Dr Strangelove Tribute!

[Alan P]

Hi folks,

I was messing with this idea for a while and I have finally broken ground on the project! I'm trying to capture the legendary scene where Major Kong has successfully repaired the bomb doors and plummets groundward riding the bomb in the climactic scene of Stanley Kubrick's Dr Strangelove (1963).

I watched the film and although they used two distinct models (a D and an H) the main scenes clearly feature a B-52H as would have been the case around 1963-4. I'm starting with the Italeri kit (re-boxed AMT):

I'm also using the Buff Master Designs' backdate set to represent an early model B-52H, and also because it addresses the major shortcoming of the kit which is the woefully undersized engine pods and fan sections.

As it is posed inflight, the wings need to be curved upward towards the tips - this was achieved relatively painlessly by using a vice and supergluing while it was bent into position. I then reinforced the joins with liquid cement.

The other big barrier and working point for this diorama is the fact that the AMT kit has no bombbay, so that will need to be built from scratch. I removed the bomb doors using UMM designs razor saw, 5 minutes work, easy!

Other bits to chop off were the rear section, as the early models did not have the 40-inch plug aft of the stabilizers. The BMD set provides a new aft section which fits very nicely.

The front also needs to be modified to remove the EVS fairings and other lumps and bumps. Again, the BMD set includes parts for this.

I will also need to scratchbuild the nukes and of course the cowboy/pilot figure. I think this will be a very good mid-to-long-term project to test my skills out!

All the best,

Al

[Mike]

Should be fun. Some good work already on show...

[Fmk.6john]

"Now listen here Batguano! if that is your real name!!!!"

Dr Strangelove has to be one of the best and funniest films about the cold war, I like this idea Al and the attention to detail so far is impressive.

Will be keeping an eye on this one.

JB.

[Mike]

I've never managed to watch more than a few minutes of it myself... another case of diff'rent strokes, I guess?

[Troffa]

I've never managed to watch more than a few minutes of it myself...

Probably just as well, we don't want just anybody seeing "The Big Board"...

[T-Tango]

I remember the film well, look foreward to watching this thread.

[general melchett]

Great idea Al,and wonderful film, one of my all time favourites...plenty of cold war pathos and irony....just got to love Sellers as Mandrake.......

Nice start on the awful old AMT 52 especially the woeful engines...good luck with keeping the thing from flexing all over the place!

Alclad at the ready eh!!

Edited August 22, 2009 by general melchett

[Andrew Jones]

I like the idea, looking very good so far ,but where are you going to get a 1/72 scale Slim Pickens from.

[PHIL B]

Great idea from a great movie. One of my favourites in fact.

I like the start you made. Definitely one to watch.

Phil.

[marty_hopkirk]

Good call, along with 2001: A Space Odyssey, Strangelove is probably one of the best films ever made. They just both happen to have been directed by Kubrick. Arguably Strangelove is Sellers finest moment, Sellers was also due to play the part of Mjr King Kong as well.

There is an interesting anecdote and myth about the B-25 model used in the film. The tales goes, Kubrick was on the back-lot of Sheperton after the filming had been completed, when he spied the model being taken towards another sound stage. Kubrick allegedly did not want products of his work demeaning by being re-used in other films mindful of the B Movie syndrome.

To prevent it being used on other films Kubrick ordered it to be destroyed. He is further reputed to have done the same with the 2001 models, none are known to exist. Although, there were tales that the Smithsonian made efforts to acquire them. In recent years photographs of the model of Space Station V have surfaced of it outside a tip [in a state of considerable disrepair] in Hertford - circa the early '70s - suggesting some 2001 models did survive for a while, or the Kubrick edite, was not a stringent as has been suggested.

There is a great 2 DVD set of the movie produced as part of the Reel Collection, that has a shed load of extras [including the DVD's being presented int two mock canisters of film] and superb remaster of the movie, further more its out on Blu-ray soon.

there are some great lines in the movie, my favourite are: "you will answer the Coca Cola company for that.."," its difficult to judge, before all the facts are in but it looks like Gen Ripper has exceed his authority"

Marty...

Edited August 23, 2009 by marty_hopkirk

[T-Tango]

The thing I remember best is Sellers with his uncontrollable arm doing the Nazi salute.

Edited August 23, 2009 by T-Tango

[Fmk.6john]

there are some great lines in the movie, my favorite is: "you will answer the Coca Cola company for that..."

Marty...

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here, this is the war room!"

The best moment in the film for me though has to be the phone call that the president has to make to the Russian president to tell him they have accidental ordered the strike, only to find the Russian president is rather drunk and having a party!!!, pure comic genius.

JB.

[marty_hopkirk]

The movie was supposed to have ended with a giant custard pie fight in the War Room, even though it was filmed, Kubrick decided to cut at the eleventh hour. The ending of Kong riding the bomb was a last minute replacement. The original opening was to have extraterrestrials looking down on earth, but that bit was not filmed.

The production team did not get any help from USAF on the internal layout of the 52 cockpit.

Marty...

Edited August 23, 2009 by marty_hopkirk

[PHIL B]

Thanks for the insights Marty. Great stuff.

I love the idea of the Doomsday Machine being kept secret until Premier Kissov's birthday because he loves surprises. I wonder how often that kind of thing happens in the real world...

Phil.

[marty_hopkirk]

Even though the producers of the movie got no help on the internals of the '52' from official sources, such was the accuracy - after the theatrical release, they got a letter from those official sources reminding them they hoped they got information from legal origins. Even though the set was produced from scraps of photographs then in the official domain and the rest invented. Tribute, really to Kubricks fastidous eye for detail that would come even more so on his next movie the epoch 2001.

There are a couple good stills of the bomb as part of the extras on the DVD, not sure the bomb is a accurate as the internals of the '52'.

Marty...

Edited August 25, 2009 by marty_hopkirk

[general melchett]

There are so many great lines that it's hard to pick out the best, but here's a couple of my favourites,

''He said war was to important to be left to the Generals. When he said that, fifty years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, communist subversion,........................................ and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. !!!''

Guano:

I said, put your hands over your head......... What kind of suit you call that, fellah?

Mandrake:

What do you mean, suit? This happens to be an R. A. F. uniform, sir. And I am Group Captain Lionel Mandrake.....

Mandrake:

''Now look, Colonel... Bat Guano, if that really is your name,??''

When George C. Scott fell over in the War Room, it wasn't in the script, but Stanley Kubrick decided it was in character, and left it in.

[Alan P]

marty_hopkirk said:

There are a couple good stills of the bomb as part of the extras on the DVD, not sure the bomb is a accurate as the internals of the '52'.

The bomb is pure invention. It bears no resemblance to any of the nukes in use during that era.

I think the closest match for shape is the Mk.17 (early 1950s vintage) but the nose section is completely different

[general melchett]

It looks more like half a TF 33-P3 from a B52H to me Al !!! The Mk 17 was could only be carried by the B-36, and then only after modification, was the biggest air dropped nuke they had, I think a 52 would have struggled with it!!

The MK 15 was around at this time, I know it's a bit on the small size but it does come with a Slim Pickens look alike ready for mounting!!! ,

And then there was the MK 39 which looks a lot more like the film version,................... if you stand well back and squint at it for a long time !!

Makes you laugh , in the brochure for the MK 39 it says....''The MK39 was designed to be very safe, reliable, and simple to use.''

Like they're selling washing powder!

The thing they use in the movie looks more Polaris/ poseidon size......but then I guess hard info was rather limited during the Cold War period.

Edited August 26, 2009 by general melchett

[marty_hopkirk]

The thing they use in the movie looks more Polaris/ poseidon size......but then I guess hard info was rather limited during the Cold War period.

Kubrick had zero help from official sources - remember, the movie was in production at the same time as the Cuban Missile crisis.

Marty...

[Old VG 33]

Hi

This is really an interesting subject.

I can understand that the Italeri engines are undersized.

I've just bought the Italeri B-52G and I suppose this is not the same.

I'm looking forward.

Patrick

[keefr22]

Makes you laugh , in the brochure for the MK 39 it says....''The MK39 was designed to be very safe, reliable, and simple to use.''

Andy, where the hell did you get a "brochure" for a MK39 nuclear weapon........

Back to the thread;

Never realised the engines for the AMT kit were that puny! Looking forward to watching this one progress, it's a great idea!!

Keef

[marty_hopkirk]

I think this is more urban myth, than true - but the story goes: when Regan was first elected he asked to see the war room. He was told there was not one. But he replied he had seen it ion the Strangelove thingy.

Its a real tribute power and influence of the movie and Ken Adam's set designs in particular - filming in black and white was a master stroke.

Marty...

Edited August 28, 2009 by marty_hopkirk

[general melchett]

Patrick, the engines on the Italeri/AMT G model are correct as they are the J57 version turbojets with the smaller casings, unfortunately the H's TF-33 turbofans are too small and need replacing with the BMD set.

Keef, evrything military of this period that had a market had a brochure....even thermo nuclear devices it would seem.....

The 'rooskies' were trying to flog similar 'artifacts' at the 1963 and 1967 Tushino shows, all in nicely printed glossy format, they even came with a nice big shiny Bear with which to drop them!!

Edited August 28, 2009 by general melchett

[zero]

Well having read the thread a couple of times as it grown, I walked in to Boarders (local book shop/coffee house) and blow me Dr Strangelove was sitting on the shelf for a fiver (I had to buy it didn't I!)

As far as I can remember I've never seen the film all the way through, but as a child I remember a film about an atom bomb, and peanut butter, so I'm wondering if this was it.

Anyway good luck with the B52 build, I'm off to hopefully see the vulcan at Silverstone (as long as my boys get back from camp before it goes!) going to be close.

Dave

[marty_hopkirk]

Well having read the thread a couple of times as it grown, I walked in to Boarders (local book shop/coffee house) and blow me Dr Strangelove was sitting on the shelf for a fiver (I had to buy it didn't I!) Dave

The 2 DVD remastered set is sublime.

Marty...