10:50:20 AM

cool, but i remember reading a magazine back in 2000 or 2001, there was an artists impression of a proposed Stealth transport aircraft, to insert special forces over hostile terrain. i cant seem to find the image, but it looked a lot like a triangled B-2A

elmayerle · October 08, 2007, 04:36:26 PM

Actually, mating a 1/48 two-seat cockpit to a 1/72 B-2 to make a 1/48 strike aircraft sounds quite plausible. As I remember, that's not too far off of Northrop's ATA (A-12) entry. The A-12 failed for many reasons, not the least of which was the 50/50 work and responsibility split which really put no one in ultimate charge and lead to way too much "design by committee" (I've got this from folks who were here at the time; such an approach ate up tons of cash but produced comparatively little).

Radish · October 09, 2007, 07:13:24 AM

Standard model.....add windows in appropriate places plus a snazzy airliner scheme.....for visiting places/relatives on a surprise visit?

That's what I'm doing with my 1/144th Revell kit.

Eventually......

Scooterman · October 09, 2007, 12:07:31 PM

I'm thinking of using the Revell ATB B-2 kit in 1/72 as scale o rama with a 1/48 cockpit. Haven't found a suitable donor yet......

elmayerle · October 11, 2007, 09:56:39 AM

QuoteStandard model.....add windows in appropriate places plus a snazzy airliner scheme.....for visiting places/relatives on a surprise visit?

That's what I'm doing with my 1/144th Revell kit.
Eventually......

Stepping back a couple generations, if you can find a spare B-49 kit, there was the proposed airliner version of that one with its panoramic windows in the leading edge. I like your idea, Rad, 'twould be the ultimate statement in a personal jet.

Jeffry Fontaine · October 01, 2008, 02:57:02 PM

Quote from: Scooterman on October 09, 2007, 12:07:31 PMI'm thinking of using the Revell ATB B-2 kit in 1/72 as scale o rama with a 1/48 cockpit. Haven't found a suitable donor yet......

I have given this some thought over the past couple of years and have concluded that it is best to keep it as simple as possible. My first inclination was to add the cockpit and canopy from an F-14 to the top of the fuselage but I really did not like the three section windscreen of the F-14 so perhaps the F-16 or F-18 two seaters would be a good alternative source for such a conversion. This would place the cockpit rather prominently on top of the fuselage and make it stand out quite a bit so this should be considered as the last resort.

The more I thought about this, the more appealing the cockpit and windscreen of the F-111 came to pass, it would be simple enough to cut away the forward part of the cockpit roof on the B-2 and modify the insides to accommodate the F-111 parts. The plus side is that the stealthy shape is retained and you have your scale-o-rama accomplished. With the scale up to 1/48th on the 1/72nd scale kit you would still have the advantage of a large weapons bay suitable for carriage of several 2000 pound class weapons in each bay, something that the Navy A-12 Avenger II would never get away with due to the smaller size and shape.

Fitting the F-111 cockpit into the space provided in the B-2 might be a challenge that would require suffering a few avulsions and lacerations while showering it with expletives by trying to fit the cockpit into the space provided. You would also need to source a pair of ejection seats to fit into the F-111 cockpit since it does not have these features and I don't want to portray the WHIF with an escape module like the F-111.

Since I have a cockpit and windscreen/canopy from an old Monogram F-111 sitting in the spares I can hope to achieve this creation myself someday. For now, though, it is a project that is pending.