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I've got a B-52D model I'm planning on converting to NB-52A (Balls Three X-15 mothership). I'm wanting to do it fairly early in the program, with the dayglo orange. Are there any significant changes I'll need to do to backdate it?

I'm also in need of the Cutting Edge decals for it. Stupid me didn't buy them when they came out.

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Do a Google search for that plane and you will find all kinds of photos. You can search for NB-52A, NASA, X-15, etc.

Some of the changes that you will have to make are:

remove the gun turret on the tail

remove the external wing tanks

chop a large hole/slot in the right inboard flap to clear the X-15 tail

add camera fairings and viewing ports

add the pylon under the right wing

Monogram had a kit with the B-52 and X-15 with all the mods to the mother ship. It still shows up on ebay occasionally, but it usually sells for $100 or a little more. There is one up for sale now that is currently at $43. It will undoubtedly go higher.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1-72-Monogram-B-52-w-X...1QQcmdZViewItem

Darwin

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I've got a B-52D model I'm planning on converting to NB-52A (Balls Three X-15 mothership). I'm wanting to do it fairly early in the program, with the dayglo orange. Are there any significant changes I'll need to do to backdate it?

I'm also in need of the Cutting Edge decals for it. Stupid me didn't buy them when they came out.

003 and 008 were essentially identical (the only significant external difference was how the tail turret was faired). In addition to the changes Darwin mentioned, there are some other, more subtle mods.

A LOX boil-off vent mast extending from the port side of the bomb bay (the bomb bay contained a large LOX tank for topping off the X-15)

Two sealed-beam payload illumination lamps on the right fuselage side

A series of forward and aft facing vents on the fuselage side at the bomb bay to ventilate it.

Additionally, B-52A's and B's had lower deck windows for the nav and bomb-nav stations that are not present on B-52D's

The Monogram D is also missing a couple of generic B-52 items (like hatch lifters) that need correcting

I have a ton of pictures of the mods on 008 (I managed the aircraft for 10 years) and also a writeup of the mods needed that I did fro Dave Klaus, if you're interested.

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