Cutting Edge Modelworks

1/144 NB-52A Mothership"Balls Three" decal sheet

Product # CED44003 for $7.99

Product Article by Steve Bamford on Nov 4 2003

 

 

 

This is a new decal sheet from Cutting Edge Modelworks.  The sheet includes markings for 3 versions of the same NB-52A in 1/144 scale.  The NB-52A was a critical part of many of NASA's flight Test programs and still serves today as a  launch platform for testing various aircraft.  The NB-52A was used for the X-15 program (as well as other programs) with the X-15 being carried under the wing until launch altitude was reached.

Before the NB-52A, NASA was considering mounting the X-15 in the bomb bay of a B-36 Peacemaker as the X-1 and X-2 vehicles had been mounted in B-29 and B-50 Superfortresses

The particular NB-52A featured on this decal sheet is serial # 52-003.  This was the third B-52A and was sent to North American for modification as launch aircraft for the X-15 program.  Modifications were made at Plant 42 in Palmdale. This B-52A, arrived at Plant 42 from Boeing on November 29, 1957 and was moved into the North American hangar for the beginning of modifications on February 4, 1958. 

The modifications that a modeller will want to be aware of are a pylon under the starboard wing, inboard of the engine nacelles. The pylon provided three shackles for the support of the X-15. The No. 3 main fuel tank located in the wing above the pylon was removed.  The model kit you'll be using will be the 1/144 Crown/Minicraft B-52H.

To accommodate the vertical stabilizer of the X-15, a notch was cut into the trailing edge of the starboard wing directly behind the X-15 pylon. Cutting Edge supplies a resin set to accommodate these modifications.  Closed circuit television, film motion picture cameras, and lights were installed on the starboard side of the fuselage. Tail gun turrets and tip tanks were removed.  

This decal sheet is to be used with the Cutting Edge resin set for the NB-52A (Cutting Edge product # CELO44010).

Of note is the fact that dayglo orange was used to paint this NB-52A, because any wreckage would be easier to spot in the desert.  As the program progressed more and more of the dayglo orange began to peel and was eventually removed from the aircraft.  This plane began life as natural metal with an orange tail and engine nacelles, nose and wing tips.  But slowly some of these areas were over-painted in silver.  Eventually the baremetal airframe was all painted in silver to better protect the metal.

The first version of this plane is from Oct 31 1959.  In this version it has an orange tail and nose and engine nacelles and nose.  It also features launch markings. 

The second version of this plane is from July to December 1960.  In this version it has the same markings as above with the addition of some interesting nose art of a "missile launch" with the text " The High and Mighty". 

The third version of this plane is from June 19 1964.  In this version it has different nose art of a "Bald Eagle" launching a "Missile" from it's talons with the text " The High and Mighty One".  The paint scheme for this one is silver overall instead of bare metal airframe.  There is a dayglo band around the rear of the fuselage that replaces the orange tail.  A dayglo band around the front of the fuselage replaces the orange nose.  This version also features many "missile" mission markings.

The decals were flawlessly printed and the clear carrier film is trimmed very close to the crisply printed colored areas, which is always good to see.  Because some of the paint schemes are partly baremetal, you may want to consider carefully trimming off all clear carrier film on these decals to give your Bare metal NB-52A the best look.  Colours are solid and will cover very well.  This decal sheet has a good variety of noseart and colour schemes.  

My choice would be to build the earlier version with the maximum amount of Dayglo orange as I find those to be the most striking.

The instructions are clear and an extra page of text instruction is included with a small bit of info about 1 of these planes.

Click on images below to see larger images of the instruction sheets

A very nice product and highly recommended.

I would like to thank Cutting Edge Modelworks for providing me with this review sample.

Steve

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford