Scale 1:72
Reviewed by: Les Venus
Price: £34.99
Materials: Injection moulded plastic
Kit Parts: 75
Sprues: 7
Decals: Single Scheme of YB 49 (Instructions state YB 35) in 1950
Our thanks to Alclad II for the silver metallic paints that will be going into the full In-Progress Review (IPR) that’s coming shortly – Ed.
First Impression
I don’t know about you but that 1950s classic film “War of the Worlds” (not that cobblers with Tom ‘saves the world’ Cruise) was highlighted by the amazing real flying shots of the “………new flying wing……” that drops the atomic bomb on the Martians. I can still recall as a boy watching this film and again recently when it was shown on Sky Classics in November last year and being completely awed by this beautiful aircraft. Imagine my delight then that in my annual pilgrimage to Telford I spotted this kit in a huge pile on one of the trader stands. Now I assumed that this was some horrible silver abomination from the old Aurora stall of the 1960’s but no, on opening the box and later on the Italeri stand (doh !!!) I saw that this was a brand new kit. Yum, yum!!! I had to have it!
At the end of the war a number of German aircraft designs fascinated the US aeronautical engineers notable were Lippisch and Horten. Horten had designed and flown a number of flying wings in glider, piston engine and jet engine form. But one Horten design stands out for me: the Type XVIII “Flying Wing Bomber”. Take a look at this and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out where Northrop had done their shopping for their bomber which first flew on 21 October 1947.
So what do you get? Well the box art is gorgeous and shows the prototype YB 49 flying over what could be close to Nevada’s Area 51……..perfect! I am convinced that the box art alone will get kids dragging their mums and dads to the shelf saying “I want that one” Well done Italeri this is how to do it! The second thing is that it’s a lid and tray box which I think beat hands down those end opening boxes which serve no purpose but packaging! So again, well done Italeri. The box is relatively small measuring about 40cm x 20cm but is deep. But don’t be deceived as a lot will be because what lurks inside is a monster! But before revealing this it’s worth talking about the box as its got lots of draws to the casual buyer and devout modeler. Just look at the great side walls that show details of the cockpit its great.
Opening the smallish box (its only 1/72nd scale don’t forget) you’re confronted with some pleasing pale grey sprues of good quality but brittle-like plastic (much like my Italeri Schnellboot seen elsewhere in SMN). It’s finely engraved and is the perfect base for my favourite finish on aircraft………..natural metal! I like it Italeri kits and this one I think will live up to expectations.
