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Revell 1/144 B-52G surgery....


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I've started the really nice B-52G kit from Revell... But, it has the leading edge "strakes" found on only a select number of airframes modified under the START treaty way back when. So, since I want to build a "standard G," I figured I had two choices... Swap fuselages with the equally nice "H" kit (which would leave me with the non-existent "straked H,") or do some surgery. So, I backed up the inside of the fuselage with plastic putty just in case I cut too deep, and broke out the Dremel tool, xacto knife, sandpaper, red putty, primer and scriber, and went to work.... I did ok I think, but the next challenge will be matching the other side to it...! Yeah, apparently I'm a glutton for punishment...!

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Well done, I look forward to watching this project.

 

I did a fuselage swap awhile back to enable a non-ALCM B-52G, and was left with the 'strakelet H' parts that you describe...I'm thinking I might leave the engines off, modify the aft fuselage, and represent a retired & cannibalized G in a Davis-Monthan diorama setting...

 

Jonah

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11 hours ago, Gator52 said:

I'm thinking I might leave the engines off, modify the aft fuselage, and represent a retired & cannibalized G in a Davis-Monthan diorama setting...

 

That would be great to see Jonah!  I too have thought about a G model dio at D-M with the radome up, no engines, etc.

 

-Derek

 

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Tom,  Looking great so far!  I applaud your bravery.  I went the fuselage swap route (as Jonah alludes to above) for my 34th BS B-52G build.  However, there is another option to convert the Revell B-52H kit into a non-ALCM G; by purchasing a set of J-57P-43 engines from Contrails Models, but you would still have to modify the tail turret.  When I told Mike at Contrails what I was doing, he threw in a B-52D tail turret for me.  Highly recommended.    

Edited by Dutch
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  • 3 weeks later...

I think its pretty much there.... I've re-contoured both sides now, but will wait until the wings are glued in place to clean up and blend the wing roots into their final contour.  A really good  primer has helped a great deal... I used "Rustolem 2X Flat Grey Primer" from a rattle can... it dries very smooth, sands well, polishes well, and will even accept some light scribing....

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Edited by bluedot25
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Awesome job Tom.   I just cheated and robbed the fuselage parts from a Revell H I had in the stash and used the rest of the G parts.   I need to give your primer a shot.   Looks like good stuff.

Edited by Drifterdon
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Dutch, Don... Thank you guys for the kind review... Yeah Dutch, it wasn't too difficult... I just wondered if I was going to ruin a nice, fairly rare kit..!  Trick is go slow, start by carving it down to the general profile, then sand, putty, sand and prime... and repeat several times..!  

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  • 1 month later...

 A little more work on the wings... The outrigger wheel wells on the kit are OK for this small scale, but pretty simple and "boxed in," which they aren't on the real airplane. I sanded the kit detail flat, and sanded the lower wing much thinner from the inside, to give a more scale effect of the skin thickness. Then I constructed the details in the wells using strip and sheet plastic, and a little thin wire... I'll paint them zinc chromate and glue the wings together soon...
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  • 2 weeks later...

Tom,  I didn't bother with adding detail to the outrigger wells on my 34th BS, 366th Wg B-52G build, but your beautiful work has me second guessing my decision on the next few Gs I will be building.  Pretty simple actually and the effect is outstanding!  Carry on!  R/ Dutch

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Thanks Dutch...! I'm actually working on closing up the wings today and will post some pics of the finished wells later today or tomorrow....

 

And yes Hajo... I plan on doing something to correct the windshield, but I just dont know what yet..! 🤔

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As to the windshield, I mulled it over not a little for my 34th BS, 366th WG B-52G project.  I finally glued it on, puttied it over and sanded it to shape [a couple of times], and then used Caracal windshield decal which fit perfectly.  If you have done some detailing and want to show off the cockpit interior, then maybe a vacuform replacement will work but I don't know where to get one unless you make it yourself. ( I am not trying to give you more work to do, believe me.)  Those ultra wide center frames on the Revell windshield are really hard to fix.  As Miracle Max says: "Have fun storming the castle!"  

Edited by Dutch
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OK, I airbrushed the wells with a lightened zinc chromate, then weathered them with a wash and light drybrushing. I also sprayed the area around them in white to make painting the lower wing easier down the line. With the wing halves buttoned up, they look like this...

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Also, the wings as molded in the kit are basically straight "planks".  So, I induced some warp into them to more represent the characteristic "droop" seen on fueled and loaded BUFFs...

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Edited by bluedot25
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This is what I did to my B-52G when I built the kit some years ago.

 

Sorry about the photobucket-logos, if you need better pictures, just let me know.

 

 

HAJO

Sorr

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  • 1 month later...

I thought the outrigger wheel wells turned out well enough that I would try tackling the main gear wells. The wells on the B-52 are cavernous, and even in this small scale, are pretty visible. The wells as provided in the kit are little more than a plain box, with some faint, fictitious detail on the "roof." So, using plastic card and strips, Milliput, solder, thin wire, Evergreen stock, masking tape, and some re-purposed photoetch, I've reached this point. Not necessarily accurate, but hopefully more interesting. After I prime and paint, some bits from the spares box will be added too...
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Edited by bluedot25
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Tom,  You are the master!  Beautiful work.  I knew that the Revell u/c bays were not correct, but reasoned that they were not that visible.  Well unless you flip the plane over and actually look inside, then they are very visible.  You have done a terrific job of "accurizing" the kit parts.  Keep a goin' Bro!  R/ Dutch

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Thanks Dutch... You give me way too much credit though..! My work isn't accurate either, but I just wanted to give the idea that something was going on in those wheel wells..! And like most of us, I spend time detailing stuff that no one will ever see..! 

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Tom, I am fixin' to start my straight wing B-52G.  When you say you backed the inside of the wing box with plastic putty, what do you mean?  What brand did you use?  When you filed down the strakelet, did you actually break through the plastic?  R./Dutch

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Hey Dutch...

 

I used KwikWood, made by JB Weld, and available at Home Depot. It's a two part wood epoxy that comes as a roll. You just slice off what you want, and knead it into a blended wad of putty.  I just packed it inside the fuselage halves, behind the area of the strake (look back at my first photo up top).  Actually, I didn't break through the plastic, but I was glad to have the putty there just in case.  It hardens pretty quick, and sands easily.  It's paintable too. It works well for areas where you know youre going to cut or sand through also.  For example, I removed the antenna fairings on the tail also. I just put some putty behind them, then sanded the fairing away. The putty just let me sand the area flat, ready for primer. Remember to use a good, sandable primer too. Let it dry thoroughly (I waited over night) between sanding sessions. And, you might have to go back and mend some dings or nicks with Bondo, green putty or whatever you use. My wing  roots took at least a week to get things to where I was happy with them. Have fun... Work slow... And let me know how it goes...! 👍

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