I am looking for a 1/72 B-17F Block 75-BO and a Block 80-BO F model. Does anyone know the block number that the Academy B-17F represents? Can someone tell me the serial number for the ‘Fort Alamo’ markings and I can look up the serial number on Joe Baugher’s serial number database. I am trying to model the two aircraft that my uncle flew the most for the 303rd BG, ‘Mr. Five by Five’ and ‘Satan’s Workshop’. Also I am want to build two B-17E’s for the Aleutians: the early remote belly turret and the later ball turret. Does the Academy British E model provide both turrets or the just a ball turret?
I’m sorry to say that I can’t help you with most of what you’re asking for, since I’m not familiar with the Academy kits. If you can find a good picture of the kit built up I can probably tell you what block/manufacter it represents.
I can tell you that Fort Alamo was a B-17F-65-BO serial number 42-9606.
While we’re on the subject, I have some questions of my own. I want to convert either the old Revell F or the Monogram G kits to a B-17F-125-BO, is there a conversion kit anywhere?
Second, are there any decal sheets out there depicting aircraft from the 447th Bomb Group? I’ve always found their markings (yellow tail and two green bands just aft of the waist guns) very attractive and want to build a bare metal B-17G as one of their planes.
There is a decal set from Microscale that has the markings for A Bit O’ lace. I picked them up a few years ago and someday Ill get around to building it. A Bit O’ lace is also on the 2003 FSM Warbird Modeling cover and also has a nice spread in the mag. They list it as a Superscale offering SS48021 Im pretty sure that its out of print.
Satan’s Workshop is a B-17F-75 BO serial# 42-29931 which was ditched on 22 Feb 1944 in th Channel all 10 crewmen perished. (this was found in “Fortress of the Skies” by Martin Bowman & William N. Hess) I did not see anything on ‘Mr. Five by Five’
HTH,
Des, I think that you can use a G model kit as I think it was F Block 100-BO models that started out with chin turrets before they started a whole new G series, as this jives with what my uncle told me about them. A good simple resource that I ought to get as I remember looking at it some years ago is Squadron’s B-17 in Action as it shows drawings of the different blocks.
Academy must have some really screwed up decals as “Fort Alamo”, serial #42-9606 actually belongs to a P-39N-1, not a B-17F. This is according to Joe Baugher’s database of aircraft serial numbers.
Huh. Academy didn’t screw that up, I actually read that on an AeroMaster decal sheet I own that has markings for that aircraft on it.
The aircraft I’m planning on building is “My Devotion”, ser. no. 42-30857. According to what I’ve read only the late Douglas- and Vega- produced F’s had the chin turrets, and all of my references show this particular aircraft as not having the turret. Unfortunately I can’t find any photos of this aircraft anywhere.
Even if I cut out the chin turret mount and filled the gap, it still wouldn’t be an accurate model because the nose glass is shaped differently in F’s and the cheek gun windows are oriented differently.
Now, I wonder, what do I do? If there is no conversion available, I guess I could start with the Revell B-17F and scratchbuild the cheek windows. That wouldn’t be easy, though.
If I’m not mistaken, there were conversion sets put out by Koster Enterprises & I believe Paragon Designs did as well. Think Neil is working on them again.
I think u may be a lttle wrong on that one m8, if memory(old as it is) serve’s me right, the YB-40 B-17 gunship was the 1st to have a chin turret which was incorporated into the B-17G.
TheB-40 were rushed into comat in May 1943 & then by Aug. of 1943 were withdrawn from combat.
The 2nd production of B-17F-1 was converted into the 1st. YB-40 prototype. You may be right. [:)]
Jeebus; It would be nice to see a pic or two of it[:)] Know anyone who’ll loan ya a camera? What Serial Number is it?
And, for anyone who’s interested, the Detail & Scale B-17 has alot of info on the B-17 & YB-17. I have it on my computer in pdf.
