B-2 Advanced Technology Bomber

SCALE: 1/72

INITIAL RELEASE: 1987

MEDIUM: Polystyrene

RARITY: (3)

ABOUT THE DESIGN

ABOUT THE KIT

Like Monogram, Revell responded to the breakthrough success of Testors' F-19 Stealth Fighter with a "Could Be..." Stealth model of its own.  Only in this case, the plane was the long-rumored B-2 Stealth Bomber.

Working from known flying wing technology and the accepted requirements of Stealth designs, the engineers at Revell concocted this smooth, low-profile, tailless bat-wing design and released it under the "Birds of Prey" moniker.  Their predictions were fairly on the mark; the actual B-2 turned out to be roughly the same shape and scale as Revell's kit -- but far more angular, especially at the wings' trailing ends.

Release just one year before the actual B-2 "Spirit" was unveiled to the public, Revell's conceptual B-2 experienced poor sales, due principally, one imagines, to the model's sheer size.  Even at 1/72 scale, the model had an ungainly two-foot wingspan, which made it virtually impossible for those without their own in-house museum to display.  Also, since the actual B-2 was revealed just a year after this kit hit store shelves, the design was proved bogus almost as soon as it arrived.  Still, for modelers of Fantastic Plastic, the B-2 Advanced Technology Bomber remains a Reagan-Era concept classic.

This model was built from an original issue.

Original Box Art

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