Academy 1/72 B-377 Stratocruiser

[ewahl]

For many years I wanted a 1/72 Boeing B-377 Stratocruiser. Finally, after purchasing a vacuform Rare Planes kit of the KC-97, Academy came along and issued an injection molded kit. The evolution of this kit begins with the Academy B-29, which morphed with some new parts trees into the B-50, which morphed into the KC-97, which in turn morphed again into the B-377. Along the way these four basic kits morphed into other variants by changing/adding a few parts and changing the decal markings. So, I've started the Stratocruiser, to be marked in the final PanAm livery with white top and big blue cheat line over bare metal.

 

I have all but the smallest antenna parts off the trees and cleaned up from unwanted mold marks. I taped the bigger components together, including the Cobra Company resin engines and metal props, to find out how much nose weight I need for this tail-sitter.

 

I use solid steel weights for my aircraft models. This one takes three in the nose under the cockpit floor next to the nose wheel housing.

 

Now it is a nose-sitter. A fourth weight could be added, but that would just increase the strain on the nose wheel strut.

 

This is a well-engineered kit. Notice the kit engine nacelles. Each nacelle has three separate pieces to be assembled. The seams at the joints were very close to perfect, and only a little sanding and polishing was needed to get the seams flush. Each nacelle slides into position onto the wing and must be cemented in place. Mine are not yet cemented, but look at the tiny gap between the nacelle top and the wing, with all compound curves fitting exactly. The Cobra replacement engines and cowlings are single pieces with a full pour stub that had to be tediously removed from the back. The metal props are not that great and probably would have been better if cast in resin; there was much sanding with various grits of sanding pads to eliminate the rough metal surface.

 

So, that's the progress so far. Has anyone else built one of these?

 

Ed

[ghodges]

I haven't built one, but have been sorely tempted to do one as the MATS transport "Vixen 03" from the Clive Cussler book of the same name.

 

GIL

[ewahl]

That book by Cussler is decades old. However, I remember the cover illustration well of the submerged wreck of the Vixen '03 on the sea floor, but I can't recall much of anything about the plot. You'll need the 1/72 Academy C-97A Stratofreighter kit #1604 that has the MATS Atlantic Division decals in it. The 1/144 Minicraft kit #14440 has a C-97G in MAC markings. Since you would be working with fictional markings to some extent, the decals in the kits are just starting points. Let us know if you ever start on it.

 

Ed

[ghodges]

Yea, it was his 3rd book, as I recall. The plane was being used to transport battleship shells modified with biological warheads when it goes down and due to the secrecy of the flight, is lost. When it's discovered Pitt finds that some of the shells are missing from the wreck, and investigation leads them to find they may have been bought by a terrorist group, who also coincidentally just bought an old battleship that we sold for "scrap"! There's a lot more to it than that, of course, as Cussler writes good books.

 

The main drawback to this is that I don't like to build in 1/72. If someone ever makes a vac 1/48 C-97 Strato-freighter though.....

 

GIL

[ewahl]

The size of a 1/48 C-97 will be about the same size as the 1/48 Monogram B-29. To make a realistic diorama with it, you would have to do some underwater photography in your swimming pool.

 

Ed