1/700 Boeing B-52D Stratofortress 'Buff' - 3D Printed - Vietnam!

Description

NO RESERVE. We're offering here a beautifully detailed Boeing B-52 Stratofortress model that has just come out of the 3D printer! The legendary B-52, still in service today, over sixty years after it first entered operational service with the U.S. Air Force, is one of the most versatile and successful aircraft in aviation history. Originally conceived as the replacement for the Convair B-36, with a long-range, high altitude, free-fall nuclear delivery mission, the B-52 has adapted to ever-changing technological and political conditions, assuming a wide variety of tasks and requiring tactics unforeseen by the engineers and airmen responsible for its design and procurement back in the late 1940's. The D-model was the most produced B-52 variant (170 built) and it was the core of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) fleet in the late 1950's, later carrying the burden of the conventional bombing campaign in Southeast Asia. When it became clear that the Vietnam Conflict was going to be a protracted affair, it was determined that the older B-52Ds would receive the 'Big Belly' modification which increased the internal weapon load from 27 to 84 500-lb (or 42 750-lb) bombs and with an additional 24 500-lb (or 750 lb) carried on external wing pylons for a total payload of 108 bombs (54,000 lbs.), more than 3 times that of a World War Two B-17G.
These first saw service over Vietnam in April 1966, originally flying 10-12 hour missions from Guam and later from bases in Thailand. The Vietnam War culminated with the so-called Eleven Day War, or Linebacker II, a concentrated bombing campaign against previously off-limit military targets in the Haiphong-Hanoi area of North Vietnam from 18 to 29 December 1972. During this period, a force of B-52Ds with a few Gs flew a total of 729 sorties against 24 target complexes, delivering 15,000 tons of bombs. Fifteen B-52s were lost to the surface-to-air 'SAM' missiles launched at some of the most heavily defended targets in the world and, anachronistically, at least three MiGs were destroyed by B-52 gunners (two more were claimed but not confirmed). Just twenty-seven days after the final Linebacker II mission, the North Vietnamese signed the peace accord which ended American participation in the War.
Pit-Road issued a 1/700 injection molded models of the short-tailed B-52G and H but we think that this is the first model of a Vietnam-era B-52D ever produced in this scale. The detail of the 3D printed model offered here compares very favorably with the very fine Pit-Road models and it doesn't require any assembly. We've posted high resolution photos so you can judge for yourself. The B-52 is, of course, a HUGE airplane and even in 1/700 scale, the size of the model is impressive with a wingspan of over 3 inches . While photography of these little gems is a challenge for our equipment and limited skills, check out the large, well proportioned model including the fuselage with detailed canopy, that massive tail and even the tail guns; the swept wings with pylon-mounted engine pods and bomb racks complete with twenty-four bombs.
The surfaces of the model are not perfectly smooth (3D printing is done in layers) but the plastic used can be sanded and painted much the same way you would handle resin or styrene. The models may still have some powder and oil-like agent on them that ca to be easily removed by washing in warm water with a drop of detergent added to it. While the landing gear is represented in the retracted in-flight position, it should be fairly straight forward to add photo etch parts for a "gear down" rendition, perfect for an air base diorama.
This superb big-bellied, tall-tailed B-52D 'Buff' model should be a welcome addition to any wargamer's or 1/700 modeler's collection, particularly those interested in Vietnam War bombing operations . Please take a look at the other 1/700 scale aircraft models that we have on auction as well. We're always happy to combine shipping for multiple purchases to save whenever possible. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions whatsoever.