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1/48th Boeing B-52H Stratofortress


tomprobert

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I would have to think about scrounging an engine's details from another 1/48th jet fighter kit and duplicating them by casting my own copies.

 

I've taken the measurements of the intakes and am going to pop by a hardware store on the way home from work tomorrow... I'm after some plastic pipe of the right diameter to act as the intake trunking - the kit's white metal fans will then be inserted. 

 

That's the plan anyway - providing I can find a close enough match in piping. If not, a rethink will be needed.

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I've taken the measurements of the intakes and am going to pop by a hardware store on the way home from work tomorrow... I'm after some plastic pipe of the right diameter to act as the intake trunking - the kit's white metal fans will then be inserted. 

 

That's the plan anyway - providing I can find a close enough match in piping. If not, a rethink will be needed.

 

Plastic pipe, or I would look at thinner-walled copper pipe, or literally making a cylinder out of thin plastic by curling it around a rod, etc.

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I'm looking forward to this! It's gonna be epic for sure.

 

Looking at the diameter of the intakes, I guess perhaps grey plastic electricians pipe might have the right size for these. I think they come in at least two different diameters and cut off's are not that hard to come by and it very workable with epoxy glue.

Though copper of brass will equally work. But givven your expertise on vacu-builds, I'm sure these won't be an obstacle for you. (Your Lancaster to Shackelton build is a true inspiration for scratch- and vacubuilders)

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Evening all  :)

 

Kits of this nature mean that intake trunking is always a problem - here you can see that when the fans are placed in position in the forward nacelle, they are left hovering in open space, quite unlike the real aircraft:

 

39112502525_93266950fd_z.jpg

 

So, I've been experimenting with some plastic pipe of the correct diameter, and once I'd cut it to the correct length I glued it to the nacelle fronts (after opening them up of course):

 

28231478859_bc68b946dc_z.jpg

 

And the result is not too bad at all - once they've been blended in with some filler I think I may have a passable solution to the intake problem:

 

25139600967_7a7edd1299_z.jpg

 

Now I need to consider a similar solution to the exhausts... and then repeat the process three more times.

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

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Well, if your Shackleton's anything to go by, this looks like it'll be an epic model too.

 

Funnily enough, the engine pods were where I stalled with my attempt at a B-52H in 1/100 scale, I think.

 

At the front inner intake there are louver arrangements corresponding to the outer blow-in doors, and then there's that strut array at the rear of the by-pass cowl, separating it from the actual engine cowl. Along with various other vents and louvers. After tackling the first pair, I sodded that for a game of soldiers and awaited resin replacements rather than do three more. I don't know if they ever came or went, but I never noticed any

 

One thing I would strongly recommend is to replicate the intake fan behind the leading stator vanes. It'll look much busier. It looks like they only supply the stator ring (16 blades, should be 28), so the fans would need sourced, maybe a fan face from a 1/72 scale kit would do.

 

Here's a couple of pics to help you along, and perhaps clarify my ramblings. And should you go all-out, the stencilling reads "COWL ANTI-ICE OVERHEAT THERMOSWITCH" at the sides and "COWL ANTI-ICE TEMP SENSOR" at the top.

 

40074135051_ffb9507f3d_o.jpg

 

39363234704_cd251b9282_o.jpg

 

26200936198_a1f75c78f8_o.jpg

(not my photos)

Edited by Chek
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  • 2 weeks later...

Evening all  :)

 

Kits of this nature mean that intake trunking is always a problem - here you can see that when the fans are placed in position in the forward nacelle, they are left hovering in open space, quite unlike the real aircraft:

 

39112502525_93266950fd_z.jpg

 

So, I've been experimenting with some plastic pipe of the correct diameter, and once I'd cut it to the correct length I glued it to the nacelle fronts (after opening them up of course):

 

28231478859_bc68b946dc_z.jpg

 

And the result is not too bad at all - once they've been blended in with some filler I think I may have a passable solution to the intake problem:

 

25139600967_7a7edd1299_z.jpg

 

Now I need to consider a similar solution to the exhausts... and then repeat the process three more times.

 

Until next time,

 

Tom

 

I agree that this is a good solution.

 

If you can somehow replicate the series of "louvers" inside the intakes from scavenged photo-etch or similar (as per the photograph of the real engines) you'd be golden.

 

Looks good as is however.

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