1/72 B-52D with Big Belly Mod, Operation Arc Light

I like the ECM antennas just before the 47 section, I remember knocking my head on those once or twice in the night during preflight.  The B-4 stand and all the rest of your support gear is impressive.  I also have to hand it to you for removing the side panel from the turret!  I wish I could see that diorama in person.  I know these pics don't do it justice.  I built the same scale B-52 a year or two ago but didn't have an airbrush, well - not a decent one.  Just the Testor's beginner's kit with canned air - what a pain it was trying to paint it with that.  Somehow, I lost a main wheel so it hangs in my bedroom sans one wheel but am proud of it.  The old D model was the meanest looking B-52 out there and I loved every chance I got to fly in it.

~Salute~

Dean

Russ,

I just love the flash curtains and the porta-potty!  This came out great!  I'll have the forms ready for you very soon.  I'll make a few sets as they will be tiny and I expect losses.  

What's next?

B52Gunner

I like the ECM antennas just before the 47 section, I remember knocking my head on those once or twice in the night during preflight.  The B-4 stand and all the rest of your support gear is impressive.  I also have to hand it to you for removing the side panel from the turret!  I wish I could see that diorama in person.  I know these pics don't do it justice.  I built the same scale B-52 a year or two ago but didn't have an airbrush, well - not a decent one.  Just the Testor's beginner's kit with canned air - what a pain it was trying to paint it with that.  Somehow, I lost a main wheel so it hangs in my bedroom sans one wheel but am proud of it.  The old D model was the meanest looking B-52 out there and I loved every chance I got to fly in it.

~Salute~

Dean

Hi, Dean,

Many thanks for the compliments! Roger that on the ECM antennas. I almost put my eye out on one of the flippers. Roger also on the air brush - I have one but no where to use it yet. I had to rely on spray cans and paint brushes and it shows .

And a big roger on the D model - from a conventional standpoint, it still is the meanest and the  baddest! .

Russ

Thanks for the good words, Jim!  And thanks for your efforts on that 781. No worry - there's no hurry .

Russ

Absolutely stunning, Russ. I have never been exposed to such serious modeling as this diorama, and as others have mentioned, you work leaves me speechless as well.

Thank you so much for taking the time to document this build for us. Really cool, as a newbie here, is I missed most of it 'live', but due to the nature of the medium, have been able to review your entire project, start to finish, at my leisure. Pretty cool!

<tipping hat>

Wow, I'm speechless after those compliments, Greg! Thank you for the good words and for taking the time to look over the build. And a tip of my hat to you in appreciation .

Cheers,

Russ

Buffirn

~

What's next?

 

Whoops, sorry Jim, I missed this. Did you mean what's next for the diorama or what's my next project?

Cheers,

Russ

That is most impressive!!!! So much well researched detail put in here. Everywhere you look are folks doing their jobs on this big beast getting her ready to do the job. Simply outstanding! BTW, love that portapotty on the edge of the revetment!

Folks, I owe a big apology to my friend Dominic (Boxscar) for forgetting to include pictures of his innovative idea. He cut and sent me several mirrors to show off some of the belly detail and we hit on the idea of mounting one to a model trailer that could be placed under the aircraft to show detail and wouldn't look out of place. Here are some pictures of the trailer and how it will be used in the diorama at a model show.

When the mirror trailer is not in use, it houses the chin radome.

My apologies, Dom. I used the covered trailer to house the removed chin radome and forgot its more important purpose!

Cheers,

Russ

stikpusher

That is most impressive!!!! So much well researched detail put in here. Everywhere you look are folks doing their jobs on this big beast getting her ready to do the job. Simply outstanding! BTW, love that portapotty on the edge of the revetment!

Many thanks for the good words, Stikpusher!

Russ

One note on the munitions maintenance vehicles. Normally, MMS had a large service truck with a cargo bed (lower right in the picture below). I think it was a Ford truck, 1 -1.5 tons. They used it to carry their tools and heavy equipment, and ammunition for the tail guns. It was almost always present on the left rear side of the aircraft when they were loading bombs or working on tail guns.

I tried to find one at 1/72 scale but unfortunately no luck. I considered modifying another 2.5 ton truck (the one I used for my bomb truck) with a single set of dual wheels in the back but decided that would be stretching reality too much. So I built another van as the MMS truck for the diorama (below). I'm keeping my eyes out for the right truck for future replacement.

Cheers,

Russ

Striker8241

Buffirn

~

What's next?

 

Whoops, sorry Jim, I missed this. Did you mean what's next for the diorama or what's my next project?

Cheers,

Russ

I already know you are working on an MC-130, so what's the next diorama?

Jim

Aaauuuuggghhh!!!! (runs screaming from the room...)  

No more dioramas!  Or at least - not on this scale. For now, it will just be aircraft .  

Cheers,

Russ

Striker....there are no words sir.  That is the most impressive dio I think I have EVER seen!  

I'm speechless.  Many thanks for sharing this with us.  It is inspiring to say the least!  Awesome, stupendous, awe inspiring, jaw dropping job sir!

Eagle90

Striker8241

Folks, I owe a big apology to my friend Dominic (Boxscar) for forgetting to include pictures of his innovative idea. He suggested using a mirror to show off some of the belly detail and we hit on the idea of mounting a small mirror to a model trailer that could be moved around on the diorama and wouldn't look out of place. Here are some pictures of the trailer and how it will be used in the diorama at a model show.

 

 

 

 

 

When the mirror trailer is not in use, it houses the chin radome.

 

My apologies, Dom. I used the covered trailer to house the removed chin radome and forgot its more important purpose!

Cheers,

Russ

 

Thanks for the compliment, it was an honour to contribute a tiny bit!

Dom

Eagle90

Striker....there are no words sir.  That is the most impressive dio I think I have EVER seen!  

I'm speechless.  Many thanks for sharing this with us.  It is inspiring to say the least!  Awesome, stupendous, awe inspiring, jaw dropping job sir!

Eagle90

Thank you for the good words, Eagle90!  I'm a bit embarrassed at all the praise but I certainly do appreciate it!

Cheers,

Russ

Well Russ, I finally got them done.  They weren't as difficult as I thought they might be.  Getting the blank forms to work from was the hard part.  I built them in Excell and did some fancy stuff after that.

I did square up the one in the upper right.  Now, I need to pack them up and send them to you.  I'll send you the originals also.

Awesome, Jim. Thanks!!   

I'll lay one on top of the MD-3 where it usually resided. BTW, you don't need to mail them to me if you have a scanner. You could scan them into an image file then email that to me. I can take it from there. I'd hate for you to pay so much for something so tiny. However you decide to do it, I really appreciate your hard work. That had to be really tedious!

Thanks again!

Russ

Well, Folks, I do need watching!

Regarding the mirror trailer - Dominic actually cut several mirrors and sent them to me. One of them was used in the mirror trailer. Sorry I failed to mention that, Dom! I've corrected the original post.

Cheers,

Russ

Striker8241

Folks, I owe a big apology to my friend Dominic (Boxscar) for forgetting to include pictures of his innovative idea. He cut and sent me a mirror to show off some of the belly detail and we hit on the idea of mounting the mirror to a model trailer that could be moved around on the diorama and wouldn't look out of place.

~

 

 

Striker8241

Awesome, Jim. Thanks!!   

I'll lay one on top of the MD-3 where it usually resided. BTW, you don't need to mail them to me if you have a scanner. You could scan them into an image file then email that to me. I can take it from there. I'd hate for you to pay so much for something so tiny. However you decide to do it, I really appreciate your hard work. That had to be really tedious!

Thanks again!

Russ

Russ,

 I'll need to mail them.  The ones closest to the dime are 3D.  I'd hate to heap tedium on you after all the stuff you have built for the diorama.  Besides, I enjoyed the journey from smart aleck remark to 1/72 scaled AFTO 781s.  Consider it a token of my admiration.  You have done quite a job with the diorama and you have motivated more than a few of us to build BUFFs.  That's a WIN in my book.

Jim

Russ:

As Jim said,

"Consider it a token of my admiration.  You have done quite a job with the diorama and you have motivated more than a few of us to build BUFFs."

That includes the 'In the BUFF' build!

Dom

Hey sub rev, nice pics of Andersen AFB.  I was stationed there from 85-88 on the B-52s.  Guam is a great little military secret.  great people and good food.  We did a lot of Harpoon testing out there back in the day and did some Busy Observer looking for Russian trawlers.  We would have the occasional Russian Bear fly down to take a look at us.  Tarague Beach is hard to beat!  Hafa Adai!

Buffirn

Russ,

 I'll need to mail them.  The ones closest to the dime are 3D.  I'd hate to heap tedium on you after all the stuff you have built for the diorama.  Besides, I enjoyed the journey from smart aleck remark to 1/72 scaled AFTO 781s.  Consider it a token of my admiration.  You have done quite a job with the diorama and you have motivated more than a few of us to build BUFFs.  That's a WIN in my book.

 

Jim

Bockscar

Russ:

As Jim said,

"Consider it a token of my admiration.  You have done quite a job with the diorama and you have motivated more than a few of us to build BUFFs."

That includes the 'In the BUFF' build!

Dom

Thanks, Guys. I don't know what else to say

Striker8241

Thanks, Duke! . I appreciate the good words and your support. 

I'd love to see that rail gun when you get it completed. Please post some photos here or post a link to it.

All the best,

Russ

Russ, ask and ye shall receive. My Thread showing my completed Dora railgun is here, entitled "The Duke's Newest Magnum Opus":

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/3/t/155596.aspx

Absolutely beautiful job, Duke!  Folks, you need to take a look at this beauty!

Thanks for the link BTW!

Russ

You are very welcome. I had an interesting year and a half doing that model! Now I can relax!  

Striker8241

Absolutely beautiful job, Duke!  Folks, you need to take a look at this beauty!

Thanks for the link BTW!

Russ

I checked it out,

and it checked out, alright!!!

Duke, Absolute beauty build!

'There be monsters, crawling and crushing, and bursting forth fire and smoke....'

Dom

Russ,

Its me, Majer Kong.... Using my alias because Ive been working on 3  1/32 scale F-105s... Well, that and sawing firewood. Thought Id take a break from the "flying anvils" and see whats up back in B-52 ville. They say building models is relaxing, but I think that comes from the glue and paint fumes as opposed to the actual model building... Glad too see the Dio is finally "done" Nice work!!

Majer Kong  aka buffjock, and some others that will not be mentioned...

Thanks, Allen!

BTW, how are you doing with the AMARC dio?

Russ

Bockscar

Striker8241

Absolutely beautiful job, Duke!  Folks, you need to take a look at this beauty!

Thanks for the link BTW!

Russ

Thanks Russ,

I checked it out,

and it checked out, alright!!!

Duke, Absolute beauty build!

'There be monsters, crawling and crushing, and bursting forth fire and smoke....'

Dom

Thanks Dom! I am so thrilled to have that in my collection.