Subject: Re: Submission B-2A Spirit
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Bjorn Dol" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 00:09:48 -0800

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bjorn Dol 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Friday, January 18, 2008 11:25 AM
  Subject: Submission B-2A Spirit

  Gallery Template #13

  This template is for modelers that want to custom create their article.  Copy and paste any of the "image placement boxes" below as much as you want to create any article configuration you want.  Limit yourself to no more than 26 photos per article, but to use more photos you have to supply more text to keep things balanced.  If you use higher numbers of photos, then your article will be using smaller "thumbnail photos", so it will be common for you to use 3 or 4 thumbnail photos side by side and not using the 2 thumbnail photos side by side as much.  Try to limit your article to 2 or 3 full sized photos.  Gray frames are to help you visualize the raw HTML code.  These gray frames will be removed when I load your article to ARC.  Remember to indicate where each photo goes....01.jpg goes here....02.jpg goes here etc etc.

  "1/72 Testors B-2A Spirit" 

  by "Björn Dol"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here 

  This is the well known but also hated B-2A from Testors. It was a very long build, it took me almost 1½ year to finish it. This included a 3 month stop from all the filling and sanding. The model depict the first operational B-2A AV-8 88-0329
  "The Spirit of Missouri". I don't know for sure, but I think I used 1 full tube of Tamiya normal Putty on this plane. The seams where really horrible. Because all the sanding on the leading edge, I had to make it as a Block 30 B-2A with the leading edge from 1 section.

        Here is the model just after I assembled the major fuselage and wing sections together. Here you can see the large seams on the upper surface where the wings join the wing/body. The first of a lot more putty to follow is applied to the exhaust and IFR door.
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              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg 

       
        Here is the lower side of the aircraft where you also can see the large seams, which are even more horrible then the seams on the upper side. You can also see that there is totally no detail inside the wheel bays.
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              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg 

       
        A pictures from above, here I installed the inlets which also required the tube of putty. All the seams of the upper fuselage are filled. And ready for the first time of sanding, a lot of these runs where needed to get a nice result.
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              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg 

       
        A close-up of the left inlet, the sanding work on the inlets is almost done here.
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              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg 

       

  I airbrushed the model using Humbrol 125 Gunship Grey. This was the first time for me to mix my own paints to airbrush, before this I used the airbrush ready paints from Revell. I applied3 very thin layers. After I applied the ground layer the already black painted exhaust started to crack up. I wanted to paint it over because I didn't liked the black exhausts. But after the model was finished and I re-painted them using different metal paints I liked the rough result.

        The first to thin layer on the underside, you can see that the seams are almost non-existent. I painted the bomb-bay white but because only 1 bay was molded I decided to close the bomb-bay.
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              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 07.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 07.jpg 

       
        The upper side of the model, after "I believe" the last layer of paint. The seam on the left wing is still a little bid visible. But I just had to finish the model and, after it was finish with the decals and the layers of clear-coats it is almost not visible anymore.
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              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 08.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 08.jpg 

       
        The Assembled landing gear.
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              Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 09.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 09.jpg 

       

  The kit I got only had decals for AV-1 82-1066 as it was rolled out in 1988. But after contacting Testors and explained them the problem they send me the newer sheet which now is in the kits. I'm very thankful to them for sending me the new sheet. At the moment I started this model there was no aftermarket stuff for the kit, so it is completely out of the box. If I would build it again I would use the Eduard set, and add more detail myself. But I doubt if I will ever build this model again. It was a horror to build it but now it is finished I'm really happy with the result.

  Click on images below to see larger images

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 10.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 10.jpg 
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 11.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 11.jpg 

  Some history dates about the aircraft; AV-8 was delivered to the USAF on Whiteman AFB in December 1993 as Block 10  B-2A. The aircraft was redelivered as a Block 30 aircraft during November 1997. It is (just like the rest of the 21 B-2A's) operated by the 509th Bomb Wing from Whiteman AFB.

  Click on images below to see larger images

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 12.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 12.jpg 
        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 13.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 13.jpg 
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 14.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 14.jpg 

   

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here 

  Photos and text © by "Björn Dol"