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Navy Bird
Bill Gilman (Navy Bird)
US

Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet (Special Hobby)

Comments

3 25 April 2018, 16:10
Bill Gilman
New project!

The Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet was a radical design in 1939 when it was proposed to the USAAC in response to a request for unconventional aircraft. The Black Bullet was essentially a flying wing with both dorsal and ventral tails, but without any horizontal tails, and contra-pushing propellers. The skin was made from magnesium, due to an expected shortage of aluminum, for which Northrop engineers developed the heliarc welding process. Originally, the aircraft was to have a P&W X-1800 in-line liquid cooled engine, but that contract was cancelled and the P&W R-2800 air-cooled radial was substituted instead. Burying the radial engine in the fuselage (behind the cockpit) created cooling issues, added complexity, enlarged the fuselage cross-section, and created a 2,000 lb weight penalty. In spite of these issues, the little bird flew in September of 1943, but it was plagued with yaw sensitivity issues and an inability to reach projected speeds. The first prototype was destroyed when a tire blew out during a high-speed taxi run at Muroc. The second, and last, prototype made a few more flights, but jet engines were the future, and the project was abandoned. The second aircraft remains in storage at the National Air & Space Museum.

The Special Hobby kit was first issued by MPM, but has been upgraded with nicely done resin cockpit details and a photoetch fret. I'll be building this kit along my Avro Anson project. I haven't done much yet, just getting the cockpit painted and now working on the wings. This shouldn't take too long, as it's a small model with few parts - but I'm sure life will keep interrupting me. I'll be in London on holiday for 10 day towards the end of May, and I'd like to get this done before I leave, but no promises! I've posted a few photos for you to take a look at.

Cheers, Bill
25 April 2018, 17:15
Tom
Thats interesting, Bill! You will make a pretty one! My kit has to wait because of so much other jobs for ModellFan...
When i look at your picture, are you related to Guy de ...le frog? Arthur asked me... 🙂
25 April 2018, 18:13
Alec K
Very interesting aircraft! I'll take a seat for this one 👍
25 April 2018, 19:22
Maciej Bellos
Following!
26 April 2018, 11:56
John Thomas
Very cool
26 April 2018, 12:38
Bart Goesaert
Nice 'n tiny... Beautiful pit so far
27 April 2018, 04:45
Ekki
Watching.
30 April 2018, 19:10
Maciej Bellos
I worked a bit on the MPM version and I was a bit frustrated by the total lack of positioning inserts (or what they are called). It took me ages to find the cockpit floor position and I still haven't figured out where the front wheel well will be placed, since the opening is smaller than the well itself. Great work so far on the pit.
30 April 2018, 21:38
Bill Gilman
This project is moving along nicely. The cockpit and nose wheel well were added, along with the rear bulkhead that supports the spinner. Special Hobby say that weight is required up front - I taped everything together and did a balance test, and I really don't think it's necessary. However, I added some weight anyway just to be sure. Then the fuselage was closed up, and the wings added along with the vertical fin.

The wing root fit is quite good, I don't think any filler is required, which is not the case for the vertical fin. There was a big gap at the bottom on the starboard side, so I filled that. After the wings went on, I thought there was a bit of Me 163 to the little guy, but that goes away when you add the spinner. Northrop named it the Black Bullet, and I wonder if it got its name due to the shape of the fuselage. It is quite reminiscent of a bullet, not unlike the Bell X-1. In the latter case, that shape was chosen because it was known that a bullet is stable when supersonic, but that is certainly not the case with the Northrop XP-56.

Lastly, I added the tubular devices on the wingtips. I have no idea what these were for, but I have a photo of the XP-56 supported by jacks, with its gear retracted, in the hangar. In this photo, you can see right through the devices on the wingtips - they appear to be hollow. Curious. Must be for air ingress/egress of some kind.
13 June 2018, 12:56
Maciej Bellos
Nice result so far Bill. Looking forward to the rest!
13 June 2018, 14:20
Es-haq Khosravi
Interesting project!
13 June 2018, 18:54
Hanno Kleinecke
A very unusual looking, but interesting bird. I set my eyes on this kit as well at some point, but was led astray by other ideas. So I'll watch this one emerge with delight, no doubt It will be another gem in your collection !
13 June 2018, 20:22
Dave Flitton
Nice work.
19 June 2018, 12:56
Bill Gilman
I finally got around to putting some paint on the XP-56. Based on the colour photographs I found on the net, it seems the Olive Drab was considerably faded, probably from the time spent in the hot sun during testing. I decided to use some post-shading to try and duplicate this. After the spindly landing gear legs were added, I cut open the canopy and added the windscreen to the fuselage. I wanted to show the canopy open, not only get a good view of the work done in the cockpit, but also because the XP-56 canopy had an unusual hinge mechanism. The main canopy opened to starboard, and the location of the hinge pins was a good distance above the cockpit sill. I've added a photo that shows this nicely.

I started painting with a coat of fresh Gunze H52 Olive Drab. Then some random splotches of Gunze H78 Olive Drab, thinned about 60:40 in favour of thinner. Finally, some very rapid swaths of Testors Faded Olive Drab ANA 613, thinned about 75:25 in favour of the thinner - this lightened everything up and decreased the contrast between the first two colours. In addition to the photos of each stage, I've added a "triptych" that shows the progression of the post-shading. I like the effect, and I think it will be OK.

Next I'll work on the undersides and probably employ some similar post-shading. The demarcation line between the Olive Drab and the Neutral Gray is hard, so some masking is in my future. The wheel wells and gear struts appear to be Interior Green, and the wheel hubs and covers are aluminium. There are only a few stickers, so that part should be easy - no hectares of stencils! And, of course, I need to get the contra-prop together. Shouldn't be too long now. Cheers, Bill
16 July 2018, 16:39
Maciej Bellos
Even though I have the cockpit reference photo, I haven't noticed the position of the hinge. I would have glued the canopy in the wrong position. Thanks Bill.
16 July 2018, 18:50
Bill Gilman
A bit more work has been done on the Black Bullet. The underside was painted with Gunze H53 Neutral Gray, and post-shaded with lighter versions of same. Overall, some additional weathering was done with Gunze H95 Smoke Grey. Special Hobby did not provide any details for the main gear brakes, and these are quite noticeable in photos. So, I went to my stash of left over photoetch parts, and found some brakes that were designed for the Heller kit of the P-39. They were almost a perfect fit, and really make a difference. The gear doors were added, and everything got a couple of coats of Gunze H30 Clear Gloss. Next, all six of the stickers were applied - a far cry from some modern aircraft that have hundreds of stencils. Lastly, I did a mash-up of tiny decals to make a Northrop Corporation logo for the nose. Not the best, but it will work. I cut nine small pieces of 1.0mm brass tube for the exhausts and painted these with Testors Jet Exhaust (I kinda like this colour). The main canopy was masked and painted. Next, I'll put a few coats of Clear Flat on her, and finish her up with the aerial wire, the yaw indicator under the nose, and probably some exhaust staining. Not much else to do!
25 July 2018, 19:33
Bill Gilman
Finished! She's a cute little gal... 🙂
3 August 2018, 19:22
Maciej Bellos
She looks great. Terrific job Bill.
3 August 2018, 21:38
Bart Goesaert
Stunning job, a real jewel
5 August 2018, 07:52
Es-haq Khosravi
Great job!
5 August 2018, 08:14
Bill Gilman
Thanks mates! Now I'm off to find kits of the XP-54 and XP-55. That should make a nice trio.
5 August 2018, 13:47
Bart Goesaert
That xp-55 will cost more work then this one
5 August 2018, 14:42
Bernhard Schrock
As usual great choice of a seldom seen type, excellent research, build, painting and at last photography. Bill: thx for sharing.
5 August 2018, 15:04
Michael Gosse
I like it, too. Looks to me like a German What if project; always great to see those unusual topics. And a very good work in this scale especially!
5 August 2018, 15:08
Jean Pierre CULIS-FERY
Very nice building of a very Strange plane.
5 August 2018, 15:32
Tom
Hello Bill! Wonderful small calibre! Last week i watched my Holy G Monty Python Bluray, your avatar was throwing cows! BIG Bullets!
5 August 2018, 15:41
Wilfried Bogaerts
Nice Bullet uncle ! 👍
9 August 2018, 18:46
Dave Flitton
Looks nice!!
9 August 2018, 19:25
Bill Gilman
Thanks mates!
17 August 2018, 23:08

Project info

48 images
1:72
Completed
1:72 XP-56 Black Bullet "Second Prototype" (Special Hobby SH72132)
Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet
US US Army Air Forces (1941-1947)
238353
 

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