I’ve bben looking into getting my hands on the re-release’d 1/48 texan/SNJ from revell who’s own website shows it on there for a price of $13.95. Well…my hobby shop guy says he cant get till january, so I dont know what to do with that. When I was talking to my LHS guy, I asked if he knew anything about the supposed re-release of the 1/48 B-17F from revell, the old memphis belle kit that goes for crazy prices on evilbay. He said he’s heard about that it IS supposed to be released “next year”. We’ve all heard the rumor’s etc…forever now. So I wanted to find out more about about that texan/SNJ kit and googled revell when I got home and found this on revell europe.
It doesnt show how to order or mention a release date at least as far as I can see. But!!! In the description it says " decals for the Memphis Belle and another USAF version"!!!
Anybody know more about this? I dont want to get too excited but I want it. I wont hold out hope for more interior detail but I can dream.
It’d be nice to have ANY F-model Fort in 1/48th readily availble… But it’ll probably be at Revell-Germany prices as well, so… Reckon I can back-date another Monogram/Revell G, I guess…
Agreed! I’m stumped as to why there is no order info for this kit on this page though. And why it isnt released here…or when.
I’m doing the G to F conversion as well, with 2 F models that I got my hands on. One will be a later F with the bulged cheeks taken from the G model kit. I’m still building the fuselage as well as a G model right now, so we’ll see how it goes. The nose I have (yet to build) will be built from 8 seperate pieces, I’m not looking forward to the work because I’ve never done a major conversion like this, but I’m optimistic. How did you do yours hans?
Granted that isn’t a “for sure” thing until it’s on the shelves, or at least in production again. But I’m happy that there’s a strong possibility on it! I’ve got one in the stash (that I paid about $50 or so for). But at least if it’s rereleased, I can screw up as bad as I want, and not have to worry shelling out a small fortune to replace it!
I know it is kinda a staple with modelers these days, but I really do want “The Belle” sitting on my shelves[:D]
I kept the cheek gun-bulges like you did, 86’d and faired-over the chin turret… If I do it again, I’ll fair over the windows and grind off the cheeks, then re-cut the windows, and “un-stagger” the waist-windows by fairing them over and re-cutting as well… Might have to make a new master for the top-turret and vac-form the earlier version as well… I DO have an old B-26 turret, so a YB-40 isn’t out of the question…
I have the Pro Modeler Fort as well, and I’m thinking about vac-forming a few Cheyenne tails as well… Just in case… I need at least one to make a “Picadilly Lily” from “12 O’clock High” (remeber, she was a G without a chin turret, but had a Cheyenne tail).
Dang, here I was Hoping to put my Kid’s through College with the B-17F’s I have stashed in the closet [sigh] On the Plus Side when it gets rereleased I imagine it will be simmilar in cost to the B-29 .I picked up the B-29 from Tower Hobby for $32.99 [tup]
Having worked with both, even if the Revell F model was available, I would rather convert the Monogram G. I know I would get a nicer result. Unless they’ve changed something, the glass nose on the Revell F is fairly specific to the Belle and any small number of F’s that might have been modified to mount twin machine guns. So you’d still need to convert the glass nose to the more common single .50 mount for the majority of F’s.
Hans…I had a thread up on swanny’s last year asking for junk F model kits and/or parts. A member said he had the forward fuselage of a G from a failed what if build and I could have it. It came in the mail and to my happy suprise it was a F and it had the top turret with it. I took the top turret off, and cut the nose off at the panel line directly in front of the windscreen. Then, cut out the flat cheek windows, cut the lower half of the nose off horizontally, and cut the upper half of the nose horizantly. The G nose got chopped up the same way, I mixed the parts, the astrodome and bulged cheeks from the G, the smaller side windows from the F to put the bulged cheeks in the right location for a F model and the chin turret less lower half of the F nose. 8 pieces in all. Lot’s of cutting glueing and filling to do. I’ll have to get a pic or 2 up here soon.
Hey paul…You are absolutley right!!! I’m hate the nose glass, the G kit is much better as far as detail goes. And somehow I doubt this release will have added interior. As far as the nose glass goes, someone does make a aftermarket F nosecone in 48th, just cant remember who, it was only available in 72nd at the time. I’m gonna check into it more and I’ll let ya know what I find.
The G kit goes for about $30, the cheyenne tail is the last version of the tail guns, the more rounded looking tail, most of the restored 17’s have this tail.
I love all B-17’s but the F is my favorite, look’s cleaner, more streamlined…faster.
Thanks for the info. Yeah, the Fortress is one to admire… To me they’re kinetic sculpture and art deco to the max!
Is there a kit of the real early ones, like before the tail had the giant “buttress” fillet and the tear dropped shaped gun bulges? You know, like the ones that did a “Balbo” over the Italian ocean liner, “Rex”?
Oh hans…if you want to get another cheyenne tail. Use the part numbers from the pro modeler kit and order the parts from revell using the visible B-17 kit number. I did it for the tail and the waist window gun mounts.
Thanks for the info. Yeah, the Fortress is one to admire… To me they’re kinetic sculpture and art deco to the max!
Is there a kit of the real early ones, like before the tail had the giant “buttress” fillet and the tear dropped shaped gun bulges? You know, like the ones that did a “Balbo” over the Italian ocean liner, “Rex”?
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Yes, academy makes a few differant kits but only in 72nd scale. A B, C and D I believe. There is a 48th scale vacform conversion for the old tail the G kit, I think it would work better on the F kit, no chin turret and bulged cheeks to get rid of.
Current Hobby Lobby price is 34 for the Revellogram, I believe. Bought the two Monogram and one Pro Modeler I currently have in stock over 10 years ago for about 24 and 30 bucks, respectively…
B17E-F-Early G tail with the ring & bead sight, and canvas boot: And some actor…
Late G with Cheyenne tail turret and reflector gunsight:
There’s a few warbirds out there with earlier tail, but the majority have the “glassier” and longer Cheyenne turret.
For everyone one else, as I know that Hans knows, but the actor is Clark Gable who flew about 10 missions with the 303rd BG and the 351st BG and made a documentary for the public back home. The tails bolted on and were easy to convert to the Cheyenne tail in the field. The F nose was also used on early G’s until they came out with the shorter version so they could get maximum elevation for the guns. The noses were interchangeable as there were squadron and general’s hacks E models that were given F and G noses. And Boeing F models from block 100 forward carried chin turrets.
