JCF’s Junque Closet of the Fantastique

[jcf]

As it sez junk and sech with pretentious spellings. 
This'll be a repository of various bits n pieces, including
progress on old stalled projects. Way too many of those.


Quick n' dirty B-52 re-engining, 1/200 Dragon B-52H, old 1/200 747-400 pre-built
cheapo display model.

[zenrat]

 

[NARSES2]

I have often wondered why nothing like that has happened in the real world (or what passes for it) ? Although I seem to remember reading of a plan to replace the existing engines with 4 RR RB-211's which were to have been leased ?

[kerick]

There have been many plans over the years for reengining B-52s. More than could possibly be included in a post like this. The reason/excuse for not doing it seems to boil down to the fact that the Air Force has truck loads of spare engines in the supply chain. Some sort of economic reasoning involved I don't get. IIRC the technical issues might be costly but could be overcome. Then of course there is politics involved.

[kitnut617]

I like that Jon   

The plan I have for one of my 1/72 B-52's is to put just two GE90's on it, plus a different wing

[Rheged]

There have been many plans over the years for reengining B-52s. More than could possibly be included in a post like this. The reason/excuse for not doing it seems to boil down to the fact that the Air Force has truck loads of spare engines in the supply chain. Some sort of economic reasoning involved I don't get. IIRC the technical issues might be costly but could be overcome. Then of course there is politics involved.

I think that the main objection to refitting with  R-R engines is that they are not born and bred in the US of A. Most Americans I know regard this as a  silly idea, but the politicians.......................!

[kerick]

There have been many plans over the years for reengining B-52s. More than could possibly be included in a post like this. The reason/excuse for not doing it seems to boil down to the fact that the Air Force has truck loads of spare engines in the supply chain. Some sort of economic reasoning involved I don't get. IIRC the technical issues might be costly but could be overcome. Then of course there is politics involved.

I think that the main objection to refitting with  R-R engines is that they are not born and bred in the US of A. Most Americans I know regard this as a  silly idea, but the politicians.......................!

I'm trying to remember off the top of my head but there were a couple of different engines suggested including I believe CFM 56s.
Here is an article on the latest effort.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2017/12/22/air-force-solidifies-options-for-b-52-engine-replacement/

Looks like they still want the eight engine layout to keep from having to redesign the pylons and parts of the wing.

[rickshaw]

There have been various plans to replace the engines on the B-52s.  Most have been foundered on the idea that the retirement of the aircraft was "just around the corner, so why bother?"   Last year was the most recent IIRC.  The cost is another factor - there are simply hundreds of B-52s in service, replacing all their engines would be an enormous cost, again on an aircraft about to be retired.

I suspect my grandchildren will still be reading about the B-52 long after I am gone.  It just keeps on going.  Rather like the Canberra in that respect.

[zenrat]

"Not invented here" can be a powerful argument.  Especially for politicians.

How close are the bottoms of those engines to the floor Jon?

[Dizzyfugu]

 


1:200 Boeing B-52K 'Stratofortress B.I', "ZA447/(AJ)G" of  Royal Air Force 617 Squadron; Waddington, England, 1999, during 'Operation Allied Force' (Whif/Dragon kit conversion) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[jcf]

"Not invented here" can be a powerful argument.  Especially for politicians.

How close are the bottoms of those engines to the floor Jon?

Too close. 
I didn't bother making the pylons shallower, and I mounted the inboard
engines where the bomb/missile pylons go. I like the exaggerated arrow
look it has now.

Anyhow it's going to be part of an art piece, so any considerations of real
world functionality are being willfully ignored.

[jcf]

Nice Buff dizzy. 

[jcf]

Testing some new to me artist's spray paint, Sugar, an acrylic that uses a water and
alcohol mix, very faint odor, heavily pigmented, medium pressure can, sprays on fairly
smoothly, not dusty with minimal overspray, dries quickly with a semi-matte finish.

I've done one test of a neutral gray (Decay on the colour chart) on a Pegasus 1/18th
V1 paint test mule, it's a combination of styrene and ABS plastics so makes a good test
subject. I sprayed the test last night, I'll do a sanding test next.
I'll keep folks posted.

It's a product of Australian company AVT in Brisbane:
http://avtpaints.com/
http://avtpaints.com/product-ranges/avt-paints-art-materials
http://sugarartistsacrylic.com/about-sugar

http://avtpaints.com/downloads/tV98pOeDYE_20151015_Sugar_DL_ColourChart_OCT15.pdf

[zenrat]

"Not invented here" can be a powerful argument.  Especially for politicians.

How close are the bottoms of those engines to the floor Jon?

Too close. 
I didn't bother making the pylons shallower, and I mounted the inboard
engines where the bomb/missile pylons go. I like the exaggerated arrow
look it has now.

Anyhow it's going to be part of an art piece, so any considerations of real
world functionality are being willfully ignored.

Art is good.  Sometimes you just have to build to the aesthetics and not the engineering.

Sugar looks promising.  The price seems good.  I await your report on sanding.

[jcf]

As far as the RB211 re-engining was concerned it was cost rather
than "not invented/made here" as the R-R Allison division has
produced major RB211 components in the US for a long time, and
I'm sure that if such a re-engining had gone foward they would have
happily set up a full assembly line at Allison for the program.