Review: Christmas came a little earlier this year (review on Modelcollect’s new tool 1:72 B-2 Spirit)
Hi Mates,
I could not miss this commonplace title but this "little" kit just arrived from the manufacturer. I made a pre order (in 2016) practically when they just formed as a future manufacturer and annunced their plan to make a new-tool B-2. The waiting was long but it was worth it. I have the Testors/Italeri in my stash so I can compare the two but this kit is a quantum leap compared with that. In 1:72 it's a farly big kit and plane - the finished model will be more than 70cm in span. The box is not so big as the Testors one but full of plastic - in fact so full that You may have problem repacking the kit again. As You can see we got a nice colour printed booklet as assembly plan wich is clear and well organized. The big parts (wings and fuselage halves) protected with some kind of strong plastic insulator material - in fact this is too strong as it slightly bented the wings end (You can see on the pictures). Otherwise there isn't any serious I can complain about. The parts breakdown is quite simple and reminds me the Testors/Italeri kit with more details especially around the cockpit and wheel/weapon bays area. Modelcollect circulated their plans (CAD visualisation) on various forums and a great thing that they continously corrected the problem areas based on the discussions (Trumpeter? HobbyBoss? Do You hear this?) - for example such known shape errors like the Testors' too narrow engine nacelles or the mishaped windscreen all elminated on the final product. You got four full engines but frankly they are not good enough to show them OOB but the unique intake/exhaust channels are seems nice. The kit represents the "Block 30" upgraded weapon bays (Testors the Block 10 - single row rotary weapon storage) and the improved leading edge also as I see. I would prefer a bit more variety in term of ordnance but again, nothing to complain about really. Some details are on the heavy side (ie. engine faces) but You won't see them on the finished model. The plastic is quite strong and hard but a bit thick - we will see how it behaves during building. I didn't try small parts but as the kit CAD based I suppose that the fit will be fairly good. The main parts engineered to build up a strong model - which is a definite inmprovement on the Testors kit (which is weak and hollow inside) and various reinforcements guarantees the strong joints - I also didn't notice any warping which is really good for such large plastic parts. The fuselage/wing joints however leaves some gap - again the joints are large so I'm not surprised - but as the B-2's surface is smooth You wont loose any detail filling this area. You'll get a small fret of coloured photo etched parts for the cockpit (not Eduard standard but not bad at all) which You won't see anymore when the fuselage halves closed; I would prefer some etched parts for the weapon bays instead. The painting for the B-2 is really exciting if You like "gunship gray". You can choose from three different planes in the usual "low vis" scheme. The decals are from Two Bobs and seems really nice. All in all this is an impressive kit and sure makes an impressive model to any collection when finished. I think the 149USD is a bit high but on other hand this is a big and quality kit (I saw for 125USD once as a street price which is still a bit steep but more acceptable). As a pre-order I think I made a fair business for it for 89USD (as I write this I see the old Testors kit on the 70USD level on evilbay but frankly no comparison here). I have two problems now: where will I be able to put it and what will I do with my Testors B-2 (half built for years... err...)? I want to built this kit but first I have to make new shelve in my showcase because this bird will occupy one completely.
However, what is most important: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone - especially for all fellow modeler!
Looks like it'll be a nice one...Merry Christmas, my friend. 🙂
Thank You Craig! Merry Christmas for You aswell!
Looking forward to what you can do with this with your remarkable skill!
Thank You Greg! I plan to build it OOB or very-very minor changes. Will see - I'd like to build it before the next Moson Show just to make some problem for myself with the transportation 😀
Wow !, I remember seeing one of these years ago at an airshow in the U.K. it was amazing to see,can't wait to see how it looks when finished I hope you aren't going to "shelve " it.
N.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do a build of this. I've had a powerful hunger for Modelcollect ever since I saw that they were doing this, the B-1 and B-52. Saw a lot of grousing over CADs, but I've yet to see a build review of any of them, and the B-2 is the only one of which I've seen pictures of the actual plastic.
It's a beautiful Christmas gift, perfect for a modeler 🙂 I'm also waiting for a shipment from Modelcollect ... I hope that my B-2 will be there for Christmas
Thank You All! Someone should write about their B-1B (my other favourite modern bomber)...
"I think the 149USD is a bit high but on other hand this is a big and quality kit (I saw for 125USD once as a street price which is still a bit steep but more acceptable)."
A bit on the high side is an understatement. There's no way a kit with so little detail (because it is stealth) and so few trees is worth that. I can find a 1/32 Trumpy F/A -18F kit for less.
Give me a fraction of this detail and I would buy it:
https://www.umm-usa.com/mygallery/galleryB2.html
Actually they did a fraction 😀 You are right that that price is too high - I would never buy one for the full price. The funny thing is that the Testors kit is nearly as expensive when appearing somewhere as this one. The key factor is the time You want to invest into an acceptable looking B-2. The gallery You linked is just amazing but I don't want a detailed stealt so much that I spend a whole year or two building just that - I build a Monogram B-58 instead 😀 😀 😀
The bomb bay wind deflectors don't just have detail molded in, they have actual holes! NICE! I was surprised at the box content though, when was the last time we've seen a "molded in color" model!
It seems a bit pricey. The wheels you showed appear to have machining marks all over them, and the detail in some of the other parts looks a little soft. The deformed wing tips aren't indicative of a quality product. i was a bit excited about this kit when it was first announced, but I think I'll give it a pass. Have fun building it, and would certainly like to see your results.
I have seen a couple of builds of this recently and it seems to go together well. The masking sets from New Ware is a good complement to the kit for the RAM-painted areas.
Good luck with the build and Merry Christmas 🙂