1/72 B-52D "Big Belly" Racks

Hello, Andy,

I just read your post and I am about to build the same model, so I'm interested how your project worked out. Did you find the parts you were looking for or did you scratchbuild the racks? I know it's been 6 years since you made this post but I hope you're still active in model building.

Thanks,

Striker8241

Striker, Andy hasn't posted in 4 years, so i don't think he will be getting back to you. The only AM sets i have heard of for this kit is the Goffy models cockpit and bomb bay. But Goffy went out of buisness early last year and their sets can't be found anywhere. But i don't think is was the sort of bomb bay he was after.

I hope we are going to see some progress pics of your build.

Thanks, Bish. It was a long shot, but I thought I would give it a try. I will post some pictures of my progress, but it will likely be awhile.

Thanks again,

Striker

I took a stab at scratchbuilding a "Big Belly" bomb clip and transport trailer. The first clip is almost finished - waiting on the last 5 bombs before I assemble it. I wanted to post some pictures of my progress but Photobucket seems to have put the nix on free sharing. Anyone know of a good free photosharing site?

Thanks,

Striker

Really, i haven't noticed that. Are you getting some sort of message on PB.

No message. The "My Computer" option for uploading images from your computer is not working. A lot of other people have noted the same thing. It just happened recently because I was able to upload images a week ago.

Odd, i have just managed to upload one. But i seem to load them in a different way. I don't use a My Computer option.

Wup...it's working now for some reason.

Ok, here are some pictures of the major components of the bomb clip that I'm working on including the cradle that goes on the bomb trailer. I've also included a picture of the clip and trailer I'm trying to model

Left side panel with bombs installed.

Center panel.

Cradle.

I'm waiting on the final 5 bombs to assemble the clip, then I'll post a picture of it. I'm also working on the trailer, which I hope to have finished in a few days.

WOW, thats some set up. I've never seen this before. So am i right in thinking this whole thing was inserted into the bomb bay

You got it. Actually, there were three clips loaded into the bomb bay.

Well thats a lot of bombs on each of those. Shows just how much the BUFF carried.

Striker8241

You got it. Actually, there were three clips loaded into the bomb bay.

Plus the 25 or 50 on each wing mounted MER.

Mikeym_us

Striker8241:

You got it. Actually, there were three clips loaded into the bomb bay.

 

Plus the 25 or 50 on each wing mounted MER.

Ye, thats some load. I wouldn't want to be under it.

Yeah I hear a bomb run from a single B-52 sounds like a freight train derailing.

Bish

Mikeym_us:

Striker8241:

You got it. Actually, there were three clips loaded into the bomb bay.

 

Plus the 25 or 50 on each wing mounted MER.

 

 

Ye, thats some load. I wouldn't want to be under it.

Feels like it too, even from a long way away.

Striker8241

Feels like it too, even from a long way away.

That sounds like titcomes from personal experiance.

I was at Nha Trang in Viet Nam in 71. There were many B-52  raids in the areas north of us toward Tuy Hoa and Pleiku. You could see the smoke plumes and then feel the rolling shock waves and hear the detonations many seconds later. Coincendentally, the 5th Special Forces "Detatchment B-52" was stationed at Nha Trang

Bish, here is the finished clip (sorry for the poor photography). The trailer is taking longer than I expected but I hope to have it finished this weekend.

Cheers,

Striker

Here is the completed trailer with loaded clip. I didn't have the right size wheels for the trailer so I made it as close as possible. I'm still waiting for the chains to tie the clip down to the trailer.

That looks great. Would i be right in thinking those wheels come from one of the hasegawa ground sets.

Thanks. And yes, you are correct. They're from the US Weapon Loading Set. It took 12 wheels total. You can't see it but there are 4 wheels on each of the rear axels.

Thought so. I love this. Was there any modification made to the B-52 to accept this, or did it just fit into the normal bomb bay.

This would add a lot to a B-52 dio.

Hey, Bish,

No major modification that I know of. There were three metal frames attached to the roof of the bomb bay, one for each clip.

To show the clips installed, you will need to have the bomb bay doors in the load/service position. To do that, you have to cut out the upper section of the bomb bay doors, which is easy to do. In that case, there is plenty of clearance for the clips.

If you choose not to cut out the upper sections, there could be a fit issue since the total width of the clip is 25 mm - exactly the width of the bomb bay. In that case, you might have to trim the bomb bay lip 1/2 to 1 mm on either side. Or, you could leave off the I-Beam trim around the edges and inner slot on each clip panel, which should provide enough clearance. Note that with the doors not in the load position, you can only have the bomb bay doors hanging straight down, which blocks the view of the bombs except from the front or rear.

One thing - there are 28 bombs on each clip. The only MK-82 bombs I could find in quantity were made by Verlinden and there are only 12 in each set that can be used, so it took three sets and that cost almost $40 US. I'm not likely to build two more at that price. If I build a clip or two to hang in the bomb bay, I will only populate the lower row of bombs. That's about all you can see from the outside anyway.

I'm writing an article on how to build the bomb clip and trailer and install them in the model. It's not quite finished yet, but I don't have a website to post it. Do you know if FSM will allow you to post something like that here? I can convert it to an HTML document but I don't have any way to convert it to a PDF document.

Here is my AMS (Avionics Maintenance Squadron)  van for the diorama. I built it sometime ago but just recently dug it out and added the AMS signs and some other details. Seems like our vehicles on Okinawa were painted olive drab instead of Air Force blue, but probably not. I think we brought our own vans over from the states. I will have to paint it blue eventually. In the rear and top views, you can see a tool box and a piece of equipment to be installed.

Thanks for the heads up Striker. I don't see why you couldn't post such a document, it is to help other modellers. Might be worth asking of the feedback section.

If i built one, which i just might, i would probably have it being brought upto the aircraft rather than right uner it.

Thanks, Bish, good idea. I posted a question in the Suggestions and Feedback thread.

Striker8241

Here is my AMS (Avionics Maintenance Squadron)  van for the diorama. I built it sometime ago but just recently dug it out and added the AMS signs and some other details. As I recall, our vehicles on Okinawa were painted olive drab instead of Air Force blue. In the rear and top views, you can see a tool box and a piece of equipment to be installed.

I saw this before but didn't click on, and was in a bit of a hurry. Of course this is the vehicles from the Hasegawa set. Nice to see it in somthing other than Blue. I take it 58 is the squadron number. Is AMS 58 the unit you served with.

Correct again. Actually, the sign is from a picture of a van used on Guam - unfortunately, I haven't been able to find many pictures of units and vehicles based on Okinawa. 58 is the number of the truck. AMS stands for "Avionics Maintenance Squadron".

AMS was responsible for electronic systems maintenance such as NAV, communications, ECM, radar, etc. The other major SAC squadrons included MMS (Munitions Maintenance Squadron) - handled bombs and guns, OMS (Operational Maintenance Squadron) provided operations personnel, and FMS (Field Maintenance Squadron - aircraft structure repair, hydraulics, engines, crew chiefs, etc.). I was with the 70th Bomb Wing AMS out of Clinton Sherman AFB, Oklahoma in 1968. We were on a 6-month Arc Light rotation to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa.