Airfix 1/48 scale Martin RB-57E by Roland Sachsenhofer

Airfix 1/48 scale
Martin RB-57E

by Roland Sachsenhofer

Martin RB-57E "Patricia Lynn"

Trumpeter's 1/72 scale Vickers Wellington Mk.X is available online from Squadron

Description

It seemed as if the best days of the B-57 Canberra were over by the early 1960s when F-100 Super Sabres started to replace this venerable plane in the combat units of the US Air Force. But a conflict rising in these years would soon give the B-57 a stage to proof its lasting value.

The B-57 saw widespread use in the skies over Vietnam, flying tactical bombing missions and fighter-bomber sorties. This plane should be the first US-jet to drop a bomb in anger- and it was one of the last aircraft to fly in combat in this conflict.

Specialised reconnaissance- versions would widen the B-57s combat spectrum. Besides the spectacular high-altitude RB-57D/F a more conventional rec-version was found with the RB-57E. This project and the involved aircraft have been christened “Patricia Lynn”. It comprised state of the art electronic warfare and camera equipment- so secret in fact, that “Patricia Lynn” B-57 had to be guarded on the ground.

My model shows such a RB-57E, belonging to the 6250th Combat Support Group, 2nd Air Division in 1964. It was flown from Tan Son Nhut AB in South Vietnam.

The Airfix kit from 2009 would be an rather easy and quite comfortable build if there would not have been some irritation with the building manuel- up to now it is an enigma to me how Airfix is intending to get the bomb bay closed- and a general lack of details and, in some points, of accuracy.

Thus the modeller has to do some recherché work, scratch build details and fill or engrave failed or missing panel lines. The use of any detail set is very recommendable. I utilized Eduards “Big ED” offer in this case.

Thumbnail panels:

All in all a “huge” project in any respect- and a lot of modelling fun!

If you are interested in the building process, please have a look here on Scalemates:

https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mate.php?id=10148&p=albums&album=38710

As ever, remarks will be appreciated: ro.sachsenhofer@gmx.at

Back to HyperScale Main Page