Completed: Great Wall Hobby B-52H 1/144 & Academy B-52H 1/144

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

This review will be a comparison between the Academy and Great Wall Hobbies B-52H 1/144. I bought my two kits off of ScaleHobbyist.com. Academy B-52H is listed at $59.00, the site price is $39.39. Great Wall Hobby B-52H is listed at $69.99, the site discount is $56.99.

IMG_5209 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_2367 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

Let me point out that both kits very good quality, both are 100% New Tooling. Part fit is excellent. Routine sanding and filling. Only parts that don’t fit perfect is the canopy’s, I used AK putty hard on both kits. The bottom of the canopy form’s a over hang. I used putty to smooth the transition out.

IMG_5614 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

Construction of the Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines is a bit different between the two. Academy consist of six parts. Great Wall Hobby consist of five.

Clipboard01 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_5173 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

The Bombay’s are constructed a little different. For a open Bombay, Academy has the doors molded on to the inner walls. Great Wall Hobby has the doors separate. Can be posed open or closed. There is a small problem with the little taps to glue them on. There isn’t much surface to glue to grab on to, so they easily get knotted off. And when posed closed, they are not flush with the fuselage. Great Wall Hobby as a rotary launcher, the instructions just show the launcher emtpy. Academy has 27 bombs grouped in sets of 3.

Clipboard011 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_5171 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

Wheel wells are very similar. Academy has a little more detail.

A major difference between the two are the flaps. Academy has there’s closed. Great Wall Hobby’s can be positioned open or closed.

IMG_2331 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_6549 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

For external stores, Great Wall Hobby provides GBU-24 Paveway, GBU-12 Paveway II & AGM-29. Academy has two types of JDAMS. Both have molded on antennas that very easily get knotted off, during construction. Another difference is Academy included pre-cut masks for the canopy. Great Wall Hobby does not. The main color for Academy was Tamiya XF-53 overall, I was going for a faded look. Great Wall Hobby I used Vallejo Medium Gunship Gray 71.097.

Decals went on great for both, Academy’s decals do set quickly. So place them while on the decal sheet where you want them. Academy did take a panel wash better than the Great Wall Hobby, so I should say the wash stand in better when removing the execs.

IMG_6522 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_6529 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_6513 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_6511 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_2328 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_2340 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_2354 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_2350 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

Here’s a size comparison with Academy B-1B 1/144(Another great kit), and AMP B-2 1/144(One of the worst model kit’s I’ve ever built).

IMG_2356 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

2

What is the length of your model’s wingspan in inches. I only build in 1/48 scale so I am trying to understand the size of your models. Maybe you could take a photo of your model with a Quarter next to it so I can have a sense of the model’s size.

3

Hello JohnnyK,

For both B-52H’s, in inches.

Wingspan: 15 1/2"

Height: 3 1/2" (height of vertical tail)

Length: 13 1/2"

IMG_2385 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

IMG_2384 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

For the B-1B

Wingspan: 6 3/4" swept back, swept forward: 11 3/4"

Height: 2 3/4" (height of vertical tail)

Length: 12 1/4"

IMG_2389 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr

4

Hey Dan thanks for the review - very helpfull. Nice job on both BUFFs. 1/144 is a great scale for these big birds. Just finished and Airbus 380-800 and it’s a monster.

I like those all-over gray finishes on these.

5

Thanks Keavdog, yes 1/144 is a great scale for the Buff’s along with aircraft of similar size. These new B-52’s aren’t your fathers B-52 models. Hoping to get some other variants like a D model. Great Wall Hobby has already come out with a G model.

6

Excellent job on both kits. I built the old Revell 1/144 B-52 a few years ago and both of your kits look like they’re light years ahead on the level of detail.

tjs