B-36 Peacemaker Monogram 1/72 Kit #5707 OOB Review and Build

She looks good Jeff and that's a lot of decals to apply! Due to shelf / space limitations I'll if I want a B-36 for me collection it'll have to be 1/144 one day. Again very nice job on a important aircraft in the USAF history.

The aircraft at Chanute AFB was a recon, RB-36. It is now at at Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, California. It was a little different than the "City of Ft. Worth," aircraft.

The City of Ft. Worth is a B-36J bomber (in fat it was the very last one made)  and itoriginally sat on the field at the Greater Southwest International Airport in Ft. Worth, TX for years.  I saw it there as a kid of ten in the nid-1960s when my Dad took us to see it.  He worked at LTV in GRand PRairie, TX.   It was ultimately moved to Pima Air and Space Museum adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona where it is loated to this day.

Here's the RB-36 from Chanute AFB now at Castle Air Museum:

Here's the B-36J (the same one I modeled) from Ft. Worth:

The markings are a litle different.

Leading edge engines red on the Roswell B-36, and yellow on the Chanute RB-36. Top of tail black on the Roswell B-36 and yellow on the Chanute aircraft. The "IUS AIR FORCE" is smaller on the Chanute, and the Blue strip on the nose is a little different too. of ourse the aircraft number is also different.

Another B-36J is the one at he USAF Museum at Wright Pat.  It is alo a B-36J.

If my memory recalls correctly, those are the same markings on the one parked at Chanute AFB in the late 80's. I've heard its been moved west, I don't know for sure. I've slept since then.

BK

YUP, here she is in CA now, but this is the same bird I saw in IL.

BrandonK

Those decals really brought that to life. Man, she looks good. And BIG.

BK

The kit decals, while nice, do not include all of these details...and those details make a LOT of difference.

Those decals really brought that to life. Man, she looks good. And BIG.

BK

The Build - Radar dome, Fuselage decals, and wing access walkway decals - December 21, 2015

In this session, I began placing the decals on this beast. Before I started that, I needed to paint the forward portion of the large radar housing underneath the fuselage.

Then I added the decals to the main fuselage. I am using the Warbird decal set for the B-36 that includes the specific decals for the "City of Ft. Worth" aircraft, Warbird set number 72032. it also includes the specific markings for the "Broken Arrow" aircraft (which designates and aircraft that eoither crashed with, or lst nuclear weapons), which I am not using. GREAT set of decals....

Then it was time to establish the service walkways on the top of that huge main wing. Here I am using the Warbird details decal set for the B-36, Warbird set 72003 that includes all of the detail decals as well as the USAF and insignia markings. Mnay, many decals in this set.

This involved a LOT of straight lines, and also a lot of intricate areas around each of the six large engines, where maintenance people access the top side access panels for the engines.

I started off getting the major straight line portions of the walkways laid down. You want to make sure you cut the decals into managable lengths. Invariably I find, if I try to use long straight line decals, it either gets twisted, or breaks, or somehow gets adversly effected in the handling and placement. So I cut mine into lengths that are no more than 4-5 inches long and then piece them together. I have found that this is more mangable and gives me better results in the end.

Then it was time to begin the more intricate work of the access paths around each of the engines. This involves specific lines that surround the upper parts of the engine nacelles, and then provides access to the engine on either side, and on top of the nacells.

I cut out and organized the decals for each nacelle, and then added the walkways starting on the outer engine nacelles on each side progressing towards the inner nacelles. This was work requiring a lot of patience. Getting all three nacelles on eah side done required three days of work...working an hour or so, letting them dry, coming back and adding more, letting that dry...until the nacelles on each side in the same location were completed. Then letting that dry and starting on the next inboard nacelle.

In the process I added the USAF and insignia markings on the upper wings, and then later on the lower side of the wings.

Here's how all of that went went.

That was a lot of work...but it ends up looking very good. Also, I have to say, getting those Warbird decals sets was a God send. They do OUTSTANDING work, and allowed me to complete this (depsite the time) much more quickly and with a much more professional look than if I had tried to mask all of those walk way lines and then paint them in that fashion.

Still a lot of decals to go. I have the same types of walkways for the horizontal stabilizors, and then a LOT of "NO STEP" decals and other access panel and instructional decals for the aircraft.

I hope to complete all of that, the touch up, adding the HF aerical cables from the vertical stabilzor to the fuselage, and then complete the model in my next session.

Shipwreck

I have really enjoyed your build/thread; you did a great job. Now that you have it all together, are you going to tell us how much real estate it is taking up?

The table shown here is a 30" wide table:

Jeff, I love those big 1/48 bombers. I am working on a B-29; and have a couple b-17s, a couple B-24s, and 10 B-25s; but no B-36! So I have really enjoyed your build/thread; you did a great job. Now that you have it all together, are you going to tell us how much real estate it is taking up?

Toshi

What an excellent build, I'm absolutely blown away by the detail and presence you've made on that kit.  What a great job!

I am using Warbird Decals for the City of Ft. Worth aircraft, and the set they have that includes all of the wing walkway decals and other detail.  I expect thaey are going to take some time to apply.

I am also contacting Spectre Modeling and Mill Creek Consultants to see if I can order the 1/72 scale Mk-17 Thermo-nuclear bomb they used to make to put in the bomb bay.  I think that would be neat and add a lot to the model.

I may scratch build a cart and have a Mk-17 displayed next to the model too...those were HUGE bombs and the B-36 to my knowledge, was the only US Aircraft ever capable of carryong them.

Merry Christmas to you and yours...and all the best in the New Year/.

What an excellent build, I'm absolutely blown away by the detail and presence you've made on that kit.  What a great job!

Toshi

The Build - Jet engines, landing gear, propellers, paint wings, main assembly - December 17, 2015

Lots to do in this session.

I started off by building the jet engines in their nacelles. There are two out board jet engines underneath each wing, both in their own nacelle on each side.

...and they are way out there under each wing...I mean WAY out there.

I assembled each nacelle and then painted them, with the distinctive red front on each nacelle.

Then it was time to build the landing gear. I did this by first gathering, assembling, and painting the ten tires. These are large tires, the main gear standing around 6' tall each, four of these large tires to each main gear.

Once those were built, I then assembled and painted the landing gear themselves, and the doors (including the bomb bay doors). I then painted and assembled the propellers for each of the six piston engines.

All of these various parts and assemblies were looking good and so then it was time to fully paint both wings. There is a specific portion of the underside that is flat white, with the rest being silver.

So I painted the wings and let them dry, and then added the main landing gear and their doors.

Once this was completed I added the large wings, with their landing gear to the main fuselage.

The model has adequate support for these large wings, nevertheless, because they are so large (and also because of me having to notch the supports in order to make room for the access tunnel through the bomb bay), the fit had to be manually held tightly in place for several muinutes on each side to minimize seam issues...which I did.

Once the wings were dried (and I let them dry almost 24 hours), I then went ahead and added the jet engine nacelles with their support to each wing, and the bomb bay doors.

After doing this I had to make up for my fogetfulness.

I had intended to add some lead weight behind the forward cabin bulkhead (between the main cabin and the bomb bay) to ensure that the model sat properly on its landing gear. Unless you add such weight, the model will want to tip back as its center of gravity would be behind the main gear.

But I forgot.

To make up for this, I added a total of twenty-six pennies, ten in the bomb bay, ten in the nose gear bay, and then another six in the nose cockpit behind the crew stations. I could reach all of these. I used some reguilar super glue to glue these together in groups of five and three, and then painted them appropriately before setting them in place with more super-glue.

Twenty six pennies is what it took me and the aircraft sits perfectly.

In the bomb bay, once I get the 1/72 scale Thermo nuclear bomb, wou will not be able to see them. They can also not be seen in the nose. If you turn the plane upside down, you can see them in the forward gear bay...but they are not too noticable even then.

Once this was all done I added a dull coat and then added the main canopy, the nose canopy, and then the six bubble glass canopies at each observationn/gunner's station.

With all of the assemblies added and with the canopies added and the glass at the gunner's stations, the structural part of the model aircraft is complete.

That is one HUGE aircraft...and she is looking very good.

Over the next session or two I will be placing the numerous decals on the aircraft. The walk ways are long and intricate on the top of the wing.

But, at this rate, I am now hoping to be complete by Christmas.

wing_nut

Just got caught up on this .  That's a big sucker.  And looking good. 

 

Thanks for watching and commenting.  I will be adding the next session momentarily.

Just got caught up on this .  That's a big sucker.  And looking good. 

Jeff,

All I can say is.......DANG! That is one big model.

Steve

That thing is a monster!! Coming along nicely.

BK

The Build - Horizontal stabilizers, lower fuselage, canopy, prop engines, main wings - December 14, 2015

I started this session by building the horizontal stabilizers and then adding them to the aircraft. Pretty straight forward, but the span of these are as big or bigger than most full wing spans on 1/72 scale fighter and attack aircraft models.

I then painted the lower fuselage in the flat white as it was in service. I used Model Master Flat White. It took a full three coats to get it covered adequately. I then touched up the bomb bay, the rear gun turret area, etc.

Looking pretty good.

At this point I decided to paint the canopy and the forward nose section. These come in clear plastic and you have to mask and paint the supporting structure. I masked the larger areas, and then used a fine brush to paint the straight lines freehand. They turned out very well.

I will not permanently attach these until the model is completed...but I wanted to dry fit/tape fit them to see how it was looking. I'm pretty satisfied with the results.

I then assembled and attached the prop mounts for the six large piston engines that the B-36 uses. These are massive engines, but on the B-36 they were "pusher" engines, meaning the propellers were mounted on the back of the wings and the blades orientd so that they "pushed" the aircraft forward, rather than being mounted in front of the wing and pulling the aircraft forward like most aircraft.

Once these were mounted and dried, I was then able to glue the large wings together. These wings are massive. In real life they are 7' thick at the root and actually had access tunnels to the engines. The engines could be feathered and stopped for a crewman to perform basic maintenance if necessary while in flight. At least, that is what I have been told, I have no idea if that ever happened.

Once they dried, I then did a quick dry fit of them to the aircraft just to show the overall size of the aircraft now. As I say...it is stretching my build area pretty much to the max.

She is coming right along.

In the next session I will paint these massive wings, paint the props, build and paint the jet engines and their nacelles, build the langing gear, and then hopefully attach all of that to each wing preparatory to actually atttaching the wings to the aircraft. If time permits, I will attach the wings in the next session.

Wilbur Wright

..has the full walkway decals and additional jet engine pods. It has to be the biggest decal sheet I've ever seen. I'll try to find some photos.

You'll be decaling for a month after painting all the metal paint variences of color.

Maybe my favorite plane of all time!

I puirchased a couple of after market decal sets for the aircraft by Warbird and am looking forward to getting to that point and adding them.

But I am still a ways away from that.

God's speed!

Omg It is really huge aircraft . I love Old Monogram Kits too... Thank you for detailed review and information about kit and aircraft history. My favorite James Stewart movie is Rear Window, I did't read his biography before and i am in shock. Thank you

Nezih

Hi Jeff,

I Love this plane and model.

I have built the Revell Germany version of this aircraft in 1/72nd scale.

That version has the full walkway decals and additional jet engine pods. It has to be the biggest decal sheet I've ever seen. I'll try to find some photos.

You'll be decaling for a month after painting all the metal paint variences of color.

Take your time and really enjoy this build.  I store this thing vertically on two ladder hooks If you can belive that.

Can you imagine if the real "Wilbur Wright" actually laid eyes on this aircraft???  Maybe my favorite plane of all time. Loved that the Jimmy Stewart movie as well!

Hi Jeff!  I'm DEFINITELY going to be watching your build here.  The B-36 kit is a fun one to build.  I've built three of them so far:  One got destroyed in a move, the second one is at my dad's place and I've got the third one.  When my dad was a kid growing up in CA, he used to see them flying overhead.  He even saw a flying wing overhead as well!  What a time to be growing up.

Anywho, I just wanted to point out a couple of things.  In your posts, you had mention some navigation ports with instrumentation.  Are you talking about the clear spherical blisters?  If so, those were actually the gun sights used by the gunners on the B-36.  It's actually very similar in nature to the ones used on the B-29.

Also, in the B-36 kit, the bombs depicted are actually T-86 photo flash bombs used for recon purposes.  They could carry up to 80 of them.  I've always wished the kit came with a full compliment of 500 or 1000 pound general purpose bombs.  That would be neat to see!

Your kit is coming along great! Keep up the good work and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Eric

I came this close to buying this kit at the last IPMS show but as others have said, I didn't have enough work space on my tiny bench to support the build.  Even my 1/48 B-26 took some imaginative manipulation to complete, so I passed on this one....sigh.

I am definately following your build Jeff as I have great interest in this behemoth of a plane.  TY for posting and for the detailed info therein.  Also ty for following me too, it's quite an honor.

Jeff Head

 

 

I am pretty sure I have just enough space on the bench to finish this.  But I am not sure where I will put it.

 

Jeff, I am dealing with the space issue as I am working on a 1/48 B-29. My thought was to hang it from the cealing, or some how suspend it from a shelf. I have an old style intertainment center where it would hang at about eye level!

Valkyrie

"Piggly Wiggly," there's one I haven't heard of for quite some time, Rangerj!  Used to shop in one of those in Kilgore, TX.  Pretty common in that part of the country.

 

Had not thought of Piggly Wiggly in some time.

jeaton01

Jeff, when I finished mine I built a new display case for it.  Luckily I have a space near my desk that used to have a wood stove and a good size case fit there.

Here is a link to my B-36 build log, there is a picture of the display case there.  Until I had the case finished I had to keep the B-36 locked in a back room because there are two very inquisitive cats in the house.

http://www.yolo.net/~jeaton/mymodels/b36/1b36/0651b36.html

 

What a beautiful build and a beautiful display cabinet to put it in.

Thank you for sharing, you have given me some ideas in finishing my own.

God's speed!

"Piggly Wiggly," there's one I haven't heard of for quite some time, Rangerj!  Used to shop in one of those in Kilgore, TX.  Pretty common in that part of the country.

Jeff, when I finished mine I built a new display case for it.  Luckily I have a space near my desk that used to have a wood stove and a good size case fit there.

Here is a link to my B-36 build log, there is a picture of the display case there.  Until I had the case finished I had to keep the B-36 locked in a back room because there are two very inquisitive cats in the house.

http://www.yolo.net/~jeaton/mymodels/b36/1b36/0651b36.html