1/144 KC-135 Refueling a B-2 Spirit

Started by George Johnson · 9 · 7 years ago · 1/144, B-2, KC-135, U.S. Air Force
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    George Johnson said 7 years, 4 months ago:

    Haven't posted anything in a while. These are some WIP shots of my 1/144 KC-135 refueling a B-2 Spirit bomber. The KC is made by Minicraft and the B-2 is from Revell. Window mask removal, engine nozzle attachment, and some minor final assembly and painting still have to be performed. I used Mr paint products exclusively. The new "Have Glass" finish is so subtle and beautiful that I can't wait to used it on my Kitty Hawk F-35. I used Mr Paint white primer and it went on in very thin coats. This was follwed by some pre-shading with a variety of blues, greens, browns and black.

    2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

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    George Johnson said 7 years, 4 months ago:

    Close-up of the finish on the B-2.

    1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

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    Richard Mcstay said 7 years, 4 months ago:

    Lovely stuff there mate, both the subjects and the model. Can't wait to see the finished product!

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    George Johnson said 7 years, 4 months ago:

    Thank you, Richard.

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    Ray Seppala said 7 years, 3 months ago:

    I like the way you have displayed these 2 George, it is a very neat and compact set up. I want to do something similar in 1/72 with a KC and F-111 and this is one of the better ways I have seen a tanking diorama set up.
    The finish on both models looks great as well. Are they kit decals on the KC?

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    George Johnson said 7 years, 3 months ago:

    Thanks, Ray. I had actually started a 1/72 version of this dio about 15 years ago, but stopped it because of a nasty bit of back surgery. I was working with the Testors B-2, a really terrible model, and a modified Heller AWACS/AMT KC-135. I threw the B-2 away and kept the partially built KC. This model was really easy and fun. The B-2 is a snap together kit that assembled pretty well. The only problem was the windscreen. I had to fill it in with clear epoxy and sand and polish it. The KC was completely assembled, painted and decaled, but I wasn't happy with the color so I stripped it down to bare plastic and repainted it with Mr Paint paints. The decals are from Caracal and are printed by Cartograph. It is a comprehensive set and are great to work with. I highly recommend them.

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    Craig Abrahamson said 7 years, 3 months ago:

    Great looking build, George...sure gives one a perspective on the relative size of the B-2. And that paint job/detail/finish on the tanker is stunning. BTW, "good luck" with that KH F-35.

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    Ray Seppala said 7 years, 3 months ago:

    George, I will be looking forward to seeing it finished! I have a few of the Caracal sheets (including the 1/72 KC-125 set). I also have the Testors B-2 buried in the stash. I think I am going to 'borrow' your stand set up for a future build.

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    George Johnson said 7 years, 3 months ago:

    Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so I am flattered, Ray. I'm going to be posting more pics soon and hope to have some detailed images of the stand. I'm reconsidering the way I was going to mount the B-2.