Shrinking the Shelf of Shame, episode 3: 1/72 Northrop XB-35

This kit was not officially on my shelf until a few years ago. During a periodic housecleaning, I rediscovered this kit, bought new and partially completed by a now adult and independent son. It had languished in the basement rafters for decades, which had not been kind.  Still, here is a really cool prototype aircraft, and (re)building it would cost nothing. What had been completed was disassembled,  cleaned, trimmed, painted or repainted, and assembled into the XB form, with its ill-fated contra-rotating props. Masked and sprayed with a Testors metalizer finish, I planned on using several masks and shades to make an interesting metallic finish. Then Testors stopped making the paints I had mastered, and it moved to my SOS...

Cutting my losses, I resolved to complete it as a basic OOB build. 

The decal sheet had yellowed badly, so some careful trimming would be necessary.  Fortunately they retsined their integrity and went on with no (other) issues.

Some basic panel line accents will be added, along with dark shades in inlets and grills.

Here are the Glamor shots: