The
first completion that I'll be posting this week is one that I'm rather happy
with, which wasn't the case with the desert snake Ju-87. This is the Platz
X-47B carrier drone. I've got a nice little collection of completed drones
going, having already finished the RQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper, and RQ-4 Global
Hawk. They're fun little distractions - no canopies to mask, generally only one
color to spray, and there are a number of models out there to choose from. I'd
probably have more in my stash, but so many of them are from Unicraft, and...
well. I do plan on picking up an RQ-7 from Attack Squadron the next time I buy
from Hannants. I know the thing is tiny, but it is part of the series and only
about $10. It is also 3D printed, and I'd like to see the quality of that
process for myself.
But
back to the X-47B. Platz released this kit a few years back, and it really is a
well molded little wonder. Nice detail, excellent fit, smart engineering. About
the only complex part of the process is painting and then masking the intake,
since the demarcation line is somewhat inside the body of the intake. I would
probably have been better off masking it prior to assembly, but if you go that
route make sure you don't trap the mask between the pieces when you do finally
assemble it. I decided to have the bomb bay doors closed, and the fit there was
exquisite. No filler, and you can barely tell that there is anything there
other than a panel line. That did require removal of the braces that attach the
(open) door to the fuselage, but that is only tedious, not difficult. I bought
the GBU-27 version of the kit, and one of those missiles will soon be part of
my ongoing ordnance project.
I
would say that the biggest hurdle to a world speed record for completion of this model lies in the
decalling step. There are a lot of
decals. All those walkways and stencils? They are individual pieces, and will
punish the unwary if you allow them to curl or get out of place. Still, it
makes for a nice busy surface on the finished product. The decals themselves
are very nice, though the larger markings on curved surfaces did require a
setting solution. I managed to overlook the reference on the sheet to the strip
of manufacturers logos, etc and finally resorted to an online search on
Northrop/Grumman's website. I discovered they were on the nose gear doors, and
as soon as I looked back onto the instruction site... there they were all along.
<Sigh>.
If you
are looking for a simple mojo-restoring project, you could do a lot worse than
the Platz X-47B. It is definitely a unique shape for your display cabinet. I'm
tempted to start work on the Testors B-2 if only to display them next to each
other. But I've been hoping that someone would grant us a better kit for that
type.
This
is completed aircraft #441 (#3 of the year), completed in January of 2016.
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