Monogram 1/72 B-52B with X-15 Experimental Aircraft Kit 85-5716

Monogram 1/72 B-52B with X-15 Experimental Aircraft Kit 85-5716

The kit is molded in gray styrene and presented on six parts trees plus a tree of clear parts for the NB-52, and two trees of gray and one clear for the X-15A-2. As I've mentioned in the review for the B-52D (look here), the Monogram B-52 remains the best kit of the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat 'Fella') in any scale. While AMT/ERTL tackled the B-52G and B-52H in 1/72 scale, the plastic was soft and the assembled model would sag unnaturally over time. Some of the better late-model B-52s I've seen were built using the AMT/ERTL key features grafted onto the Monogram airframe along with resin corrections to fix some of AMT/ERTL's bugs. The Monogram kit has never had the soft-plastic sag problem and is an easy build.

The cockpit is rather simple, though the completed flight deck doesn't look bad. The instrument panel is represented by decal as are the side consoles. Don't waste your time dressing up the flight deck as you really won't see much detail once the fuselage halves are assembled and the windscreen is installed. Crew figures are provided for the pilot and copilot.

The kit comes with several movable features:

• Bomb Bay Doors
• Flaps

he kit also had a number of options:

• Positionable spoilers
• Positionable landing gear
• Optional exposed engine (number one)

Moulded in silver with clear windscreens, Bombay doors opened or closed

Additional items are required to complete kit as illustrated