Fantastic Plastic 1/48 X-37B Space Plane Kit First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | July 2012 | Manufacturer | Fantastic Plastic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | X-37B Space Plane | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | N/A | Primary Media | Resin |
| Pros | Nice kit of a unique subject | Cons | Pricey kit |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $95.00 |
First Look
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Fantastic Plastic is well-known for producing subjects that have been ignored by the mainstream model companies and this one is no exception. This is the Boeing Phantom Work's X-37B Space Plane produced in 1/48th scale. Fantastic Plastic had previously released this kit in 1/72nd scale and clearly the demand for a larger version of this small craft led to this release.
Molded in light gray resin, this kit is produced as 31 parts which provide the following features and options:
- Positionable cargo bay doors with empty cargo bay inside
- Positionable landing gear
- Correct asymmetrical engine installation
- Positionable flaperons
- Positionable belly flap
A set of decals provide the modest airframe markings and stencils carried by this craft as it appeared before its first flight in 2010.
This is a nice looking kit and I'm looking forward to seeing it built-up on my display shelf. As I mentioned before, Fantastic Plastic also released this kit in 1/72 scale and a few companies like DML have also produced pre-finished display models of this craft should you rather not build one.