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Carlos Gomez
4 articles

Academy 1/144 scale B-1

March 13, 2023 · in Aviation · · 13 · 0.6K

This is the excellent in scale. The engineering is top notch and the kit goes together with only minor putty required on the forward fuselage seams.
I would love to see this model brought up to 72nd with the same fit and finish as this scale. I think it would sell well.
Createx paints were custom mixed for the gunship grey and applied by brush. The only airbrushing was for the windscreen framing.
Kit decals for a bird out of Ellsworth AFB.

Highly recommended as a fast and fun build.

Reader reactions:
8  Awesome

15 additional images. Click to enlarge.


13 responses

  1. Great job,on a cool looking bird! Amazing work with paint brushing.

  2. Great job, Carlos!

  3. On a road trip some years ago I saw the B-1s doing pattern work at Ellsworth. They flew those big bombers like fighters! Thanks for bringing back the sight (and sound!) of that experience - your model looks just like the real thing!

  4. Beautiful airplane ! Driving across northern New Mexico and Arizona along I-40 many years ago I saw one of these off in the distance flying very low over the ground. I’ve always admired the lines of this aircraft.

  5. Thanks guys! If you are ever in a modeling slump and need to get the energy going again, you will be hard pressed to do better than this model. It truly does just fall together.

  6. Great job, Carlos (@air2). Anyone who can brush paint like this has my admiration. Well done!

  7. Really nicely done, Carlos @air2
    Even at 1/144 this is a big model.
    Your paintbrush skills are amazing, it looks very smooth.

  8. That's very nice. Good brushwork. I once saw the B-1A prototypes up at Edwards back in 1981. Its size is impressive.

  9. Nicely done, Carlos.

  10. Wow! How in hell did you get that finish with a brush? You have some serious mojo there! Great work sir! Send me some of that pixie dust would ya...

    • Thank you, Stephen! Brush application is all about the thinner to paint ratio. I used about a 4:1 thinner to paint ratio which resulted in a consistency and transparency of something like whole milk. It helps that the brand of paint I used (Createx) lends itself well to heavy thinning while maintaining its integrity.

      At the end of the day I just wanted to see if I could pull it off. The result speaks for itself. Thanks again!

  11. Great looking B-1! Great paintwork on it - very realistic finish, especially for 144 scale.

  12. Thanks, Greg! Yes, even in this scale the model measures 12" in length.

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