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

Some challenge you have there. Squadron do a B-52 cockpit set, but seems like you have this nailed.

Hi, All,

Here's something that I designed and my wife made for me that may help you save those small parts that fly off the desk. It's a piece of cloth with some elastic along the front that attaches to your worktable with velcro and hooks.

The elastic keeps the material pressed against your waist and the velcro allows you to remove it for cleaning. The elastic sticks out at either end and is tied to two hooks. The adhesive sides of the velcro are stuck up under the edge of the worktable.

I have mine cut at an angle because it fits my work area better but you could use hinged arms with latches if you wanted a more rectangular or square shape.

Cheers,

Russ

Striker8241,

Stumbled here by accident. I spent a year at U-Tapao 68-69 as a member of a bomb load team - 4258th MMS.  Your work is unbelievable.  Stateside I spent a couple of years loading nukes on the H model and one year with the B-58 right before they were retired. Thanks for the walk down memory lane - so surreal.

Hello, pampa,

Thanks for the good words! Great to meet a fellow airman from that era! . I was stationed at Kadena, Okinawa with the 70th Bomb Wing out of Clinton-Sherman AFB, OK in 68 on an Arc Light deployment. I always admired (and felt sorry for) the munitions folks - no one worked harder or faced greater risks than you guys did.

Hope you'll come back and visit. If you see any mistakes in my work or have any suggestions or comments, I would really appreciate your posting them.

Cheers and thanks for stopping by,

Russ

Correction: Doppler Radar Cover

Hi, All,

In a previous post, I had scribed the height finder radar cover as shown in the first picture below. However, it's actually shaped as shown in the second picture. Sorry for the misinformation.

Striker8241

Correction: Doppler Radar Cover

Hi, All,

In a previous post, I had scribed the height finder radar cover as shown below. However, it's actually shaped as shown in the second picture. Sorry for the misinformation.

Russ

 

Thank you Russ!  I have added this to the long list of details you have already pointed out on this build.  You are doing a great job detailing this aircraft and documenting it for everyone's benefit here.  Thank you for spending the time sharing it with us!

Ken

The D Model still had an optical bombing system.  Apparently, it was a great place to rest your head on those long flights back to Guam.  At least that is what an old Radar of mine told me.

Buffirn

The D Model still had an optical bombing system.  Apparently, it was a great place to rest your head on those long flights back to Guam.  At least that is what an old Radar of mine told me.

 

Lol, I'll bet!  Thanks, Buffirn! .

Russ

Son Of Medicine Man

Thank you Russ!  I have added this to the long list of details you have already pointed out on this build.  You are doing a great job detailing this aircraft and documenting it for everyone's benefit here.  Thank you for spending the time sharing it with us!

Ken

Thanks for the good words, Ken! . And you're more than welcome, bud. It's my pleasure.

Hi, All,

I decided to build up the front canopy as I did the gunner's canopy, and take Ken & Dom's suggestions to leave off the clear panels and just leave the canopies open - at this scale, it really doesn't look bad and you can certainly see the details better. Since there will be a cover over the entire diorama, dust shouldn't be a problem.

Below are photos of the canopy under construction and finished - it's not painted yet but I plan to prime the entire fuselage soon. I used the front part of the original canopy as a template and taped the pieces of the frame to it, then glued them at the joints.

Cheers,

Russ

Russ;

Honoured i was mentioned by you, and Ken no-doubt feels the same.

I have a few hints if you want to PM, but that is a great build and

I'll try to keep up. I like your 'Open Concept,' I hope it

doesn't to much pressure on you to 'super detail'.

Dom

Facinating build! Was stationed at Da Nang in 68 with the 366th TAC Support Group. We didn't have the Monkey Killers in there very much:)

Hi, Dogfish7, and welcome!

Lol haven't heard them called that in a long time! That was pretty much an in-country term . I was stationed at Nha Trang in 71, not too far south of Da Nang.

Thanks for stopping by!

Russ

Bockscar

Russ;

Honoured i was mentioned by you, and Ken no-doubt feels the same.

I have a few hints if you want to PM, but that is a great build and

I'll try to keep up. I like your 'Open Concept,' I hope it

doesn't to much pressure on you to 'super detail'.

Dom

Hi, Dom,

Any hints, tips or comments would be much appreciated bud! Please post them here so others can benefit from your suggestions.

As for the "open concept" (thanks for the term!) not much more detail I can add now except blast curtains. At least I don't have to worry about scratching the canopies! .

Russ

NOTE: Information in brackets [ ] has been copied from a previous thread into this post without responses and comments, so some disconnects in the dialog may be apparent.

Hi, All,

I just added the strike camera window and rain deflector to the undersides, just aft of where the ECM antennas will go. For the window, I used clear styrene covered with a layer of Future floor wax.

[I finally got the 47-section hatch cut out. It was a tough job because the plastic is really thick here. This hatch was important to the ECM shop because it gained access to the "ovens" - fiberglass boxes that held our high-power jamming transmitters. Through this hatch, we removed and replaced transmitters and their cooling units, some weighing over 50 lbs each. It also provided access to our chaff dispensers. Each loaded magazine of chaff weighed about 40 lbs (they weighed about 25 lbs empty) and there were 16 of these magazines in a full load, one for each slot in the side of the aircraft. They all had to be handed up through the hatch.

The only clear picture of the 47 Section hatch I could find was on a G (or H?) model, shown below.

Below is a single chaff magazine. Each was about 4 feet long and was made of cast aluminum and steel. It had two channels for chaff bundles. The magazines were loaded vertically into the dispensers. The dispensers had motor-driven pawls that ejected the chaff bundles. The chaff bundles came in small cardboard packets that were torn open by a small "tooth" when the bundle was ejected. 

[

Son Of Medicine Man

So back to the chaff dispensers, this chaff then was like the chaff they used in WWII, aluminum, to confuse radar?

Ken

The next step will be to prime the fuselage and wings. After that, I will assemble the aircraft. But before I can do that, I need to build the diorama base so I have someplace to park this monster .

Cheers,

Russ 

Striker8241

Hi, All,

I just added the strike camera window and rain deflector to the undersides, just aft of where the ECM antennas will go. For the window, I used clear styrene covered with a layer of Future floor wax.

The next step will be to prime the fuselage and wings. After that, I will assemble the aircraft. But before I can do that, I need to build the diorama base so I have someplace to park this monster .

Cheers,

Russ

You will need to park it on a mirror so everyone can see the detail that you put on the bottom!  Nice work Russ, again as always!   

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

You will need to park it on a mirror so everyone can see the detail that you put on the bottom!  Nice work Russ, again as always!   

Ken

Thanks for the good words, Ken! 

Color me picky

Striker8241

Son Of Medicine Man

You will need to park it on a mirror so everyone can see the detail that you put on the bottom!  Nice work Russ, again as always!   

Ken

 

Thanks for the good words, Ken! 

 

I know it seems a waste of effort but without this feature added, the view from the side won't look right. There would be a pretty wide empty space that just isn't there on the real plane.

 

In the picture below, the strike camera rain deflector shows as a line between the last rectangular antenna and the large paddle antenna.

 

 

Color me picky

 

Russ

 

Nice job on the research and paying attention to detail Russ.  I would never say that it was a waste of effort.  It is all a matter of how much pride you have in doing the aircraft you have dear to your heart the justice it deserves!  Only modelers such as ourselves can understand that!

Ken

Striker8241

Son Of Medicine Man

You will need to park it on a mirror so everyone can see the detail that you put on the bottom!  Nice work Russ, again as always!   

Ken

 

Thanks for the good words, Ken! 

 

I know it seems a waste of effort but without this feature added, the view from the side won't look right. There would be a pretty wide empty space that just isn't there on the real plane.

 

In the picture below, the strike camera rain deflector shows as a line between the last rectangular antenna and the large paddle antenna.

 

 

Color me picky

 

Russ

 

You mentioned,"I know it seems a waste of effort but without this feature added, the view from the side won't look right." i have to agree with Ken, as he put it so well:

"Nice job on the research and paying attention to detail Russ.  I would never say that it was a waste of effort.  It is all a matter of how much pride you have in doing the aircraft you have dear to your heart the justice it deserves!  Only modelers such as ourselves can understand that!"

As I like to quote:

"God does not subtract from our time on earth

the hours we spend modeling." 

Dom

Thanks guys! That means I'm not totally cracked lol . I'll drink a toast to both your philosophies!  

Russ

I finally got the blast curtains in and believe me, it was no blast . It was a real struggle for the side curtains - I should have put them in first before the canopy frames - lessons learned . The curtains are made of aluminum foil sprayed white on one side. I used a pair of straight tweezers to make the folds in the side curtains. I used small round styrene stock to make the rods for the front curtains. Glue the rods to the un-painted top edge and roll them gently until you get the shape you want.

The front curtains apparently had a spring-loaded roller system that took up the slack down below the window sill. Since there's no slot at the bottom on the model, I had to place the curtains against the outside of the frames and run my fingernail along the bottom edge to get the curve of the window, then cut along the resulting line before gluing the curtains in behind the frames.

Cheers,

Russ 

Striker8241

I finally got the blast curtains in and believe me, it was no blast . It was a real struggle for the side curtains - I should have put them in first before the canopy frames - lessons learned . The curtains are made of aluminum foil sprayed white on one side. I used a pair of straight tweezers to make the folds in the side curtains. I used small round styrene stock to make the rods for the front curtains. Glue the rods to the un-painted top edge and roll them gently until you get the shape you want.

The front curtains apparently had a spring-loaded roller system that took up the slack down below the window sill. Since there's no slot at the bottom on the model, I had to place the curtains against the outside of the frames and run my fingernail along the bottom edge to get the curve of the window, then cut along the resulting line before gluing the curtains in behind the frames.

Cheers,

Russ 

 

 

Those curtains look real nice Russ!  Great job!  Very realistic looking!     

Ken

Thanks, Ken!

Russ

Hello, All,

Below is a picture of the nav radar antenna installed in the chin radome. I was only able to find one photo that showed the antenna reflector from the back so I had to guess at the feedhorn assembly, and the reflector support system. If anyone can provide more information on this antenna setup I would certainly appreciate it.

Cheers,

Russ

A little more progress today - I added the antenna pedestals for the ECM antennas and the transmitter exhaust vents, and also added the top and bottom flashing navigation beacons. I'll wait until the plane is assembled and painted before adding the antennas.

Cheers,

Russ

Incredible work Russ!  This baby is going to take off and fly when you are done!

Ken

Lol thanks Ken! Not sure I'm ever gonna be finished with it though

Russ

Striker8241

I finally got the blast curtains in and believe me, it was no blast . It was a real struggle for the side curtains - I should have put them in first before the canopy frames - lessons learned . The curtains are made of aluminum foil sprayed white on one side. I used a pair of straight tweezers to make the folds in the side curtains. I used small round styrene stock to make the rods for the front curtains. Glue the rods to the un-painted top edge and roll them gently until you get the shape you want.

The front curtains apparently had a spring-loaded roller system that took up the slack down below the window sill. Since there's no slot at the bottom on the model, I had to place the curtains against the outside of the frames and run my fingernail along the bottom edge to get the curve of the window, then cut along the resulting line before gluing the curtains in behind the frames.

Cheers,

Russ 

 

 

I can see the details inside, even though that is a dark interior!

Nice 'scruntch' ! Very convincing,

Dom

Thanks, Dom!