B 52 with sensible engines

Started by Rheged, June 10, 2011, 05:23:59 AM

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Rheged

My younger son has been given a tatty old B 52 kit  in an unmarked poly bag, half built, of no known scale or manufacturer . Several pieces are missing. He has the idea of producing a      4 Rolls Royce Trent engined aircraft in R A F colours.   I seem to recall reading  that  USAF had considered such a re-engining. Has anyone attempted this sort of thing  (at 12inch to the foot scale or as a model) ?  May I call upon those here assembled  to add their advice, suggestions etc to assist him in his task.


Added later......measurements taken of model and compared with the data on the real thing......a scale of 1:183.56  seems to be about what we have here. 
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you....."
It  means that you read  the instruction sheet

Hobbes

There have been various B-52 'Old Dog' conversions, these usually entail an engine swap. A search for "old dog" will turn them up.

Rheged

Quote from: Hobbes on June 10, 2011, 07:21:01 AM
There have been various B-52 'Old Dog' conversions, these usually entail an engine swap. A search for "old dog" will turn them up.

Much obliged!!
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you....."
It  means that you read  the instruction sheet

PR19_Kit

Quote from: Rheged on June 10, 2011, 05:23:59 AM
......a scale of 1:183.56  seems to be about what we have here. 

Ah yes, the ever popular 1/183 scale.  ;D

There's so many aftermarket accessories available in that scale you'll be spoiled for choice........  ;)

As I recall the USAF idea was to use 4 x CF6 turbofans, but I bet the ground clearance for the outboard engines would have been tight! Maybe some 1/200 scale engines from a Hasegawa DC10 or A300 might do the job?
Kit's Rule 1 ) Any aircraft can be improved by fitting longer wings, and/or a longer fuselage
Kit's Rule 2) The backstory can always be changed to suit the model

...and I'm not a closeted 'Take That' fan, I'm a REAL fan! :)

Regards
Kit

albeback



;D This may not have been a sensible project but, I did one to 1/72 scale!! 6 x CFM -56 engines. 4 of these were salvaged from the wreck of my KC-135R model! The other 2 were obtained from the Flightpath CFM-56 conversion set. Ground clearance not a problem. However , the USAF had a proposal to re engine the B-52 with 4 x Rolls Royce RB-211 engines. If you can get hold of a set in either 1/144 or 1/200, they might fit the bill?
Loves JMNs but could never eat a whole one!!

Hobbes

BraZ do the RB.211 in 1/144, and many other engines as well.

kitnut617

Quote from: Rheged on June 10, 2011, 05:23:59 AM
Added later......measurements taken of model and compared with the data on the real thing......a scale of 1:183.56  seems to be about what we have here. 

My PAK-20 book says there is/was a 1/196 scale one (made by Charmore [and I've never heard of them]), and the only other kit close to what you have measured it to is the Dragon 1/200 kit, which was reboxed by Italeri and Testors.  I've got a 1/200 scale B-52 in the stash but I thought it was done by RoG, I'll have to dig it out sometime and have a look.
If I'm not building models, I'm out riding my dirtbike

Rheged

Quote from: kitnut617 on June 10, 2011, 08:51:29 AM
Quote from: Rheged on June 10, 2011, 05:23:59 AM
Added later......measurements taken of model and compared with the data on the real thing......a scale of 1:183.56  seems to be about what we have here. 

My PAK-20 book says there is/was a 1/196 scale one (made by Charmore [and I've never heard of them]),

This one is made of filthy grey plastic with  moulding flaws all about it (unless the average B 52 has uneven sized potholes in the outer starboard wing.  It could allegedly be 1/196 but if so it's nowhere near accurate.  He was given it by an elderly lady clearing out her son's old grot from the attic, and I know the bloke in question is in his late 40's. If we can make anything of it, we will; otherwise it will be reduced to scrap..........but maybe there's a diorama in the scrapping of it!
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you....."
It  means that you read  the instruction sheet

Steel Penguin

how abought olympuses in 4 twin mounts?  Zoooooooooooooooooooooooooom
the things you learn, give your mind the wings to fly, and the chains to hold yourself steady
take off and nuke the site form orbit, nope, time for the real thing, CAM and gridfire, call special circumstances. 
wow, its like freefalling into the Geofront
Not a member of the Hufflepuff conspiracy!

GTX

All hail the God of Frustration!!!

scooter

DoD report here.  Its dated 2002 and, as far as I know, HQAF has decided not to proceed.  Because they want to spend all their money on flashy new toys.  :banghead:
The F-106- 26 December 1956 to 8 August 1988
Gone But Not Forgotten

QuoteOh are you from Wales ?? Do you know a fella named Jonah ?? He used to live in whales for a while.
— Groucho Marx

My dA page: Scooternjng

Rheged

Quote from: Steel Penguin on June 10, 2011, 01:39:59 PM
how abought olympuses in 4 twin mounts?  Zoooooooooooooooooooooooooom


AAAGH! 8 Olympus 593s at full blast.The wings would be doing Mach3 at 90,000 feet whilst the fuselage sat at the end of the runway wondering where the rest of the plane had gone. Agreed the Olympus is a sensible engine (it must be as it has the  confidence-inspiring letters R-R on the nacelle) but in the words of a certain Star Trek engineer "Captain, the ship canna tak ony mair o' this!"
"If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you....."
It  means that you read  the instruction sheet

GTX

Quote from: Rheged on June 11, 2011, 01:11:36 AM
it must be as it has the  confidence-inspiring letters R-R on the nacelle

Tell that to QANTAS Flight QF32... :rolleyes:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

scooter

Quote from: GTX on June 11, 2011, 12:18:20 PM
Quote from: Rheged on June 11, 2011, 01:11:36 AM
it must be as it has the  confidence-inspiring letters R-R on the nacelle

Tell that to QANTAS Flight QF32... :rolleyes:

Dunno...the RB211s seem to be reliable enough. Continental hasn't had any complaints with their 211-powers 57s, that I've ever heard about
The F-106- 26 December 1956 to 8 August 1988
Gone But Not Forgotten

QuoteOh are you from Wales ?? Do you know a fella named Jonah ?? He used to live in whales for a while.
— Groucho Marx

My dA page: Scooternjng

McColm

Great model,
hmm I wounder if I could use turboprops instead? (sort of alternative to the Tu-95 or Tu-142 'Bear')