Boeing B-54B, the Half-Way Bomber

Gondor · March 17, 2023, 05:11:57 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 17, 2023, 02:48:42 AMLike a push-pull arrangement?

I like the idea but it won't work with the engines on pylons as the rear props would dig holes in the win fuel tanks.

Noooo, I was thinking of just swapping around the clockwise and anti-clockwise propellers on each engine, very subtle and probably will not make a difference as it's not a Tu-95 or Tu-142. Pointier prop covers would help change the look as well.

Gondor

PR19_Kit · March 17, 2023, 10:53:03 AM

Well I built the bomb load.

The 'Fat Man' bomb is impressively large, it almost fills the bomb bay area of the B-29, but Trumpeter seem to have mis-moulded it a bit. No matter how you fit the multi-finned tail to the bomb it doesn't align with the location for the bomb slip lug. I've sorted it, but it's good that'll be way up inside the bomb bay where it's difficult to see.

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Comparing the Bear with the B-29, it's astonishing quite how big the Bear is!

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But the quality of moulding is like chalk and cheese. The Bear has quite large sprue gates which go right over the glue faces, which makes removing them a tad complex as it's only too easy to chop off the location pegs at the same time, they're almost always right next to a sprue gate!

I'm a few location pegs short by now as I've glued both halves of both Bear fuselage halves (Keep up at the back there....) together, but haven't glued the left and right halves together yet as there's some sawing to do first....

Here's the B-29 fuselage taped up for sawing. It's amazing quite how much of the B-29 shape still exists in the Bear, the taper of the rear fuselage is IDENTICAL!

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Gondor · March 17, 2023, 11:08:14 AM

Your starting to make me want to get a Tu-95 in 1/72 even though I had decided it was too big. Think I shall keep that option open untill the Scottish Nationals to see if I can pick one up there at a less wallet straining price than I have seen so far on the web.

Gondor

Wardukw · March 17, 2023, 12:11:19 PM

I've never really bothered to check about the size differences between the 95 and the 29 and we've always knew the 29 was a bloody big plane but compared to the 95 ..damn!
Kit take a pic with the wings cause I'm being nosey now

Thr more you put pics up of this epic build the more I want both models now...the 29 is like a hundred bucks here ..the 95 ..umm glup!!!
Also I've got no place to put either anyway ...but temptation

PR19_Kit · March 17, 2023, 12:32:25 PM

Your wish is my command Phil.

Here's all, well, some, of the components of the build all in one shot.

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Wardukw · March 17, 2023, 12:48:33 PM

Hahaha seems my commands were met nicely

Thanks mate ..that wing is as long as thr 29s fuselage..now imagine if the 95s wings were straight with zero sweep..bloody hell that would be huge for 72nd..now imagine it in 48th

Gondor · March 17, 2023, 12:59:46 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 17, 2023, 12:32:25 PMYour wish is my command Phil.

Here's all, well, some, of the components of the build all in one shot.

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That's a great picture to show off the differences in aerodynamics between the two aircraft.

The bomb bays of the B-29 are either side of the wing which is the centre of lift where as on the Tu-95 the bomb bay is behind the wing to fuselage join due to the sweep of the wing and the shift in the centre of mass in relationship to the centre of lift.
To help balance out the position of the wing in relation to the centre of lift, the fuselage needed to be extended. The wings are longer too because the lift/drag ratio has to change in relation to the sweep of the wing which was done to increase speed by raising compresability.

I think $:-\$

I am sure those who know more will correct me if I am wrong, which there is a strong posibility of

Gondor

PR19_Kit · March 17, 2023, 01:04:08 PM

And you thought the Tu-95 was long?

Here's the tape-up of the B-54B's fuselage.

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OK, so I've got to get rid of the B-29's wing root and that plug-ugly bulge forward of the Bear's wing, but that's nothing unusual. Although the rear fuselage taper is identical in both aircraft it's at a different angle on each, so the rear fuselage cut has to be at a slight angle to get things looking right.

I've NO idea where I'm going to put it though................

Gondor · March 17, 2023, 01:09:39 PM

Peggs in the wall that are longer than the undercarriage length and some, so that you can hang it on the wall as if it had landed on the wall!

Gondor

McColm · March 17, 2023, 02:52:19 PM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 17, 2023, 01:04:08 PMAnd you thought the Tu-95 was long?

Here's the tape-up of the B-54.5's fuselage.

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OK, so I've got to get rid of the B-29's wing root and that plug-ugly bulge forward of the Bear's wing, but that's nothing unusual. Although the rear fuselage taper is identical in both aircraft it's at a different angle on each, so the rear fuselage cut has to be at a slight angle to get things looking right.

I've NO idea where I'm going to put it though................

I wonder if that would work with the wings from the B-36?

Gondor · March 17, 2023, 03:16:05 PM

Quote from: McColm on March 17, 2023, 02:52:19 PMI wonder if that would work with the wings from the B-36?

The fuselage diameters would be too different to be able to do something simmilar. That is unfortunate as it would be interesting to see the B-36 wings with the nose and tail of the Tu-95

Gondor

PR19_Kit · March 17, 2023, 04:27:21 PM

It's going to have the Bear wings, which is why I've left their wing roots on the main fuselage.

They may be modified somewhat, but the basic structure will be the Bearwings.

Wardukw · March 17, 2023, 08:33:53 PM

Ya know Kit I had no idea where or what you were going to do with this build.. I bloody well know now

Damn mate if it got any longer you wouldn't need to take off to bomb anyone..that plane would already be there

zenrat · March 18, 2023, 03:20:28 AM

You are of course extending the wings...

...and your house so you can store it when finished.

PR19_Kit · March 18, 2023, 06:12:52 AM

Quote from: zenrat on March 18, 2023, 03:20:28 AMYou are of course extending the wings...

...and your house so you can store it when finished.

Actually I didn't plan to, the Tu-95 wings are VERY long anyway, but it depends on the look of the whole assembly when it's taped up. They may need some extensions just so the proportions look correct, we'll see.

As for the house, NO chance, but I'm in the middle of a big 'clear-up' campaign so some space may re-appear.