Hi everyone!
Does anyone know if they ever made an aftermarket set for the B-36? By that I mean are there any sets out there which allow you to show the gun blisters in their extended positions? Can you imagine building the ol’ Monogram B-36 with all the gun blisters exposed? Even though it would just be a model I’d still be intimidated trying to get near it!
Thanks,
Eric
Not that I know of - like you I share the enthusiasm for this aircraft - it is very impressive! Have you tried Hannants - assuming you have tried all sites in USA? Unfortunately thsese large models - because of thier size do not apeal to a huge market!
I saw a photograph of a Monogram B-36 with the gun turrets extended, once. May even have beeen in FSM. Simple enough, really;[:p] you only have to scratch-build one turret, and then you can make 8 resin copies![(-D][(-D][(-D]
Chris
Speak of the devil…
I just happen to be in the middle of a project that’s just that- a 1:72 B-36 with all the blisters extended! Unfortunatly, no, I don’t think anyone makes an aftermarked kit for this, so all mine are scratchbuilt. It’s not done yet, because I need to find some resin to make six blisters from a master I carved. Hopefully by the time I’m done, I’ll get some pics up. Keep an eye open!
What an interesing coincidence!
(Eight? How’d you get eight? [%-)] [:)] For future reference, two in dorsal forward position, two in dorsal aft position, and two in ventral aft position. I should know! Counting nose and tail, that’s a total of 16 20mm cannons. Yee Ha.)
Lucien,
I envy you for your abillity to carve masters and work with resin! I have never done either. I’m an Eagle Scout but I was lucky to get that far without whittling my fingers off. And the only resin I work with is the stuff I by already made by the aftermarket manufacturers! LOL! So basically I’m left helpless if it can’t be provided to me on a silver platter.
Man! Can you imagine trying to shoot down, and being in the midst of, a squadron of B-36s with all those CANNONS going off around you?!?! I think I’d be diving my jet through with my hands over my ears, eyes shut tight and screaming “MAMA!” the whole way through! 
Best wishes,
Eric
PS. In all seriousness, how did you know how to carve the master? Did you have access to or some real good photos of the blisters by which to reference?
Chris, I think I saw a picture of that model too. Must have been the same one. I thought that was just super neat! Wish I could have been the owner of that one!
Mid, thanks for the tip. I’m going to give them a try. I’ve never looked into them before so this should be fun to see all the stuff they have.
I read an account by an old fighter pilot from the '50s in which he told of the time he spotted a lumbering B-36 of in the distance and 10,000 ft. above him. He decided to pull a surpise intercept on the Aluminum Overcast in his F-89 Scorpion. Just as he was getting close enough to roll out within range of the B-36, he described the ominous sight of those turrets suddenly rising up from places all over the airplane. He said that every gun on the bomber was already trained on him before he was within the effective range of his F-89, and that it was the closest he ever came to wetting himself in an airplane.[:-,]
For when you kitbash/ scratchbuild your YB-60, natch![:D]
Chris
The way I did it was very unorthedox. I took about 8 piecese of 1 mm thick plastic, glued them together, and got to work with the dremel. [:D] I haven’t actually worked with the resin yet, but I will!
Pics of the turrets are hard to find on the internet, true. I think I found a grand total of two, and I forget where I did. I did get to see an actual one at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH, which helped a lot.
Belive it or not, during the B-36’s career, there was constant contriversey wether that amount of firepower was able to defend a bomber of that size! Thankfully, no one had to find out!
.
Fortunately there is a book in the Squadron series on the B36 wich includes pictures of the turret/barbette.
I am trying to find the 1/72 kit of the Goblin parrasite fighter that was designed to fit into the B36 bombay. I already have a Thunderchief to convert to the other piggyback (piggywing?) fighter.
Dai