Author Topic: Northrop's Flying Wings  (Read 36174 times)

Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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« Last Edit: May 28, 2012, 06:59:14 AM by Jeffry Fontaine »
"Every day we hear about new studies 'revealing' what should have been obvious to sentient beings for generations; 'Research shows wolverines don't like to be teased" -- Jonah Goldberg

Offline RussC

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #1 on: May 27, 2012, 04:50:43 AM »
Well done! and the folks at Dragon also released a model in 1/200 concurrently of the U.K's flying wing (despite the small tail ) better known as the Avro Vulcan. Both kits are even sold prepainted.

  This is a Wonderous thread start and photo ref's. , Jeffrey   Kudo's   :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :icon_beer:

  Flying Wing thread, Flying Wing thread !!!! bouncing off the furniture, clapping my paws with glee.

  Am glad you included Ninfingers' flying wing whiff thread, its required reading for any flying wing nut. I built, in paper, every one of those designs in that thread 10 years ago, even adding three more, such as a X-15 carrier in NASA colors and a RAAF AWCS version plus a civil airliner convert.

In looking at a picture of the parts trees, these new kits avoid the one problem that was in EVERY previous kit of the flying wing-every scale up until now (even the vacuforms) . In order to save on precious $#@!%$ box space, all of those other kits had the aircraft in three segments, a center section with engines and two outer wing panels. The fit and straightness issues made each model harder than it needed to be for assembly, adding metal rods to brace the internals and buttloads of PSR ugliness in the end.
 
  The 1/200's have a upper half, and ...drum roll....A lower half! Just like logic was in charge! yay!

   If you'll pardon my euphamism, these new kits can breathe fire on all the rest AFAIAC.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2012, 05:05:55 AM by RussC »

Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2012, 05:07:16 AM »
Well done! and the folks at Dragon also released a model in 1/200 concurrently of the U.K's flying wing (despite the small tail ) better known as the Avro Vulcan. Both kits are even sold prepainted.

  This is a Wonderous thread start and photo ref's. , Jeffrey   Kudo's   :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :icon_beer:

  Flying Wing thread, Flying Wing thread !!!! bouncing off the furniture, clapping my paws with glee.

  Am glad you included Ninfingers' flying wing whiff thread, its required reading for any flying wing nut. I built, in paper, every one of those designs in that thread 10 years ago, even adding three more, such as a X-15 carrier in NASA colors and a RAAF AWCS version plus a civil airliner convert.

In looking at a picture of the parts trees, these new kits avoid the one problem that was in EVERY previous kit of the flying wing-every scale up until now (even the vacuforms) . In order to save on precious $#@!%$ box space, all of those other kits had the aircraft in three segments, a center section with engines and two outer wing panels. The fit and straightness issues made each model harder than it needed to be for assembly, adding metal rods to brace the internals and buttloads of PSR ugliness in the end.

   If you'll pardon my euphamism, these new kits can breathe fire on all the rest AFAIAC.

Russ,

Thanks for the BZ.  I think I was channeling my inner intelligence analyst/librarian skills when I started the topic.  Or maybe I was having flashbacks to college   :o

My recent acquisition of the Academy SB-17 kits was to support an idea involving the B-35 and converting it to an SB-35 SAR aircraft.  In this case, there would be two Higgins Life Boats with one under each wing.  The Academy B-29 Bock's Car and Enola Gay kits both provide KB-29 parts so there might be a KB-49 tanker as well. 
« Last Edit: May 27, 2012, 05:10:53 AM by Jeffry Fontaine »
"Every day we hear about new studies 'revealing' what should have been obvious to sentient beings for generations; 'Research shows wolverines don't like to be teased" -- Jonah Goldberg

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2012, 05:07:37 AM »
Let us not forget Northrop's proposed airliner version of the B-49 with what appears to be theater seating and a small exclusive lounge in the aft "stinger".  ISTR that one book on the first generation wings has details on that concept and there's a film on the early wings that includes a look at the airliner version.  A couple ideas, a KB-2 for refueling really classified aircraft and a CB-2 for delivering cargo when you don't want folk to know there's anyone there.  I had an idea for a civil version of the CB-2 in service with Aerotransportes Medellin' with markings that resembled Canadian markings save that it's a coco or maijuana leaf rather than a maple leaf.  I was considering a diorama with one on the ground with a white Ferrari heading for it as the truck with cargo headed the other way; title was "Somewhere west of Miami".

Offline Daryl J.

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2012, 06:58:32 AM »
I'd love to put winglets on one but haven't quite come up with the rudimentary fuselage and aft stabilizer pattern yet. 
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Offline raafif

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #5 on: May 27, 2012, 08:52:40 AM »
What colours did you do yours in Russ ?

a few quick schemes ...



Offline RussC

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2012, 09:43:38 AM »
I'd love to put winglets on one but haven't quite come up with the rudimentary fuselage and aft stabilizer pattern yet.



Offline RussC

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #7 on: May 27, 2012, 09:51:04 AM »
What colours did you do yours in Russ ?








Unfortunately, a lot of the builds from Ninfinger's threads, like the long wing RB-49Q and the RAAF and NASA machine were around when I was in flux from film to digital photos and they went between the cracks as they say. I don't keep models around, the old adage ' its not the having but the getting ' !

   The builds I added here were old Fujicolor prints later scanned.

Offline raafif

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #8 on: May 27, 2012, 10:10:05 AM »
its not the having but the getting ' !

    I disgree !!  it's the getting, the having & the KEEPING !!
                                       but then I have a house to myself to store them

They all look nice, wonder if Jeffry will do his in that SAR scheme ? - (thinking 210 Sqdn Coastal Command too).  Might get a few of those new Dragon kits as the old 1/72nd kit was just too BIG !  May have to get a B-52 as well to rob the engines.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2012, 06:51:21 PM by raafif »

Offline raafif

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #9 on: May 27, 2012, 06:53:29 PM »
available kits of Northrop Flying-Wings ....

1/200th kits ....
Dragon 2007 B2 Spirit & F-117
Dragon 52013  XB-35 (metalized finish)
Dragon 52012  XB-49 (metalized finish)
Cyber Hobby CHC-2017 XB-35
Cyber Hobby CHC-2012 XB-49

Dragon 52005 Avro Vulcan
Dragon 52007 Avro Vulcan 617 Sqdn
Cyber Hobby CHC 2016  Avro Vulcan

1/72nd kits ....
AMT / Italeri XB-35 bomber -- Injected plastic kit - BIG !!
AMT / Italeri XB-49 jet-bomber -- Injected plastic kit - BIG !!
RS Models XP-79 jet Rammer -- Injected plastic (2012/13 release)


1/48th kits ....
Sword kit # SW48003 -- N1m "Jeep"
Injected plastic kit with resin cockpit, air intakes & wheels, vacform canopy (two), decals (4 x US stars, Northrop logo & two "no step" markings).  Unfortunately you can only build this kit with the wing in straight triangle planform - the real airplane's wings had variable sweep & variable anhedral (both being pre-set on the ground), in the end it proved that both sweep & anhedral were detrimental to Flying-Wing areodynamics & handling.  The kit's complete fuselage/wing is molded in just an upper & lower half, simplifying construction -- you could cut off & re-position the wing segments on the kit to depict the sweep & anhedral but it would be a LOT of work.


Sword kit # 48001 -- N9MA (mis-labelled as a this is really the N9MB version).
Injected plastic kit with cockpit detail, vacform canopy (only 1) & 2 resin prop-bases - props & spinners are plastic -- fuselage is top & bottom halves with the usual separate tops & bottoms to the wings.  Detail is basic but good.  Fit is reasonable, main problem is the wing to fuselage join - I recommend lots of dry-fitting the wing-halves to the fuselage to determine best join method.  Decals consist of the Star'n'Bars & a Northrop logo for the nose.
An N9MA version can be modelled from this kit by modifying the wing-tips into the earlier split "snappers" (used instead of ailerons) which had red/white teeth painted inside them.

Two pics of the teeth in the N9MA's "snappers" -- first one shows damaged plywood skin on the lower flap - second pic shows the teeth on the inside surface after the crash that wrote the aircraft off.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2012, 06:11:49 AM by raafif »

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #10 on: May 27, 2012, 08:12:04 PM »
You forgot some:  RCM do both the XB-35 and YB-49 in 1/48
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Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2012, 08:39:49 PM »
available kits of Northrop Flying-Wings ....

1/200th kits ....
Dragon XB-35 bomber -- pre-painted.


1/72nd kits ....
Monogram XB-35 bomber -- Injected plastic kit - BIG !!
Monogram XB-49 jet-bomber -- Injected plastic kit - BIG !!
RS Models XP-79 jet Rammer -- Injected plastic (2012/13 release)


1/48th kits ....
Sword kit # SW48003 -- N1m "Jeep"
Injected plastic kit with resin cockpit, air intakes & wheels, vacform canopy (two), decals (4 x US stars, Northrop logo & two "no step" markings).  Unfortunately you can only build this kit with the wing in straight triangle planform - the real airplane's wings had variable sweep & variable anhedral (both being pre-set on the ground), in the end it proved that both sweep & anhedral were detrimental to Flying-Wing areodynamics & handling.  The kit's complete fuselage/wing is molded in just an upper & lower half, simplifying construction -- you could cut off & re-position the wing segments on the kit to depict the sweep & anhedral but it would be a LOT of work.


Sword kit # 48001 -- N9MA (mis-labelled as a this is really the N9MB version).
Injected plastic kit with cockpit detail, vacform canopy (only 1) & 2 resin prop-bases - props & spinners are plastic -- fuselage is top & bottom halves with the usual separate tops & bottoms to the wings.  Detail is basic but good.  Fit is reasonable, main problem is the wing to fuselage join - I recommend lots of dry-fitting the wing-halves to the fuselage to determine best join method.  Decals consist of the Star'n'Bars & a Northrop logo for the nose.
An N9MA version can be modelled from this kit by modifying the wing-tips into the earlier split "snappers" (used instead of ailerons) which had red/white teeth painted inside them.

Two pics of the teeth in the N9MA's "snappers" -- first one shows damaged plywood skin on the lower flap - second pic shows the teeth on the inside surface after the crash that wrote the aircraft off.


Sword also did the N9MA in 1/72.  They show up on Ebay every now and then.  Hasegawa did co-brand as well.

Review is here: http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal4/3701-3800/gal3777_N-9MA_Senk/00.shtm

Renaud over at Sharkit has a HES 011 upgrade: http://www.sharkit.com/sharkit/n9jet/n9jet.htm

I have two of which one will get the HES 011 and the other a TBD engine/prop upgrade.

Carl
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2012, 11:09:38 PM »

1/72nd kits ....
Monogram XB-35 bomber -- Injected plastic kit - BIG !!
Monogram XB-49 jet-bomber -- Injected plastic kit - BIG !!

AMT, not Monogram.  Now they're done by Italeri

Execuform do a YRB-49A vacuform conversion in 1/72
« Last Edit: May 27, 2012, 11:11:16 PM by kitnut617 »

Offline sequoiaranger

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« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2012, 11:55:26 PM »
I have an old resin kit ("Czechmasters"??) of an N9M that I will use as the basis for a "Twin Shinden" contraption, with the cockpit a "rear gunner"s position. I may use the second set of vertical stabilizers on the inner wing to "shield" the propeller arc from the guns. I *MAY* have an Me-262-style radar array on one nose with the cannon armament on the other. Still a concept-in-progress:



It will also have two of these "air-to-air" missiles (old "little Johns"?) under the wings:

« Last Edit: May 28, 2012, 11:44:28 AM by sequoiaranger »
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Offline RussC

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2012, 03:08:29 AM »
Add to the Kit list a 1/144th resin XB -35 and YB-49 from Anigrand Craftswork. There is a simpler resin kit made by a independent maker called "Air Alex"
 
Having built the Anigrands, I cannot speak well of them, or the Air Alex.

The Testors/AMT 1/72 produces a BIG model when finished. The cockpit details are great as are the landing gear and bays. If you get a example on Ebay, be aware that the decals may have gone downhill.

Offline jcf

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2012, 03:56:06 AM »
The parts breakdown of the 1/72nd flying wings was not a matter of saving 'box-space', it was a matter
of mould size.
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Offline RussC

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2012, 05:54:44 AM »
The parts breakdown of the 1/72nd flying wings was not a matter of saving 'box-space', it was a matter
of mould size.

Well, that is a little better to think of. Still, with all of the 1:32 kits out there today, maybe that monster could be molded better now, maybe a left-half/right half if not the whole boomerang. That was btw, I think the nickname of a RAAF version whatif.

Offline raafif

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #17 on: May 28, 2012, 06:16:43 AM »
You forgot some:  RCM do both the XB-35 and YB-49 in 1/48

   Didn't forget ! ..... just didn't know about them ! :-[

Martin Aircraft designed a Model-245 that looks like an Avro Vulcan - both land & sea versions were proposed - the flyingboat had a jettisonable lower hull for flight.

Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #18 on: May 28, 2012, 06:57:11 AM »
You forgot some:  RCM do both the XB-35 and YB-49 in 1/48
Didn't forget ! ..... just didn't know about them ! :-[

That goes for me too, was unaware of the 1/48th scale kits. 
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Offline Daryl J.

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #19 on: May 28, 2012, 07:16:07 AM »
The Martin 245 is what I had in mind for my YB-49, likely in PanAm markings.    But I'll get to it sometime after the next lifetime.    :-[
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Offline raafif

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #20 on: May 28, 2012, 09:35:04 AM »
Fantastic Plastic 1/144th  Northrop Nuclear Bomber (resin)

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/NorthropNuclearPoweredFlyingWingPage.htm

also ...
Muroc Models  Northrop JB-1 (manned) & JB-1A (guided "missile") - (both in resin)

Offline RussC

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #21 on: May 28, 2012, 10:05:15 AM »
Fantastic Plastic 1/144th  Northrop Nuclear Bomber (resin)

http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/NorthropNuclearPoweredFlyingWingPage.htm

also ...
Muroc Models  Northrop JB-1 (manned) & JB-1A (guided "missile") - (both in resin)


Now that is asymmetry! Tophe's challenge is to make that one more counterpoised!

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #22 on: August 18, 2013, 05:10:22 AM »
Random Idea:  RAF B-2 Stealth Bomber
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Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #23 on: August 18, 2013, 05:36:46 AM »
Random Idea:  RAF B-2 Stealth Bomber

Scale-O-Rama or pain vanilla?
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Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Northrop's Flying Wings
« Reply #24 on: August 18, 2013, 05:38:52 AM »
Correct scale but in RAF markings.  Basically a subtle Whiff.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.