Very generic Hobbycraft 1/144 th scale B-36
Although I was not at "The Home", I built this for a lady whose Father worked on the B-36. He is elderly and she wanted it to give to him before the inevitable happens.
It does not represent a B-36 from any squadron in particular. Actually it is a very nice kit and was fun to build. Even in 1/144th it is a decent sized model. I have the Monogram 1/72 kit and some day I may build it. That one is large.
I remember well, the B-36 during the fifties. Many times they did touch and goes at SFO. As they left the area you could hear their noise for over 30 minutes. They certainly filled the sky as they left. Good, bad, or indifferent, this was a remarkable airplane.
"..Six turnin' and four burnin'.." was the catch-phrase given to the Peacemaker by a former co-worker who was a maintenance crewman 'back in the day'. Nice job, but you forgot to include the "common object of reference" in your pics- 🙂
Looks great !
So, Frank, what's the wingspan? Your pictures make it look huge whatever the scale.
George,
The length is 14" and the wingspan is 19". It is big for 1/144
heck it is big in real life too. There was one at Dallas in the mid to late 60's as I recall from my youth. Dad used to take us there to look it over, I even got to go inside the pit. this was around 64 or earlier. This is now in Pima.
In 1/144 this would be a nice addition. Thanks for sharing with us.
Good looking model, Frank. Lots of aluminum in that old girl.
There were B-36's in my home town at Biggs AFB for quite a while. One of them crashed into the mountains on approach and some of the wreckage is still up there. I visited that site many years ago, and a friend of mine was up there a little more recently and took some pictures:
http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/B36Crash/B-36D_44-92071_Crash.html
Jamie,
Great web site good info. Sad to hear of good committed service men losing their lives to protect us. Aside from the B-36's that I had seen in the air long ago, I have viewed two on static display at museums. One at Castle AFB in California and one at the SAC museum in Nebraska. The one at Castle is in a bit better condition and was brought to Castle by train and then put back together. The one at SAC was moved there from open display at Olmstead AFB near Omaha. It sat outdoors on display for years and shows the effects of the elements. This B-36 now sits on the main floor at the SAC museum. Consider it's size and then be aware that on this same main floor is a; B-52, B45, B47, HU-16, A-26, B-25, B-58, F-101, and a few others when I saw it, and there was still room for more. Gives you some idea of the size of the museum. I would recommend this museum to anyone. I saw it right after it opened so the floor may be packed now.
They were monsterous big things, I remember seeing a movie called "SAC" I think. Anyhow I remember that there was tunnel connecting the front and back with a trolley board on wheels so that the crew could move around.
Still a very impressive build Frank
Simon,
I watched this movie when it first came out and a couple of times since. James Stewart, a 3rd base major league ball player recalled to duty in the USAF reserves. Flew a B-36 for most of the movie and the droning of the engines almost put me to sleep each time I saw it. It was a good advertisement for the USAF such as "Top Gun" was for the Navy. I think Stewart was actually a full Colonel in the reserve at the time. I think this was made before he was promoted to BG.
Thanks Frank , at least my little grey cells are not that degraded. I use to live right in the flight path of an airbase many years ago, mainly transport jobbies, Beverlys, Hercs and Andovers. Then they closed the base down.
I stood under the bomb bay of a B-36 at the USAF Museum in Dayton and was impressed by it's appearence, photos don't convey the bomber's size! What was funny is that the area under the wings was lined up with a half dozen 1950's vintage jets and helicopters with room to spare. By the way Frank, nice build.