The Kits

This kit comes with a total of three kits inside, making it a really great deal for small scale modelers and a great way to introduce new modelers to the hobby.  The B-1 and B-2 are snap-together kits, while the B-52 kit is a regular glue-together kit.  The B-1 and B-52 are both molded in a dark blue-gray plastic while the B-2 comes molded in a metallic black plastic.  The B-1 has smoked clear parts, the B-2 has yellow clear parts and the B-52 has, well, clear clear parts.  As for surface detail, the B-1 and B-2 have raised panel lines and the B-52 has recessed, with all of them being very fine.  There’s a single decal sheet with markings and stenciling for all three aircraft.

Starting with the simplest model, let’s take a look at the B-1 kit.  This model comes as a display model type, complete with a stand and the gear up.  Construction is really simple and straightforward, with the fuselage split into upper and lower halves.  There’s no interior provided, but not much would be seen through the smoked clear parts anyway.  The wings are designed to be movable and have an interior fork arrangement to keep them aligned.  The engine nacelles are separate and have separate burner cans.  The final step to assembling this model is the tail assembly, which is made up from separate stabilizers and a separate vertical fin.  The stand is two pieces and has ‘B-1B’ in raised letters on the base.  The markings are for ‘Sweet Sixteen’ from the 28^th BS.

Kicking it up a number takes us to the B-2, and this is a fine little kit.  The model captures the complex shape of the B-2 quite well and while it is a snap-together for the most part it still has lots of nice detail.  You get an interior made up from a one-piece tub and a separate hood, with a decal instrument panel.  There’s a note to add weight behind the tub to balance the model, but there’s nothing saying how much to add.  The main part of the wing is made up of an upper and lower section and traps the finished cockpit in place.  The outer wings fit into slots, completing the unmistakable planform of this plane.  The landing gear has decent detail, especially for a model in this scale.  There’s also an open bomb bay, complete with cruise missiles.  The decals are for ‘Spirit of Missouri’ and also carries the phrases ‘Alley Oop’ and ‘Fame’s Favored Few’ on the wheel doors.

The final kit in the box is the most complicated of the three and in my opinion is also the neatest.  Of course, growing up outside of Fairchild AFB and constantly seeing B-52s in the skies overhead probably has something to do with that.  This model is of a B-52H, distinguishable by the TF-33 engine nacelles and the 6-barreled gun sticking out the back.  Revell engineered this kit to be able to do either the B-52G or the B-52H, so the tail end is separate from the fuselage.  Other than that the construction is pretty straightforward.

There’s a fairly complete interior, including control sticks (in 1/144 scale, wow!).  Also going inside the fuselage are the main gear bays and these too have excellent detail in them.  Once the landing gear struts are in place you’ll have some very accurate main gear assemblies.  Other bits on the fuselage include separate hatches for the fore and aft electronic bays, a separate piece for the crew access hatches and chin bulges and the separate tail section with the tail gun.

The wings and stabilizers are split into upper and lower halves, with the wings having holes for the outboard tanks, the engine nacelles and the weapons pylons (complete with a full complement of cruise missiles).  The engine nacelles have a one-piece front section with the aft section split into upper and lower halves.  The exhaust nozzles are separate and the pylons are split into right and left halves.  The outrigger landing gear is molded as one piece, with separate doors.  The decals are for an AFRES bird and this plane has the ‘Let’s Roll’ emblem on the nose.