B-52G - upgrades, updates, pylons, racks, adapters
solving the mystery of the "mess" the USAF did to us

I would like to help you (and myself too ;-) building this "beast", here is the chart of pylons, adapters and racks and how they are going together:

Plane typePylonAdapterRack
    
ALCMALCM  
ALCMAGM-28I-BEAM2 x MER
"777" / non-ALCMstubHSAB 
And now a small explanation:

ALCM planes with ALCM pylons
- 7 planes only, they were part of operation "Secret Squirrel", the only ALCM attack using AGM-86C missiles with conventional warhead.
- maximum loadout of ALCMs under the wings is 12. Drawing only - each wing ALCM pylon + 6 x AGM-86C
ALCM planes with AGM-28 pylons + I-BEAM + 2 x MER-1-6/6A
- those are the "long" pylons, with I-BEAM adapter and two attached MER-1-6/6A racks.
- maximum loadout is 24. Photo 1 - each wing AGM-28 pylon + I-BEAM + 2 x MER (12 x Mk.117)
"777" and non-ALCM planes with "stub" pylons + HSAB
- those are the "short" pylons, with HSAB adapter. The HSAB is used for heavier weapons.
- maximum loadout is 18. Photo 1 - each wing "stub" pylon + HSAB + 9 x M117

Number of positions for bombs:
MER - 6
HSAB - 9

During their life all B-52Gs had various types of updates and upgrades.
I will try to describe various updates/upgrades and "lumps and bumps" they carried during the time.

1/72 kit from Italeri (ex AMT/Ertl)

Review in german: HERE
Review in english: HERE
Review in english: HERE ("H" version - a lot of parts is same, more pics of sprues)
Built "H" for inspiration: HERE

Kit has recessed lines. Some sources say that the fuselage is too "boxy", that is better to take Monogram "D", rescribe and use Cutting Edge conversion sets (if you can find them, as they were released for just a moment and went OOP).
Sources say that the engine pods are underscaled, they are included in the Buff Master Design set no. BMDR72001.

How to make a Gulf war Buff using kitīs and aftermarketīs decals: (VAR means variants decribed below)

Kit decals:

58-0183 "Valkyrie" - SAC camo - ALCM pylons + AGM-86C ALCM missiles - buildable from kit - VAR 1
58-0185 "El Lobo II" - SIOP camo - ALCM pylons + AGM-86C ALCM missiles - buildable from kit - VAR 1
59-2582 "Grim Reaper" - Mono camo - ALCM pylons + AGM-86C ALCM missiles - buildable from kit - VAR 1
58-0177 "Pettie 3rd" - SAC cam - ALCM pylons + AGM-86C ALCM missiles - buildable from kit - VAR 1 (NOTE: Decals included in the original AMT issue no. 8625 "B-52G Late")

Aftermarket decals:

Almark Decals - 58-0195 "Eternal Guardian" - SAC camo - "stub" pylons - VAR 3
Wolfpak Decals - 58-0173 "Letīs make a deal" - SAC camo - AGM-28 pylons - VAR 2
Cutting Edge - 58-0183 "Valkyrie" - SAC camo - ALCM pylons + AGM-86C ALCM missiles - buildable from kit - VAR 1
Cutting Edge - 57-6492 "Old Crow Express" - SAC camo - AGM-28 pylons - VAR 2
Cutting Edge - 58-0164 "SAC Time" - SAC camo - AGM-28 pylons - VAR 2
Golden Dragon - 57-6475 "Miami Clipper II" - ??? camo - ALCM pylons + AGM-86C ALCM missiles - buildable from kit - VAR 1
Golden Dragon - 58-0238 "Miss Fit II" - SAC camo - ALCM pylons + AGM-86C ALCM missiles - buildable from kit - VAR 1

VAR 1 - In case you want plane with ALCM missiles loadout:

- no problem, everything is in the box
+ you have to add 31 vortex generators (on each wing) to upper side of the wing leading edge just between fuselage and inner engines pod PICTURE

VAR 2 - In case you want conventional loadout with AGM-28 pylons + I-BEAM adapters:

a) bad luck, not possible for just OOB
b) try to get "D" kit from Monogram, which has AGM-28 pylons + I-BEAM adapters (also has M117 bombs)
c) try to get "G early" from AMT (without EVS bulges), which has AGM-28 pylons
d) try to scratchbuild AGM-28 pylons + I-BEAM adapters by yourself
+ you have to add 31 vortex generators (on each wing) to upper side of the wing leading edge just between fuselage and inner engines pod PICTURE

VAR 3 - In case you want conventional loadout with "stub" pylons + HSAB adapters, you have two choices:

1:
a) start with the "H" kit from Italeri, which has no "wing root extensions" - they were added for ALCM-capable planes only
b) get engines for "G" version (Cutting Edge, DB resins, or the ones now available from Buff Master Design in set no. BMDR72001, the engines in "G" kit are underscaled)
c) get new decals (only available from Almark Decals for 58-0195 "Eternal Guardian")

2:
a) start with "G" kit, but you will have to cut out and rebuild the place where you remove those "wing root extensions". Not so easy task and who knows how the wing-to-fuselage joint will be strong
b) get Buff Master Design set BMDR72010 which has two HSABs
c) try to scratchbuild "stub" pylons + HSAB adapters by yourself

You can get MER-1-6/6A multi-racks from various kits or from set from Hasegawa (X72-1)
You can get bombs again from kits or from various Hasegawa weapon sets

Tips and tweaks:

- instructions says you have donīt have to use the tail extension - not true, it is part of "Phase VI" update and was retrofitted to all B-52Gs who served in Gulf war
- typical "wrinkled" surface is missing on the fuselage parts
- "NACA" intakes on left and right side of the fuselage are only shown by raised panel lines - sand down and scratchbuild new
- missing aircondition exit on the left side of the fuselage just behind the pilotīs window
- Pitot tubes (lower) and AOAs (upper) on both sides of the fuselage are too thick - removed them and rebuild from scratch
- "bulge" with AN/ALQ-172(V)1 antenna has "too pointed" tip, must be more rounded
- gear bays are missing some cables
- outrigger doors too thick - scratchbuild new or sand them down to 50%
- squared antenna on the side of the vertical tail looks too thick to me, sand it down a bit
- EVS pods do not fit well, use some CA glue to fill the gaps
- big problem is with the "wingbox" for fuselage-to-wing joint - if you will build it from the kit, the wing will look like in inflight position. It is necessary to cut and "tweak" that box, see this pic: Picture The result is, when you glue it all together, the outrigger gear legs should touch the ground
- missing or not-to-scale antennas all over the fuselage - remove them and scratchbuild new
- missing stiffener just above the "bulge" with AN/ALQ-172(V)1 antenna, in the kit it is shown by raised line only - use thin plastic strip to correct it
This is not the complete and last version of this document. I will work on it and tweak it, I am planning to add drawings of various antennas and progress pics.

Sources:

Internet
Fine Scale Modeler 12/2002 - build of B-52H from Paul Boyer
Aerofax Datagraph No.7
Squadron Signal - Walkaround No.6
Squadron Signal - Detail and Scale No.27
Squadron Signal - In Action No.23
Squadron Signal - In Action No.130
Crowood Aviation Series - B-52 Stratofortress
Warbirds Fotofax

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So, notes from the build:

I started with the tail section - glued the halves together + added the parts which Italeri marked as "unused" - the fit is not so good.
It is necessary to putty the joint, remove all the panel lines (which is mostly fictious) and rescribe it (panel lines + antenna covers).
There is a step on the fuselage - made by two-part mould of the fuselage (read above). Necessary to remove it and sanded off completely. It is marked here with the red line. Picture
Remove the marked part of the stiffener plate above the AN/ALQ-172(V)1 antenna. Picture
Small NACA intake is awful, rebuild it, same as the aircondition exit. Pitot tubes are a joke, rebuild it completely froms scratch. Picture
Two bigger NACA intakes are also awful, rebuild it, same as the other aircondition exit. Picture
Red line indicates the two-part joint on the fuselage, sanded flat. Picture
Stiffener plates for the emergency ejection seat covers are also awful, rebuild it. Picture