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1/48th Boeing B-52H Stratofortress (Sanger vacuform)


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Afternoon guys and gals.

 

A little more progress on the B-52 to report...

 

With the majority of the structural work now done and the wings attached and blended to the fuselage, I thought it a good time to pay some attention to the surface details and in particular the panel lines of the model. The panel lines are rather hit and miss (as is often the case with vacforms) so I've decided that those on the upper wing surfaces are just about passable, but those on the lowers are very wide, not always straight and generally too soft. In fact, I prefer vacs like this to be a blank-canvass so the modeller can scribe their own surface details, but in this case it's working with what I've got.

 

It's a lovely sunny day here in Kent (with numerous Spitfires about coming and going from Biggin Hill just up the road) so as well as doing a little BBQing I thought I'd have a go at filling the panel lines outside on the patio:

 

47986231777_1d5c8b13b2_z.jpgIMG_1068 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

P-38 automotive filler is the filler of choice for this, as there was an extensive area to be filled:

 

47986278556_1bb6e448f3_z.jpgIMG_1075 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

The upper panel lines are ok so I've added the ones lost due to re-profiling of the wing roots - we'll see how they look under a coat of primer in due course:

 

47986279671_333fb5bc4c_z.jpgIMG_1076 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

As it promises to be a lovely evening I think I'll get the sandpaper out... again.

 

Until next time,

Tom

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Wow! You make this look so easy, but I suspect there is sorcery involved. Is there an altar to Baal in your attic?   :)

 

Seriously, there is some amazing modelling going on here. Great stuff!

 

Cheers,

Bill

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  • 1 month later...

The school holidays are upon us now so the BUFF has been seeing a little action...

 

I've not been happy with the rear turret set up, and I feel the kit's parts don't accurately resemble the real aircraft. Please excuse the terrible photo here (quick snap with the phone camera that I didn't realise was so out of focus) but as you can see...

 

48233909091_e004eda90d_z.jpgIMG_1127 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

... it's not even close to the real deal...

 

48234106671_352e92fefc.jpgTail Turret by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

(Used for illustrative purposes only)

 

So, it was out with the hacksaw, and I removed the kit-supplied turret and began by building up the basic underlying structure with some scrap plastic card and some brass tubing for the gun housing:

 

48233983832_041e46924b_z.jpgIMG_1135 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

This was then all blended with filler, and sanded to shape. I then added the radar domes from some scrap 500lb bomb noses as the kit parts were too small:

 

48233913081_9854c49b3f_z.jpgDSC_0172 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Pretty happy with that - we'll see what it looks like under some primer in due course.

 

As I explained in my earlier update, the kit panel lines are rather inconsistent and they've all been filled and an initial coat of primer applied. I've now begun to scribe my own panel detail onto the model - here's the nose:

 

48233910951_9bda28ffe9_z.jpgDSC_0179 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

48233908081_ee5d85f53d_z.jpgDSC_0160 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Undersides:

 

48233906711_8d9c9c7ea7_z.jpgDSC_0168 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

48233911691_40a9e5ce40_z.jpgDSC_0177 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

The mid-section join has disappeared which is a bonus:

 

48233910031_df2563145a_z.jpgDSC_0181 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

I've begun working on the spoilers - vanes still to be added:

 

48233987287_e6c9551003_z.jpgDSC_0174 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

She's looking a bit of a mess at the moment, but I can assure to that progress is being made:

 

48233908356_a7a5cb4b95_z.jpgDSC_0158 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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11 hours ago, bar side said:

Nice.  Only schools I know on hols this early are north of the border

I work at an independent prep school so we have the luxury of longer holidays. To be fair, we do make up the time with a longer teaching day (8:30am - 4:20pm) and also Saturdays. 

11 hours ago, LorenSharp said:

The BUFF is coming along nicely.

Thanks - it’s slow progress but I’ll get there in the end. 

11 hours ago, Spookytooth said:

Our local hobby shop has got one of these in 1/72 scale.

The box is a big as a 1/32 scale kit (single engine type)

 

That rear end looks a lot better Tom.

 

Simon.

Even in 1/72nd scale it’s a large model - I’m using the ModelCollect kit as a guide for this. But it’s when you put the 1/48th version next to it that you realise 1/72nd isn’t so big after all...

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I've been having a play with the engines today. I didn't realise that the engines on the real H-models have such a 'nose-up' attitude on the wing: (pictures used for illustrative purposes only)

 

48251893477_888e4d5d82_z.jpgIMG_1236 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

48251824591_5c03bb3636_z.jpgIMG_1237 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

So I've been doing some careful trimming of the kit-supplied pylons in order to get both a decent fit to the wing as well as replicating the angle at which they sit:

 

48251893407_c6b0549e9c_z.jpgIMG_E1234 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

So far, so good...

 

48251893892_69c77467ff_z.jpgIMG_1233 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Sanger have also molded the four pylons as identical pieces - in fact on the real aircraft the inboard/outboard pylons have a different shape due to the change in profile of the wing as you move towards the tip so I've been doing quite a bit of head-scratching today. I'll have some more pictures of my progress soon.

 

Until next time,

Tom

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9 hours ago, bar side said:

Excellent as always Tom.  Good reference photos from the one that is (still?) at Mildenhall as it had double engine failure

I suppose that’s the luxury of having 8 engines - you can lose two with little drama!

 

It’s interesting timing actually, as I’ve read recently that the USAF has put out for tender a contract to re-engine the BUFF with flight testing to begin in 2022. Apparently Rolls-Royce, GE and Pratt are all bidding with 17,000 - 20,000lb trust biz-jet engines which are similar to TF33s in power so mods are kept to the minimum. With new engines and a new avionics and radar suite the venerable BUFF will be in service until 2050+ (as the B-52J) according to the USAF. What an amazing machine! 

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1 minute ago, limeypilot said:

Lovely to see this beast back on your bench, although I wouldn't want it anywhere near mine!

 

Ian

It would not even fit half of it on my bench, the tail planes that is.

 

Simon.

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18 minutes ago, limeypilot said:

Lovely to see this beast back on your bench, although I wouldn't want it anywhere near mine!

 

Ian

Thanks, Ian. 

 

To to be honest I’ve given up trying to work on this at my work bench - it’s simply too big. Instead, it’s either the kitchen table or the garden - it’s better outside as I can make as much sanding-related mess as I want without incurring the wrath of ‘her indoors...’

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I remain well and truly impressed with how you tackle 1) vacforms and 2) chuffing big ‘uns at that!

 

As for re engining, RR have been trying to hang RB211’s on them for decades.

 

Trevor

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1 hour ago, tomprobert said:

Thanks, Ian. 

 

To to be honest I’ve given up trying to work on this at my work bench - it’s simply too big. Instead, it’s either the kitchen table or the garden - it’s better outside as I can make as much sanding-related mess as I want without incurring the wrath of ‘her indoors...’

Ah ! I'm not alone !! SWMBO is a bit less watchfull now ...

Really love the way yor B-52 is shaping up !! 

Sincerely.

CC

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1 hour ago, corsaircorp said:

Ah ! I'm not alone !! SWMBO is a bit less watchfull now ...

Really love the way yor B-52 is shaping up !! 

Sincerely.

CC

Thanks, CC. 

 

I’ve finished fitting the engines this morning - I’ll post some pictures soon. They’ve gone really well and I’m in the process of making the upper over wing part of the pylons. Stay tuned!

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17 hours ago, tomprobert said:

I've been having a play with the engines today. I didn't realise that the engines on the real H-models have such a 'nose-up' attitude on the wing: (pictures used for illustrative purposes only)

 

48251893477_888e4d5d82_z.jpgIMG_1236 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

48251824591_5c03bb3636_z.jpgIMG_1237 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

So I've been doing some careful trimming of the kit-supplied pylons in order to get both a decent fit to the wing as well as replicating the angle at which they sit:

 

48251893407_c6b0549e9c_z.jpgIMG_E1234 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

So far, so good...

 

48251893892_69c77467ff_z.jpgIMG_1233 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Sanger have also molded the four pylons as identical pieces - in fact on the real aircraft the inboard/outboard pylons have a different shape due to the change in profile of the wing as you move towards the tip so I've been doing quite a bit of head-scratching today. I'll have some more pictures of my progress soon.

 

Until next time,

Tom

I hadn't realised until you posted about the angle of the engines, The pylons I knew were a little"off" at least through the A-F versions,that's a good to know when the time comes. Thanks Tom. It will save me in using needless expletives when they can be better used elsewhere.

 

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1 hour ago, LorenSharp said:

I hadn't realised until you posted about the angle of the engines, The pylons I knew were a little"off" at least through the A-F versions,that's a good to know when the time comes. Thanks Tom. It will save me in using needless expletives when they can be better used elsewhere.

 

I hadn’t realised that they were so nose-up either. There I was cursing the kit and thinking the kit pylons were totally wrong, but it turns out that they are about right actually. As the pictures above show, it’s quite a significant angle and it just shows the importance of checking references before you start hacking bits of plastic off!

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21 hours ago, bar side said:

Excellent as always Tom.  Good reference photos from the one that is (still?) at Mildenhall as it had double engine failure 

 

image.jpg

Yes the dreaded six engine approach !! 

 

It is unlikely they replace each pair with a single turbofan. Apparently the testing required to certify all the stores due to the changes in airflow from new engines will be seriously large and a long process. So more likely it will be eight engines that can be accommodated in the existing engine pods 

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1 hour ago, cati said:

It is unlikely they replace each pair with a single turbofan. Apparently the testing required to certify all the stores due to the changes in airflow from new engines will be seriously large and a long process. So more likely it will be eight engines that can be accommodated in the existing engine pods 

Correct. The re-engining will indeed stay with the 8 engine, twin-podded arrangement, with new turbofans in the same power category (17K - 20K lbs). Only relatively minor changes will be needed to the current pylons apparently. 

 

There was talk a while back about using 4 larger engines (such as the Rolls RB211) to replace the 8, but as well as aerodynamic considerations there is also the fact they’re plumbed for 8 engines for fuel, hydraulics and electrics, and using just four powerplants would require a huge amount of extra structural work not to mention new fuel and hydraulic systems which suddenly becomes prohibitively expensive. 

 

Also, there’s the ‘engine out’ performance to think about and the fact that a dead engine would put significantly more strain on an airframe designed to cope with less stresses in such a situation. 

 

In short, using 8 new engines is far more economical in terms of conversion costs as well as having the added bonus if keeping all flight characteristics the same as they currently are. There’s also the fact that new engines will burn approximately 25% less fuel than the current set up so it’s a win-win all round. With new avionics and radars, it’ll be a bomber fit for today’s needs and will be around until the 2050s - far outliving the B-1 and B-2 which were designed to replace it!

 

According to the USAF, their bomber fleet from 2030 will be 76 x B-52J and 100 x B-21A Raiders. 

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Here's a few quick phone pictures of the engines now they've been installed:

 

48264908647_ca76461413_z.jpgIMG_1247 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

I'm in the process of making the upper part of the pylons that extend over the wing as these are not provided in the kit - plastic card and Millput is the order of the day. These are yet to be sanded to their final shape:

 

48264837861_b4b8fc5723_z.jpgIMG_1248 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

Larger working area needed:

 

48264908887_2787aa7db5_z.jpgIMG_1246 by Thomas Probert, on Flickr

 

I'm in the process of preparing the wing fuel tanks at the moment so hopefully another update soon.

 

Tom

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