Hello there, I decided to start up my Revell 1/72 B-52D Stratofortress after about eight years of the model hanging in my basement 80% finished. First things I did was to locate any seams for cracks, then filled and sanded. The canopy is cracked down the middle and I don't have any spares so I'll be painting over them with a silver paint to look like shades have been placed in the windows.
01 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
02 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
I had used Model Master Enamel spray Gloss Black #1947 on the bottom and sides, to smooth out the transition between the gloss black and the unpainted I sanded them down with 400 grit sand paper. After that I used 800 grit to sand and smooth all the surfaces.
To make painting easier I screwed some full looped hooks to a 1”x4” board to act as a handle for painting. I bent the right side hook to slip the landing gear leg in and out.
9 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
11 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
After looking at photo's and see the B-52D at the Air Force Museum, I began to attach antennas on. Some are from a Academy 1/72 F-15C, two from a Dragon 1/48 Ju88 that I cut in half to make four, and cut some 0.020 styrene to shape.
2 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
4 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
5 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
For a prime base I was going to use up my Tamiya TS-48 Gunship Grey but only had enough for the top surfaces. After that I pre-shaded with Tamiya X-1 Black, in the areas for the SEA paint scheme. Then I filled in some areas with a black sharpie marker.
12 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
13 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
The paint scheme I'm going with is the South East Asia scheme, the colors I'm using are, Model Master Enamel Dark Green #1710, SAC Bomber Green #1793, SAC Bomber Tan #1792, and Tamiya X-1 Black. About eight years ago when I started this model, Testors made the two SAC Bomber colors in there ½ oz. Bottles, today there only made in spray cans.
23 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
To make paint easier I drew the camouflage layout on the surfaces, then traced them on to trace paper and cut the shapes out. I numbered them to make it easier to line them up in the right spots. I used masking tape rolled up to hold the trace paper masks down.
14 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
First color up is Dark Green #1710, three light coats were applied. These masks make it so much easier than free handing with over spray.
15 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
(This is by far the largest model I've airbrushed)
16 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
As a comparison I put my Academy 1/72 F-15C Eagle to next to the Stratofortress.
17 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
Next color up is SAC Bomber Green #1793, while prepping for the SAC Green color I knocked off one of the engines, I'll re-attach it while the Bomber Green is curing.
19 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
20 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr
21 by Daniel Smith, on Flickr