THE OFFICIAL IN THE BUFF B52 GROUP BUILD

Good source of information, Jim. Thanks!

Russ

Buffirn

Just in case you didn't know about this site.

www.joebaugher.com/.../usafserials.html

You can find some basic history about any aircraft from the USAF based on year and serial number.  Kind of neat!

Thanks for that link, very neat alright, as in yikes, they are all there, it's like a parade

of ghosts, and they've brought along their pasts!

Dom

Many thanks to Russ for getting those Mk 82's together for me!

I must also say that Russ' technical skills really shone through, the tails are aligned perfectly!

Now I need to find a way to get the fuses in. I am thinking that because

they are so small, use the brass-coloured paint and just paint them in.

Suggestions welcome!

Dom

Dom,

If you ream the hole out a bit you can insert the stem of the fuse and any type of glue should hold it in. White glue or carpenter's glue, or even rubber cement. The paint will help seal them in.

Glad the bombs arrived ok.

Russ

Yeah Russ, I'll give that a try.

I was tempted to try the paint hood to put in the fuses with CA, but if it goes wrong,

I am pooched.

still need a way to glue them to the panels, I will try white glue or gator grip.

Dom

Hey, Dom,

Some type of flexible glue might be better for that - like a good rubber cement or fabric glue. How about RTV?

Russ

Gator Grip glue is quite flexible and holds very well. That should work perfectly. Looking forward to seeing pics.

For complete accuracy, you need to tap and drill both parts and screw the fuzes in just like the real thing!

Don't forget the arming wires and fahnestock!

Guys,

Thanks for the suggestions,

Russ, what is RTV? is that a silicone compound, is there a brand I should look for?

Jim; yeah, I think i found a set at MicoMark....lol.......just looked up 'fahnestock'.......could have used that

around for the last 50 years.....

Now my desk is buried again.......I recently got in some Japanese sharpening stones to hone my sharpening skills...ha ha...and the BUFF stuff is buried under old hunting knives and stones of various grit....

it's sick what a 50 year old folding trout knife can do when it is honed to 10,000 grit......

Dom

Duke Maddog

Gator Grip glue is quite flexible and holds very well. That should work perfectly. Looking forward to seeing pics.

I have Gator Grip, and I've been trying to find its ideal application. I'll give it a try as well. It's easy to use, and water/wipe clean up, which is great.

Dom

Dom,

Go with the Gator Glue first like Duke says. If that doesn't work, the RTV might. It's a silicone cement. Comes in large as well as small tubes. There are many kinds but probably any type would do. You'll only be using a tiny amount anyway. We used it working on aircraft and I use it sometimes on my car.

Russ

Yeah Russ;

I realized that because the stacked bombs can only be seen from the bottom,

I can probably put a good fillet of glue on the top seam and no one will see it.

I will look for the RTV up here, i had to throw away the lepage's expoxy,

they forgot how to make glue over there, so I need an alternate.

Dom

Big Bomber fans;

The Sanger 1/48 B-47 arrived, it cost me about $75, which is well worth it.

very close attention to outline.

I can't load the photos as my server is being 'maintained' but will get

them here prawley two more uh.

I'm going to get the 1/48 BUFF for sure, hold me back!

dom

Ouch, Dom!

Where are you going to park that thing...those things? They'll be nearly twice as big as the 1/72 scale versions. Plus, the larger scale cries out for more detail in just about every area, unless the kit is really detailed. Can you imagine the price of the aftermarket kits???

Warm up your scratch building skills .

Russ

Yeah Russ;

Big alright.

i still can't load the photos,

but the B-47's wings in 1/48 are about 2 inches shorter than our

beloved 1/72 Mono-Rev BUFFs.

And the fuselage is actually just a wee bit longer than the 1/72 BUFF.

It is, However, like a civilian plane in diameter, about 0.5 inch wider than

the 1/72 BUFF.

it's a bit of a moot point right now, i have been so preoccupied, i haven't

had a chance to get to my bench for recreation.

I did clean it up yesterday, but Russ, I'll never get all these kits built.

The 1/48 BUFF, if Sanger finishes it, and i get it, will be about three feet long,

and I'm guessing over 40 inches for the wingspan, but those are not calculated,

'cause I am tired.

Sanger is great for photos:

"hey I caught this with a 10 lb test line......."

Copyright: Sanger: http://www.rbogash.com/b52photo.htm

Many thanks to Sanger for the photos, spectacular!

Dom

I contacted Sanger a few weeks back and got this response.

So, there is something to look forward to.

Yeah Jim;

I'll have to clean out a room to fit it!

Well, a bit of bad news; I got home early today, and with

the bench top cleaned off again, I started working.

But not for long, my right thumb gripped reak hard

on the edge of a new X-Acto blade, and I got a 1/2 inch slice for not

paying attention. Why do dogs lick your blood up off

the floor? Well, at least I didn't have to go on bio-haz

duty to clean it up.

Good news is that it is shallow, but fairly long. Dang......

Dom

We have met the enemy, and he is us...

I have two deep gashes in my left forefinger just from this past week. We should get a medal for our efforts - we could call it the "Purple Finger Award"   lol.

Hope ye heal sooner,

Russ

Hey, that's right, Walt

Pain's gone, but every time I go to do something,

I think I need a stitch.....where's the

sewing kit....lol

Dom

Now this would be a good time for super glue....

Russ:

Almost wish I had. It stopped bleeding last night, and i got some work done today,

a few more Mk-117's.

Wounds are all relative; if you were standing around, minding your own SAM site,

and a 117 hatched nearby, just imagine all the band-aids it would take to

fix that owee!

As I've been working on them, I've noticed that the completed bomb is far from round in

cross section. i don't suppose anyone will get close enough to notice, but it means

a fairly large seam line.

The scratch cut out units, oddly enough, are perfectly round. just more fun at

Ye Olde Bhombe Shoppe.

Then there's the fuses, i.e. they look more like little grease nipples.

I'll have to cut down the long fuses from the Verlinden, if that is OK.

Dom

Hey, Dom,

Yeah, for the amount of money they charge for a little bit of resin you'd think they could do a better job. Many of the bombs I built for my clips are slightly flattened or out of round. And the fins look like the mold is out of alignment. Fortunately, they won't be viewed up close.

As for the fuses, why do you need to cut down the long fuses? I sent all the fuses back with the completed bombs. However, if you need extra ones, you're right - you can just cut the tip off the long fuses. They're the same as for the MK-182s.

Cheers,

Russ

Hey Russ:

I was working on the kit supplied styrene bombs in the Revell kit. Looks like I messed a few of

them up real good, so i spent a few hours trying to make them look better.

The Verlinden bombs look pretty good by comparison, mind you that huge access panel

at the back of the Mk-182's is big enough for me open up and set the fuse pins myself!

Thanks for the info about the fuses being the same, I forgot to ask, so I think I may have enough

and if not I'll just use the Verlinden fuse shafts anyways.

Thanks,

Dom

Some motivation.

K. I. Sawyer BUFF in the Big Bear MOA playing with the Boys from Selfridge.   Low level fighter intercept training.  Loads of fun and a bit of nausea.  I could be on that plane, but who knows for sure?

Doors open,  FCI centered

Airshow bomb run. 

There ya go!  Now back to building!

Jim:

Thanks for the great photos! -Added to my

BUFFology section

I never knew F-4's and BUFFs flew in 'formation'

Seeing a B-52 with its bomb bay doors open is like

haiku - your brain automatically knows what the next

sentence in the 'poem' is.....LOL.......

Dom

Well, these have taken much too long.  Stupid job!  Anyway, this is still a WIP and I am no Russ, but I am enjoying this.  The green is just construction paper but will end up as flocking.  The next step is to mount this to something like hardboard.  I should finish this soon.  I still need  a Crew Truck and a generator.  Those will be fun to build.

Hey Jim,

this isn't a contest, it's always great to see another BUFF born!

The smaller scales are pretty hard to build, but on the other hand,

they do get built!

My BUFF is still half done hanging from the ceiling, I have to

admit I've pretty much taken the summer off, so much to do

outside while the weather is nice.

Dom

Hey, that's cool, Jim! Did you scratchbuild the van or is it a kit? What scale?

Rock on!

Russ

Striker8241

Hey, that's cool, Jim! Did you scratchbuild the van or is it a kit? What scale?

Rock on!

Russ

This is the 1/700 Skywave kit.  It has B-1s  and some AGE along with the van.  The "tarmac" is construction paper and card stock.  The lines are colored pencil.  I've had fun so far.  I still need a Crewdog truck and a generator.  I'll have to scribble some plans down tonight.  Scratchbuilding at that scale might be easier than one would think.  Detail is not much of a factor.

If I could get about 10 more of those vans, I'd make a B-1 diorama of them getting readyt for a mission.  One plane, 10 stepvans, Mtc Super Pickup, crew bus, a big puddle.  Just my somewhat rude dig at the BONE.