I saw a picture yesterday of a B17D being shipped to the Wright Patterson Airforce Museum for a complete restoration. This kinda important as it was about all we had after Pearl Harbor. Anybody up for a Colin Kelly build?
gary
I might if I could get everything needed to do the conversion. I have the revell F model in the stash.
I have been working on two 1/48 B-17Ds (converted from the Monogram B-17G) and also a 1/48 B-17E (made from the Revell B-17F) Converting the bombers is a large task especially when adding interiors to them as well.
The plan was for each bomber to have its own base for a diorama series set in the Pacific. The B-17Ds would be staged in 1942 while the B-17E would be set in late 1943.
As of now each base has been built and two of the three bombers are close to being closed up. I may or may not build the second B-17D becuase of the huge ammount of work and effort the frst one took, we shall see though.
VA
I know theres a “C” model in 1/72 scale, aas well as a “B”. So I imagine there’s a “D” out there.
gary
I’m pretty sure Academy has the “D” in their line up somewhere back in the day.
The B-17C/D that you mention, I believe, is the “Swoose” which is an actual survivor of the Philippines in 1942. It became a general’s personal aircraft in the Pacific. It contains parts of three B-17’s. It used to belong to the Smithsonian collection, I believe. Academy does make a 1/72 B with the original gun position parts and parts for the upgraded C/D posiotions. It also makes a C/D model in 1/72. It contains the parts for both models. The big difference between C and D is that the D model has cowl flaps and the C does not. You can upgrade it using the cowlings from an E model. You can’t use an F/G cowling because the cowlings were shortened to allow for the paddlebladed props.
I’ve been looking for the “B” kit for quite awhile. See lots of “G’s”, but the “B” and an “F” are high on my list of B17’s. Have the “C” kit and a couple “G’s” from Academy, and they don’t look like bad kits. Also have several of the Academy B24 kits, and still looking for two others (M and another J) Another one high on my list of kits to find is the B24 named “Lady Be Good.” Still I guess that if I built all I wanted to build I’d have to add another room onto my place just to show them! (let alone the time to build them all)
gary
Note: I just looked at my B17C (Academy/minicraft), and it dosn’t have the parts in it to convert it over to a “D” model. My “G” is a Hasegawa, and the molding quality looks to be very close between the two of them. Guess I can now for sure add the “D” to my want list!
glt
I can appreciate the early versions quite a lot. And some of you guys have built some magnificent models of them. They’re very interesting and it’s pretty neat there’s some under construction here!
But this has inspired me to build my 1/48 “G” as a very LATE war example. It’ll be an adventure in natural metal finish! I want my Fortress to be part of the mop-up operations that pummled the declining German war machine into a landscape that resembled the Moon!
The swoose is a survivor from all over the pacific, she really does have colorful history. She was at the smithsonian in a back storage area in pieces rotting away, she’s been moved to wright-patt for full restoration as she is the only example of that particular model left. She has parts from plenty more than 3 b-17’s.
The engine cowl’s on the F/G models was shortened to the paddle props to be feathered.
I don’t want to build any of the academy B-17’s, I only build in 48th scale, more details. Koster has a vacform kit but I dont know everything that comes with it so I dont know if EVERYTHING is there to do a full conversion from the F to a D model.