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GWH 1/144 B-52H 20 BS, Barksdale AFB, 1995


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My subject is B-52H 60-0057, photographed at Barksdale AFB in May 1995:

 

60-0057-5-4-95r.jpg

 

The obviously weathered and mismatched paint really caught my eye, and after some digging I determined that this appearance was in large part a function of the consolidation of the B-52H fleet following the closures of Carswell and KI Sawyer, as well as the realignment of Fairchild.  Furthermore, the primary camouflage color was changed from FS 36081 to 36118 for the B-52 and B-1B fleets during this time, also contributing to the mismatches seen in the photo. 

 

0057 departed depot in early May 1991 with a new coat of overall FS 36081 and was assigned to Carswell.  In November of 1991, she moved up to Minot, resulting in the overspray of Carswell's markings with 36081, which is apparent on the upper portion of the fin where the 'Fort Worth Texas' stripe with the steer head was, and also on the nose in at least 3 places. 

 

After the conversion from SAC to ACC in June 1992, she received the ACC-style unit markings of the 5 BW, including the 'MT' tail code and the 'candy-cane' tail stripe.  She then moved to Barksdale in October 1994, where the Minot markings were oversprayed with FS 36118, evident in the photo at the top of the fin, underneath the 'LA' and beneath the Louisiana state silhouette on the forward fuselage. 

 

Also visible on close examination are the MRT antenna fairings on the fuselage top and sides in 36118, which contrasts with the 36081 because MRT was a field modification in the 1995-96 timeframe.  The engine inlets appear to have been touched up at some point with 36118.

 

I decided to test my painting skills by recreating this bit of B-52 lore in 1/144 scale.

 

Nice kit, great fit and good detail.  Just a few accuracy/shape issues, the most significant being the tip gear struts are too tall and/or the wing droop is overstated, I trimmed 3/16" off the top of the struts.  The kit GPS antenna seemed oversized to me, so I made a replacement with two discs of .01" styrene.

 

Decals are a mix of Caracal, Fox One, and kit.  First experience with GWH decals, they were well-printed and performed well.

 

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And just for fun, posed with a Barksdale KC-135Q...these jets would have just missed each other on the Barksdale flightline, as the KC-135s were gone by Apr 1994, and 60-0057 was still at Minot until October.  KC-135 also shows evidence of the jet/unit/command shuffles of the early to mid 1990s.

 

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Thanks for looking-
Chris

Edited by Gator52
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Chris,

Beautiful combo build here!  Glad to see my Barksdale tailband made it onto your KC-135Q.  I plan on a similar one myself.  I love the splotched paint job on both kits.  As you say, that era produced some quick unit changes and over sprays which you have captured beautifully.  

The GWH B-52H is WAY better than the older Revell B-52H.  The cockpit, flaps, engines, bomb bay, and pylons are all nice features and you have done a beautiful job.  Hmm, what to do with my 4x Revell B-52Gs and 7 Hs?  Maybe kit-bash some straight wing Gs, but I may build a few Hs also.  

Okay, I need to get cracking!  Thanks for motivating me!

Kind regards,

Dutch

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Thanks to all for the kind comments!

 

Dutch, I also have a sizable stash of Revell kits in both G & H flavors.  Assuming no other ALCM-modified G kits come along, I will use a couple for ALCM subjects.  The Hs will likely become donors for tail guns and possibly the aft ALQ-117 antenna fairings to aid with backdating the GWH or possibly Academy H-models to late 80s/early 90s configuration.  I think the Revell main gear wheels are still the best, so might try those on Academy/GWH kits.

 

One potential clarification for the overpaints; it is possible she received this version of the Minot tail markings when she first moved up north from Carswell, prior to the swap over to ACC.  I haven't seen a photo to confirm, but it is consistent with the overpaints evident on the tail.  In other words, up to 4 distinctly different unit markings in less than 4 years!

 

Chris

 

Edited by Gator52
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  • 2 weeks later...

I guess you could say it knocked me off the fence then...! I’ve got the Academy kit arriving any day now... it’ll spend some time in the stash, but I got it..!  (And I’ve been making such good progress reducing my stash..! 🤨🙄)

 

And yes, more 135 pics would be great Chris....!

Edited by bluedot25
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As requested-

 

---------------

KC-135Q 59-1470 in the summer of 1993:

 

https://www.airliners.net/photo/USA-Air-Force/Boeing-KC-135Q-Stratotanker-717-148/2579627/L?qsp=eJwtjEEKwkAMRe%2BStS5K0UV3egFdeIGQfLS0OmMmYIfSuxsHd4/34K0k6eVY/FYzaKACNnnQjjIbPwsNK02on2QaTJPsu/7wjlyS%2BbmGUnacRJAd%2BvcXU9gvoUg73ePcBcCujak/htex5JnbA87jTNv2BU46LqA%3D

 

I find the transitional period from SAC/TAC/MAC to ACC/AMC fascinating, as many units were inactivated or changed aircraft/missions during the early to mid 1990s, which resulted in some very short-lived markings on much of the USAF heavy fleet.  Part of what drew me to this subject was the obvious overpaints of the previous SAC-era markings, plus the relatively unique fighter-style ACC markings on a tanker.

 

Minicraft kit OOB except for the antennas on the forward fuselage.  Decals are a mixture of Caracal 144004, the spares box, and custom decals printed by Speedway Decals for me.

 

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2 hours ago, Dutch said:

Does the tail screw jack come in the kit, or did you scratch build it yourself?


One comes in the kit Dutch.... but I don't know if it looks as good as the one Chris has... his might be a scratch built one...

Edited by bluedot25
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Tom. I agree. It's been so long since I've been in my Minicraft KC-135 boxes, I hadn't noticed.  I am ploughing through several Revell 1/139 KC-135A & E-3A AWACS kits cut down to C-135 size and all they included is that silly little Y prop cart. 

 

Chris, It looks really good.  In fact, I am slightly jealous!  One technical question. When the bomber / tanker fleet moved to ACC, and the ACC emblem moved to both sides of the tail, did they place two Wing badges on the nose, one on either side?  At some point it changed to Wing badge on one side (right?) and Squadron badge on the other (left?), ala the 22nd ARS, 366th WG KC-135R we corresponded on earlier?

 

Keep up the great work!

Dutch

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That is the stand from the kit, only mod was to thin the base a bit.  Glad they included it, as I failed to adequately weight the nose!

 

Dutch, based on the photos I've seen, the unit markings post-1992 varied widely by base and timeframe.

 

Barksdale went with the wing emblem on both sides of the nose for both the Shamu KC-135s & B-52s.  The B-52 sq flagships also had the squadron emblem on the nose for a brief time around 1995.  11 BS had it on the left, and 20 & 96 BS put it on the right!

 

Dyess Shamu tankers, at least while still assigned to 96 WG, had either the wing on both sides, or sq on the left and wing on the right, I've seen both in photos.

 

Minot went with sq on the left and wing on the right, which they continue to this day.

 

Griffiss placed a large, full-color sq emblem on the right side under the cockpit, and later went to the wing emblem on both sides instead.

 

Fairchild & KI had ACC on the right and wing on the left, which AMT represented in the initial release of the late B-52H.

 

Variations existed with the units as well; some of the jets from KI & Fairchild retained the ACC emblem on the right side of the nose for a while even after they transferred to Barksdale & Minot.  Some jets didn't have any command or unit emblems on the nose.

 

Chris

Edited by Gator52
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Funny... I never really noticed that jack stand in photos before, but now I see it everywhere in photos of -135s..!

 

And I might be using it too... I’ve got two -135 builds nearing the finish line, and for the life of me I can’t recall if I put weight in the noses..! (They were both started outside the span of my aging memory!) Won’t know for sure until I get them on their wheels!

Edited by bluedot25
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  • 2 weeks later...

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