Italeri's 1/72 scale Northrop XB-35 by Roland Sachsenhofer

Italeri's 1/72 scale
Northrop XB-35

by Roland Sachsenhofer

Northrop XB-35

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Description

In 1941 the USAAF initialized the design of a heavy bomber that could reach targets deep into Europe in case of Britain’s defeat. Jack Northrop answered that challenge with a lifting body-design, a pure flying wing without any vertical stabilizers.

That was somewhat predictable, because Northrop had been building successful flying wings for a while before. Troubles with the complex counter-rotating props and the immanent challenges of making a pure flying wing fly stable hassled the XB-35 project and delayed the prototypes first flight until after the war in 1946. The end of that impressive bomber came with the insight in the obsolete nature of the engines-the future belonged to the jet-powered airplanes.

Two XB-35 prototypes have been flown –my model depicts one of them- and a small pre-series of thirteen YB-35 followed. Two of them have even been converted to jets, but, at last, Convairs B-36 should win that race.

Italeri's kit uses the parts of the AMT/ERTL boxing of 1995.

It is quite a trouble free and rather fast build. The only areas I made enhancements have been the wheel wells and – struts and the cockpit, or, better said, “bridge”. I do not know who has been the inspiration of whom - but there is a certain connection to Starship Enterprises bridge….

I made extensive use of Alclad's range of metallic shades, which is a real fun on that plane. That is quite a unique and a really beautiful aircraft, worth being build! Once finished you have to display over 72 centimetre of wingspan.

If you are interested in the building process and in the models parts, please have a look on the workbench at Scalemates.