I won't go into the historical
details, instead I recommend a book for those that want to know more about
the famous B-377 Stratocruiser. It's from the Airlinertech series n° 9, a must
if you want to build this aircraft.
This was one nasty
kit, it took me 2 years to finally finish it. Disgusted from the endless filling
and sanding, add to that some of my own mistakes, I was undecided whether I
would slam it against the wall or crush it under my feet. The model was more off
than on the workbench and I often took an escape route to some easier kits,
making my "under-construction" kit
Biggest problem with this kit is the fit of the engines to
the wings. It is difficult to sand there and there are 4 of them to do. Buy some
extra sandpaper or go for the 1/72 Academy version right away, only problem with
that is that it don't fit in a standard display case.
For the rest....a lot of sanding
everywhere to get a smooth surface. I won't go into detail, just look at some of
the pictures.
Next problem: this is a major
tailsitter and the front U/C leg is so tiny it could break from the leadweight
in the nose. I couldn't find a decent solution for it so I strenghtened the leg
with a few coats of superglue, making the little soft plastic hard enough
to carry some weight.
Decals came from the
kit, and fitted quite well despite the fact that they go all around the
fuselage. I had to do some touchup work on the blue lines, easily fixed with
snips from some other leftover decals. Never throw anything away!
The front windows are not
supplied by decals, I had to mask them individually with Tamiya masking tape,
you need to take your time here.
Painting was done starting with a white automotive primer,
followed by semigloss white enamel and future/klir. Then decals were applied
followed by a final coat of future/klir. Then the upper fuselage was masked and
the metal underside was painted using enamel silver from Humbrol or Revell, I
was in a hurry to get it finished, didn't want to go the Alclad II route ;-)