THE OFFICIAL IN THE BUFF B52 GROUP BUILD

I sat Alert for 2 years with 2 B-53s.  Big mofos!

Yessir!  

"how about this baby, previous owner never smoked,

and she was never driven in winter.....ready to drive

right off the lot......errrrr

don't kick the tires"

Alleged B-53 9MT blast: Is that a mushroom, or cauliflower?:

Here's a link to an article on the de-commissioning of the B-53:

http://capitolcommentary.com/2011/10/29/the-death-of-americas-b53-the-9-megaton-nuclear-bomb/

Dom

Hey, Dom, what bomb is that? It looks a lot like the ones that were frequently loaded at Clinton-Sherman, although ours were painted olive drab.

Cheers,

Russ

Russ;

Supposedly a B-53, it looks right from the other pictures I've seen:

Link:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=b-53+bomber&client=firefox-a&hs=vqe&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&imgil=shsYiNYqxKW5HM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcR1lk_D2Q93ZUq_gfNoXc-uvW1o85t7Jhc6ZsxUmZ4WaYXCo3jp%253B262%253B215%253BTXjRjM20CwJbQM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fnuclearweaponarchive.org%25252FUsa%25252FWeapons%25252FB53.html&source=iu&usg=__2PPa-aLU8i6oti5u0_zKlu6_0pA%3D&sa=X&ei=0c_2UtTANYGwyQHfiIH4Cw&ved=0CEEQ9QEwAg&biw=1913&bih=1281#facrc=_&imgrc=shsYiNYqxKW5HM%253A%3BTXjRjM20CwJbQM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fnuclearweaponarchive.org%252FUsa%252FWeapons%252FB53b.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fnuclearweaponarchive.org%252FUsa%252FWeapons%252FB53.html%3B262%3B215

long link, eh?

Here's one, OD or khaki:

Bockscar

"how about this baby, previous owner never smoked,

and she was never driven in winter.....ready to drive

right off the lot......errrrr

don't kick the tires"

Alleged B-53 9MT blast: Is that a mushroom, or cauliflower?:

Here's a link to an article on the de-commissioning of the B-53:

http://capitolcommentary.com/2011/10/29/the-death-of-americas-b53-the-9-megaton-nuclear-bomb/

Dom

Hey, Dom, the one above is the right shape but seems a bit small to be a B-53 - see the photo below of one at Pantex. Compare the guy standing next to the Pantex bomb with the one above.

I seem to remember a frame around the bombs too - maybe they were on a special trailer to ensure they didn't roll off during their long trip from the bomb bump.

Speaking if that, I've been looking for pictures of the convoys that brought the bombs to the aircraft but no luck yet. They were something to see with escorting pickups, station wagons and vans full of armed SP's with red lights flashing all over the place.

Funny, we always felt relieved to get back to the shop and away from those things - as if being a few blocks away would make any difference if one went off .

Cheers,

Russ

Yeah, if you were a few blocks away when it went off, that would definitely

be loud!!!

This just in:

Plug yous ears.....

Dom

Lol! Roger that, Dom!

Russ

True Russ:

When I got to Kindergarten back in '62, 'Duck and Cover' was still around.

I remember the emergency broadcast tests that would interrupt a Popeye cartoon, or the radio.

The Cuban Missile Crisis scared the heck out of my parents, they stayed up a whole night smoking and listening to the radio. I knew what a BOMARC missile was by the time I was 6, and learned all about the Avro Arrow and that it was supposed to shoot down Russian bombers to protect us from the Soviets.

It was the Korean and Vietnam Wars that made me realize what a threat the Soviets were, I was just a kid, but learned fast enough that there was something just plain weird about the Fonda family - they are still providing reasons to believe that to this very day. I wonder if they were given honorary Russian citizenship and box-seats at Sochi.

You are right, it sure was no laughing matter. My formative years were filled with the Cold War.

It wasn't until i was in high school that I realized how vicious the characterizations of Americans were in Dr. Strangelove, but by then, it was a cult hit, and I was a certified Slim Pickins and BUFF fan - that was definitely not the intention of the film, if you catch my drift.

Oh well, enough background.

Dom

Two bits of good news;

I just had a chat with a new FSM member handle Valkyrie. He's an x Airforce officer who is getting back into modelling. With any luck he'll join our GB!

Welcome Valkyrie!!!

The other bit of good news; Hey Major Kong; I was digging through my styrene stockpiles, and I found the tube stock for some big 1/72 gadgets!! This stock is 5/8'' but I can't vouch yet for the accuracy of the diameter in 1/72. I'll need to dig up some stats on the B-53 and a couple others to see if this is a good starting diameter. In any case, 5/8" fits comfortably in the 1/72 BB and 'looks about right'.

Dom

Welcome, Valkyrie! Glad to have you with us! Looking forward to trading insults!

Russ

Dom,

I needs ta build me a half dozen or so of them there Bravo Five Threes!!

From the size of your stash, Id bet  Jimmy Hoffa is in there somewhere!!

Its up to ten degrees here sos Ima puttin on the shorts and headin out!! (to the shed for some firewood...)  <----  I just love that , sums up the last ten years of my life!!

Majer Kong

All of the B53s I saw were silver.  Some of the earlier weapons had a similar shape and were painted olive.  The b28s were silver.  The B61s were polished silver,  The B83s were white.  The SRAMs were white.  The ACMs were olive.

I think you're right about the color, Jim. I don't recall any silver ones, so it may be that Dom's earlier picture of the smaller bomb (below) is more likely the ones we had back in 68.

Thanks, Striker.  Now that I have the actual scale of my models nailed down, I look forward to "trading insults" with other buff enthusiasts, too.  But at this point I feel pretty much that I'm firing blanks.

• Posted by Valkyrie on Tue, Feb 11 2014 5:16 AM

  I'm new to FSM and have been bouncing around in the Forums. A reply to my introductory posting mentioned Group Builds and suggested I check it out. I am just getting back into aircraft modeling after many, many years. Coincidentally, I am building two 1/48 scale B-52s, a G and an H by AMT. I was a B-52 Maintenance Officer back in the 70's when "Pease was Our Profession." Although I worked with D's, E's, and F's, I have most experience on G's and H's. My goal is to build a B-52G as it looked before the EVS modification (circa 1975)and an H after the EVS modification (circa 1976). EVS dramatically changed the look of the airplane. Most of us hated the new look at first, but it "grew" on us after while. It was, of course, a significant enhancement to the aircraft. In any case, how may I join your esteemed Group Build? I've read your rules, but don't understand the dynamics of "Group Building."
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• Posted by Bockscar on Wed, Feb 12 2014 3:40 AM

  Hi Valkyrie,

  Great to hear you are getting back into the fold!

  Group Building is a bunch of guys building kits and sharing their experiences as they go along. Some build fast, some build slow, most GB's ask that you keep in touch and post pictures, if you can, and descriptions.

  Often guys can demonstrate solutions to challenges and problems, or share techniques on how to assemble and detail their kits.

  Our GB is THE OFFICIAL IN THE BUFF B52 GROUP BUILD and you can find it in the Group Build forum.153086.aspx

  We have a number of x Airforce guys who are building BUFFs, like Striker8241:

  149616.aspx

  You are more than welcome to join in or post a question about the GBs!!!

  I have a question for you, where did you get a 1/48 scale AMT BUFF? Maybe a 1/72?

  (the idea of a 1/48 B-52 has got my blood pressure way up!!!)

  Can you tell us a bit about your duties as a B-52 Maintenance Officer? - We would

  really appreciate that!

  Best regards,

  Dom

Hi, Bockscar.  Thanks for the quick reply.  I definitely would like to join the GB.  I'll send pictures as soon as I'm able.

To help control your blood pressure, I found and purchased a B-52G, B-52H, KC-135A and XB-70 each made by AMT and in 1/48 scale at the Broadway Hobby Shop in Cincinnati, OH.  That was about 15 years ago.  It's a relatively small shop.  Life happened and I didn't get started building any of them until a few weeks ago.  The Boardwalk Hobby Shop is still in business, I visited it a couple times in the last few weeks.  They have NASAs B-52 (I think it was a B model)/X-15 combination in 1/48 scale, but didn't see any G's or H's.

Concerning my B-52 experience, I was an Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the Strategic Air Command stationed at Castle AFB (Calif.) where all B-52 and KC-135 Combat Crew Training was done.  We maintained B-52D/E/F models in "flyable storage" and were flying B-52G/H models.  At that time, 1974-1977, we did about 1/6th of all the B-52 flying in SAC.  We had a 5000 man maintenance complex running round the clock seven days a week.  We normally didn't fly on the weekend though.  We were divided into four squadrons, Organizational Maintenance (OMS), Field Maintenance (FMS), Avionics Maintenance (AMS) and Munitions Maintenance (MMS).  OMS had the crew chiefs and "owned" the aircraft, did servicing, launch, recovery, towing, etc.  FMS and AMS were "specialist" squadrons and were dispatched from shops to do repairs.  MMS handled the bombs both "iron" and nuclear.  I was Officer In Charge (OIC) of the Bomber Branch in OMS.  I had roughly 220 people divided into three "flights", B-52G, B-52H and "Crested Dove" (we called it "Crested Crud") with the B-52D/E/F models.  Can't remember how many of each type we had, but it was a very "crowded" parking ramp.

• Valkyrie:

  That is a very impressive resume. We always welcome Vets such as yourself because of the background you bring to the table.

  Would it be OK with you if I posted your reply to the BUFF thread?

  Best,

  Dom

  

  

• Posted by Valkyrie on Thu, Feb 13 2014 3:06 AM

  Hi, Dom, yes by all means feel free to post my reply.  Actually, I thought my reply would go to everyone in the Group automatically.  Could you enlighten me on how communications within the B52 Group Build works?  As a "newby" there much I don't know yet, especially about Group Builds.  There were a couple .aspx's in an earlier post (such as 153086.aspx).  Are they links to different threads?  Also, how will I know when I'm "officially" part of the B52 Group Build?  BTW, my name is Al (for Allen).

• Posted by Bockscar on Thu, Feb 13 2014 3:24 AM

  Hi Al;

  You have your own thread "B52 Group Build" so your posts are going there. If you want to join the Buff Group build, then click on this .aspx link:

  153086.aspx?sort=ASC&pi240=1

  and it will take you to the BUFF GB thread. Once you are there you can read the intro, send me a message and I'll put down as a participant.

  If that is still clear as mud let me know and I'll help get you organized Thursday - tomorrow.

  Dom

  

buffjock

Dom,

I needs ta build me a half dozen or so of them there Bravo Five Threes!!

From the size of your stash, Id bet  Jimmy Hoffa is in there somewhere!!

Its up to ten degrees here sos Ima puttin on the shorts and headin out!! (to the shed for some firewood...)  <----  I just love that , sums up the last ten years of my life!!

Majer Kong

I've got about 13", and I figure it's going to take about 1&3/4" per gadget. I'll try to dig up more stock somewhere. I also need to figure out how to shape the nose efficiently.

It finally got to about 23F up here, down right balmy.

Dom

Hi, Al, and Welcome!

Your being in OMS was what I was referring to about trading insults. I was in AMS working B-52s at Clinton-Sherman AFB, OK back in 67-68. There was always a good-natured rivalry between the different squadrons and "trading insults" was a way of referring to that rivalry.

Great to have you here with your background and expertise. OMS was the glue that held the whole maintenance effort together - regardless of the rivalry, we all knew that .

Cheers,

Russ

Buffirn

All of the B53s I saw were silver.  Some of the earlier weapons had a similar shape and were painted olive.  The b28s were silver.  The B61s were polished silver,  The B83s were white.  The SRAMs were white.  The ACMs were olive.

Thanks, that info is like the tip of the iceberg. it would be great if I could cross reference the colors and the nukes in a paint and detailing chart. Sounds to me like a fun Sunday project.

it would be cool to build that dolly/truck they have the B-53 on, I'm looking up dimensions and I'll post what I find.

Dom

Striker, I'm looking forward to get acquainted with you!!!  My last job in the USAF was AMS Maintenance Supervisor at March AFB (1983-1986), 22nd Air Refueling Wing (also closed now).  We had KC-10's at that time.  I sure did respect the AMS guys on B-52's at Castle.  In fact, one of my closest friends at Castle was the Bomb/Nav shop chief.  Funny, I can see his face as clears as a bell, but can't think of his name.  He was one sharp guy but he also had an incredible sense of humor.  Talk about trading some insults!  I used to accuse him of heating his lunch with the search radar.  He'd say all OMS people had brain damage from blowing their hats of with LOX.  But, you're right, there was a very healthy respect going both ways.  The B-52 was not an easy airplane to maintain with a rigorous flying schedule.

Cool, Al! I can't think of a better place to get acquainted than right here!   Sounds like you and I retired  from the AF about the same time - I retired in July 1987.

Lol at the LOX joke - haven't heard that one in many, many years!

1991 for me.  Yeah, I didn't believe it at first, but then saw it for myself.  Guess there's a moron born every couple minutes (some of them end up in "responsible" positions).  But its overtly moron when you let the Maintenance Officer catch you doing something that stupid and unsafe on the flightline.  Still had to laugh about it after the fact.   BTW, I just saw your Arc Lite B-52D diorama.  Awesome, really awesome!!!!  Way beyond anything I'll be able to do for quite some time.

Thanks for the good words, Al!  So that was an actual incident? I guess most of those insults had a basis in fact at one time or another .

Cheers,

Russ

Here's one more that you've probably heard, but I just like telling it:  A B-52D was returning after "delivering" a load to North Vietnam when an F-4 flew up on its left wing.  The F-4 pilot called the B-52D saying "Watch this!"  Where upon the fighter pulled up and rolled over the top of the Buff passing by the right wing tip inverted continuing down under the bomber and back up on the left wing.  The F-4 pilot called the bomber, "Top that big guy!"  The B-52 flew on straight and level.  After a few minutes, the fighter jock impatiently called the Buff, "Well, can you top it?"  The B-52 pilot calmly replied, "I just shut down two engines, top that."

LOL!

Yeah Al, which reminds me of this one:

I wonder how many fighters make it back without their tail?

Yep, the "Fortress family" all seem to handle vertical stabilizer damage pretty well.  I guess there's some pretty significant piloting skill with that, too.

Bockscar

Buffirn

All of the B53s I saw were silver.  Some of the earlier weapons had a similar shape and were painted olive.  The b28s were silver.  The B61s were polished silver,  The B83s were white.  The SRAMs were white.  The ACMs were olive.

Jim;

Thanks, that info is like the tip of the iceberg. it would be great if I could cross reference the colors and the nukes in a paint and detailing chart. Sounds to me like a fun Sunday project.

it would be cool to build that dolly/truck they have the B-53 on, I'm looking up dimensions and I'll post what I find.

Dom

I have photos of the B-36 and the B-53 from a few years back.

Sure wish i could go back to Dayton and do the tour again.

Here's a Mk 17/24 in about the same position beside a B-36 as the

one in Dayton:

What? Are we all buried under snow?

Well Russ, still in pain looking at that engine, I wish

I could see it for real. My desk got buried the last few months,

I got through an audit (the only time i will ever be called an "Officer")

and a corporate rebranding, (I survived) so no time on the bench,

and rather messed over for work and head space.

My next project: filing out the nacelles per Russ' directions, and

I think I may have some liners for the exhaust.

Why have i been away? the 3 metric tons of snow i hand shovelled

might be a reason, I am in pain, apparantly 2 more systems to go before

May....Oh Joy!!!!

Don't be insulted if I cut and paste this post to the BUFF thread,,,,,

All I can think about is buying kits, not building kits......

So, apparently, BUFFs are no longer useful for putting a foe in line???? Ahemmmm!

-Dom

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