Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 (edited) My project is to build the famous B-52H that lost it's tail but kept flying and was brought to a safe landing. The kit I am using is a Revell 1/144 B-52H. It is the right type of BUFF but well need several modification to depict my particular subject. The most obvious modification will be the tail. I have to find a way to use the kit tail or scratch make a new "tail" to depict the type of damage this Stratofortress sustained. I haven't figured out how I'm going to do that yet. In the meantime one other obvious modification is to back-date this Revell model. It is a B-52H, but it depicts one as it would more or less look like today. Back in 1964 the B-52H were fresh of the Boeing production line and had no reinforcement plates, no blisters protruding from the fuselage, and it did not have the "eyes" that would be installed in the 1970's. Everything you see encircled or covered with black marker are to be removed and that is what I will work on over the next few days. Edited January 11, 2013 by Fellow Hobbyist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Adam Baker Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Cant wait to see how you do it! Maybe cut the tail off above what you don't need, and then use a dremel to thin out the plastic, or leave enough of the stock tail to form some thin sheet styrene to give the appropriate thickness? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 I'm very, very keen on seeing this take shape! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 11, 2013 Author Share Posted January 11, 2013 (edited) It's frustrating that I can't find any more photos; particular of the port side. ... One thing I failed to remember the anniversary of that flight was yesterday. :o Edited January 11, 2013 by Fellow Hobbyist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) Back-filling the large blisters on each side of the tail prior to removing them. Then the blisters are carved and sanded away. Edited January 13, 2013 by Fellow Hobbyist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 The back-dating is nearly complete. As you can see all of the molded reinforcement plates have been removed. It was an easier task for the starboard half. Cutting the port side half proved to be more challenging and was more crude. My hobby knife gouged into the plastic more times than I liked. Nonetheless with the filling of the void where the left "eye" done all that will remain is to sand it smooth. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Looking great so far! Have you been able to find what you need re: the internal structure of the stabiliser? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 (edited) For a reference for the internal structure I found that I had a cutaway drawing of the B-52H in my extensive; but unsorted, airplane photo library . Also I made an intuitive guess as to what the opposite side of the stabilizer remnant looks like. If you look at the screenshot the skin on the left side of the tail remnant is behind the ribbing. This is likely considering no sky light passes through the opening on the visible side. A quick review of the video with the plane on the ground confirms this (the cameraman is looking right up into the opening and it is still dark). So the skin on the left side is still present up to the top of the structural ribs. My idea is rough cut the tail to and file to shape. Next I will thin the plastic of the tail fin as Adam suggested and lie strips of plastic onto the left stabilizer half for the ribbing. All that would be required is to sand to correct size and shape and mate the right side over the ribbing. Edited January 14, 2013 by Fellow Hobbyist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 Sounds good - looking forward to seeing it! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 21, 2013 Author Share Posted January 21, 2013 (edited) Working on the flight deck the control yokes and cockpit have been prepared and painted. But not wanting to leave the plane uninhabited I set to work making a crew. To the left is a 1/100 scale pilot figure I had thought might work out. I have two and though out of scale looked like they would fit in the seats. However these figures were designed to fit in reclined seats. So using a large laminated piece for the torso and filing strips of plastic for the head and limbs and making figures that are postured to sit in the flight deck seats. Test fit of legs and torso. Edited January 21, 2013 by Fellow Hobbyist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 22, 2013 Author Share Posted January 22, 2013 Wing tanks assembled, filled, and sanded smooth. The tail turret is assembled but the barrel cluster is misaligned and need refitting. Repairs being made to the areas that were unintentionally gouged out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drifterdon Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Stumbled across this youtube video and it provides some pretty good information on how this particular plane was painted. Also noted that it was carrying Hound Dogs at the time of the mishap. Here is the link to the vid. Hope this helps. Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted January 26, 2013 Share Posted January 26, 2013 Drifterdon: thanks for sharing that link - it's an interesting vid, even for one not building the model. Now I'm looking forward to seeing this build done even more! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 27, 2013 Author Share Posted January 27, 2013 Stumbled across this youtube video and it provides some pretty good information on how this particular plane was painted. Also noted that it was carrying Hound Dogs at the time of the mishap. Here is the link to the vid. Hope this helps. Don I appreciate the sentiment Drifterdon...but I already bookmarked that vid weeks ago. But you are correct, this video has a lot of imagery on paint schemes, load out, and configuration. It has proven indispensible for this project. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 My best estimate of the tail damage based on reference photos and judging by proportions. Surgery begins tomorrow. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Really looking forward to this! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted February 5, 2013 Author Share Posted February 5, 2013 (edited) Phase 1 complete! This took about two to three work hours to accomplish. The skin of the tail is now 1/2 as thick as it was. This required two dremel sessions each side, sanding with 220, 300, & 400 WD paper, and wet filing with jewlers files. Edited February 5, 2013 by Fellow Hobbyist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Adam Baker Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Looks like a very nice start! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Drifterdon Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Coming along nicely. I need to get on the ball and post some in progress myself. Looking forward to seeing more. Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john53 Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 WOW! Now that "looks like the picture". That's excellent detailing. ;)---John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 (edited) This has proven to be a tedious step; but necessary. Making each structural member takes an hour or more to perfect; requiring numerous filing and dry fits. And I still have many more pieces to go. Edited March 15, 2013 by Fellow Hobbyist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted March 15, 2013 Share Posted March 15, 2013 I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have the patience to do that. It's already looking great. I guess you could take as motivation the fact that you will have an amazing - and probably, unique - model to display when it's finished! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 (edited) Agreed. It was the uniqueness in the build that made me want to do it in the first place. It's also my first foray into extensive scratch building; a skill I've always wanted to master. It's tedious work...but support from you Litvyak and others help to keep me going. So a grateful thanks to you all. But I realized building all the structural stuff is still a piece of cake compared to what I need to do with the wings later. In the archival video the pilot describes how in part of what he did in order to obtain marginal control of #1023 was setting the spoilers to #4 position. I interpreted that to mean that four of the seven spoiler panels were raised. The Revell kit has the spoilers molded directly onto the wings. Obviously the panels would have to be cut away and the raised "feathers" need to be sanded away. Reference photos shown me what lies underneath the spoilers. That will be easy to duplicate. Making the spoilers themselves however....I haven't figure out how to make that happen...yet. Edited March 15, 2013 by Fellow Hobbyist Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fellow Hobbyist Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Progress report: The tail is essentially done; save for filling in a void between the fuselage and the aft tail spar and adding a duct to the vent on the leading edge of the tail. In the mean time I have started to remove the molded spoiler panels. Firstly holes are drilled around the inner perimeter of the panel. And once that is done I cut through the plastic between each hole. One more wing needs this treatment. I sense lots of filing in my future. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Litvyak Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Amazing work so far! Definitely beyond the limits of my patience. :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.