Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 (edited) Hi Everyone,I have been meaning to start on this project since I got back from my holiday in August, but just haven't felt up to it, my mojo has been a complete non-starter for months now. Back story posted here : http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234988171-revell-1144-b-52h-stratofortress-whif-poll-added/?p=2102381Now I have 2 options to consider for this build : Give the plane 4 CF-6 engines from a Revell 747 which I was sent or build it as standard with 8 engines. The reason I say this is because the 4 engines are a lot larger than the standard engines and I am worried that due to the low ground clearance of this model the CF-6 engines might not clear the ground when attached to the wings. I am going to build the fuselage up with landing gear and temporarily fit the wings in place so that I can test fit an engine onto the wing and check the clearance before I glue everything together just in case i need to use the standard engines. To make a permanent fit of the 4 engines without changing engine pylons around I will have to cut the pylons down so that the length of them don't interfere with where the flaps are on the wings.Anyway here are photo options showing the different engine configurations.8 engines4 enginesAnyway as soon as I have some photos showing progress (whenever that will be), I will get them posted on here. Wish me luck.Cheers,Rick Edited September 22, 2015 by Rickpadwick1801 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBlack33 Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Very nice! What camo are you thinking? I'd say the 8 engine variant would be the better option, but that's only because I don't think you can improve on perfection 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 I have to agree, the more I think about it 8 engines is the way to go especially as I don't have any scratch building experience to fit 4 engines to it. I haven't decided on a colour scheme for it yet, but rather than camo I am thinking a very light grey. I haven't decided fully. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Looking forward to this Rick. Maybe you could use the modern u.s colour scheme. Compass grey, light and dark. Most modern american jets are painted in shades of grey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Good luck Rick Why not just measure the height of the engine/pylon assemblies and compare the two? If the difference can be lost by trimming the pylons then it should be easyish, may even help with the flap clearance as well. IIRC there was such a proposal so they must fit somehow. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share Posted September 7, 2015 Good luck Rick Why not just measure the height of the engine/pylon assemblies and compare the two? If the difference can be lost by trimming the pylons then it should be easyish, may even help with the flap clearance as well. IIRC there was such a proposal so they must fit somehow. Looking forward to this Rick. Maybe you could use the modern u.s colour scheme. Compass grey, light and dark. Most modern american jets are painted in shades of grey. Thanks, I'm going to look into both options over the next couple of days including the engine height. Just gotta get the fuselage and wings assembled so I can do that. Not going to be tonight though. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vppelt68 Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 I think it'd look good with 4 Merlins pulling and 4 pushing it forward. But where would one get Lanc engines in 144th scale? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 If you wat to go totally ridiculous, why not have overwing engines? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Crikey over and underwing engines that's a radical idea. Merlin engines I like this one - I wonder how many it would take to power a B-52 into the air as the 8 engines on the buff produce 136,000 lb of thrust altogether. Anybody want to take a guess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philp Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Well, let's see. the Merlins for the Hornets were producing just over 2000 hp. Looking around for a plane traveling at the speed of a B-52 looks like 1 lb of thrust equals 3 hp (give or take) so. 126,000/3 = 42,000 hp divided by 2000 equals 21 Merlin Hornet engines. Yeah, you could do that. Put the odd one in the nose. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Thanks philp, But I think 21 engines might be a bit much even with the size of the wings on this beast. I still have to work on the 2 engine setup sizes to check that there is clearance under the wings for the 4 large engines. Hopefully I will start on the buildup of this bird tomorrow night. Photos tomorrow night. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dermo245 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Or go buried in the wing root like a V-force bomber! Dermot 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 (edited) Or go buried in the wing root like a V-force bomber! Dermot Another nice idea. 8 engines mounted in 2 pairs of 4 in each wing root. Major modifications would be needed to the wings to fit the engines into the wings to cut the intakes and exhausts in plus prepare mounting positions for the engines. I will have a look at this option using the standard engines from the kit tomorrow night as the alternate engines are too large for the wing interiors before I get to work building the wings and fuselage up. This would let me fit a lot more weapon pylons to the wings in the place of the engine pylons. I keep thinking about other roles like anti surface warfare(with harpoons). Just need to get some harpoons from somewhere. Progress update tomorrow night. Going to be making up a task list before I go to sleep tonight. Rick Edited September 8, 2015 by Rickpadwick1801 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanflyer Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 You might not have scratchbuilding experience, but nobody has the first time...trim the engine pylons to fit if need be, it won't take much effort. And if you screw it up, the engines were free, weren't they? ;-) If you bury the engines in the wing roots, that'll take a LOT more scratching, and you'd probably have to reposition the stabilisers to avoid them being burnt off by the jet efflux. If there isn't enough ground clearance, built it gear up and put it on a stand - I guarantee nobody will be able to tell it's a cowling scraper by looking at the finished article. All problems are surmountable when it's a whif! Cheers, Dean 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theplasticsurgeon Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Hi Everyone, This prototype would be equipped with 4 CF-6 engines instead of the normal 8 TF33-P-3/103 turbofan engines. 4 engines This was a serious proposal around the mid 1980s - I remember reading about it in Flight International. You could be the first person to actually build it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 8, 2015 Author Share Posted September 8, 2015 Cheers Dean Your right, the engines were free which I appreciate which is also why I don't want to cut them about without checking everything first :-) I do like the idea of building it gear up anyway. I'm going to investigate all of the options but I am going to have to do it with the fuselage halves taped together with the gear inserted in the bays but not glued in place to see if the clearance is enough with the wings on and engines on before I start pylon trimming or altering it. Thanks, Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dermo245 Posted September 8, 2015 Share Posted September 8, 2015 Rick, I was just throwing an idea out there - as Dean said, burying them in the engines would be huge work...go with what you're comfortable with...its your build after all! Dermot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 Rick, I was just throwing an idea out there - as Dean said, burying them in the engines would be huge work...go with what you're comfortable with...its your build after all! Dermot Demot, It's fine. It was a great idea, one I did like just think its a little bit above me with my scratch building skills nonexistent at the moment. Cheers, Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Well I have got another idea which I am going to be looking at : longer landing gear for the plane. I have a larger set of landing gear from a B-1B that I built but didn't use the gear on (can't remember what scale it is, but I know it was big), so I was thinking of fitting those into the gear wells for the B-52 as that would give me loads of clearance for this project. What does everyone thinking to that ? Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Longer gear legs will need bigger bays to fit in. Hopefully you can find enough room under the wings for the new engines as I suspect that will take less work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philp Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 Pretty sure you can make the bigger engines work with some pylon adjustment but up to you. Here is a link to a Megafortress done in 72nd with 6 CFM-56 engines. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234945931-what-if-eb52-megafortress-how-to-go-about-it/page-2#entry1396598 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Pretty sure you can make the bigger engines work with some pylon adjustment but up to you. Here is a link to a Megafortress done in 72nd with 6 CFM-56 engines. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234945931-what-if-eb52-megafortress-how-to-go-about-it/page-2#entry1396598 Uh oh, I hadn't thought of the megafortress. Now I've got yet another idea to consider. Will have to look and see if I have the components to make a megafortress. I think I will have to make my plans over the weekend. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philp Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I am still planning on an original EB-52 Megafortress from the first book. Have an old Monogram 72nd BUFF and some conversion parts to make it an H. Figured on using the stabs to make the V tail. Still need a pointy front end and some weapons also the smaller wing tanks but think I can make a go of it. I did love Flight of the Old Dog. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickpadwick1801 Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 I am still planning on an original EB-52 Megafortress from the first book. Have an old Monogram 72nd BUFF and some conversion parts to make it an H. Figured on using the stabs to make the V tail. Still need a pointy front end and some weapons also the smaller wing tanks but think I can make a go of it. I did love Flight of the Old Dog. Yeah so did I, can still read that entire set of books very easily. I could do a 1/144 original model Megafortress (and I like that idea) with the exception of the pointy end of it not sure what if anything i've got in my spares box for that part of it. Any suggestions ? I will look through my stores tonight. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Rick, if it was the revell kit, the b-1b gear would be 1/48 scale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts