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B-17G Upgrade sets 1:72 CMK From Special Hobby The newly tool B-17 kits from Airfix are vastly improved over what came before. For those modellers who want more then there are plenty of aftermarket sets available including these four from Special Hobby under there CMK brand. Each comes in a plastic blister pack with a car back which also hols in the instructions. Bomb Aimer's Station (7383) This provides for the bomb aimer's station in the nose forward of the cockpit. You get a new bulkhead to separate the two spaces, the bomb aimer's seat, ammunition boxes for the nose guns, and a norden bomb sight. Bomb Bay Set (7382) This is a complete resin bomb bay to fit into the kit. With a curved roof, sides, front & rear bulkheads,interior bomb racks, and bomb bay doors. Engines Port & Starboard (7384 & 7385) These are complete resin engines and cowls with PE. The engines build up from a central hub with the individual cylinders being added along with other parts, rods and the wiring harness. The Two sets only differ by the appropriate cowls for Port & Starboard. Port Stbd Review samples courtesy of

My attempt at the old 1962 Airfix B-17G "a bit of lace" kit, built as part of the radial engines group. I know a lot of people will have fond memories of this old kit and it's artwork, I know that I certainly do. With four new B-17s in the stash I was not looking to get anything accurate, detailed or impressive from this build, all I wanted was a nice neatly built retro looking model of this old favorite. Unfortunately this old kit is an absolute stinker to build, the reason why is because the kits many transparencies are simply the wrong shape and size and do not fit the fuselage. Before beginning the build one of my main hopes was to keep as much of the riveted surface detail as possible, the reality was however a choice between keeping the rivets and the windows fitting neatly, and the windows won. I could of course have kept the rivets on the wings and tail but decided it was better to keep everything looking the same. What you see here is a sanded down finished model with a two tone salt weathered alclad finish. I decided to model "a bit o lace" as it was before it received flak damage to the rudder but with the earlier damage to the port wing. All original parts except a few guns and windows. The last picture is of the Matchbox B-17G kit, which as much as I love Matchbox was another stinker to build thanks to its transparent parts. It is a toss up which is the worst kit of these two kits to build. I am happy enough with the finished builds though.

Hi all, over the last few months I've built the Airfix P-51D and the Revell B-17G in 1/72. These are the first models I've made since I was at school and feel like I've learned some new things along the way both through my own experimentation and from what I've seen on here. I've used airbrushed Tamiya and Alclad paints, an Alclad varnish and thinned oil paints as a wash and for exhaust stains. I'm pretty happy with the results though feel like I could have done a better job with the "basics" on both models, i.e. filling, sanding, the cockpits, etc - I completely stuffed up the B-17 transparencies with a last of coat of varnish after I'd unmasked everything (won't do that again)... I really enjoyed doing the interior on the B-17 and added some more detail like cables, a desk lamp, map, fire extinguishers, oxygen tanks, etc. In the end I couldn't bear to shut her up so have used little neodynium magnets to allow the fuselage to split and go back together, you can see one above the bomb bay. Finally, I also have no idea how to take photos either with my phone or my fiance's camera (which I took these with) - it'd be great if someone could point me in the direction of some tips on taking better snaps. Next up is an Airfix 1/72 Spitfire which is where I started with my dad when I was about 6! Thanks for looking!

While looking over my just-delivered new-tool 1/72 Airfix B-17G, which is an outstanding kit at first glance, I was pondering what schemes could be done with the armament fit provided in this initial release. Along that line, I pulled my well-worn copy of Peter Bowers' Fortress in the Sky to see at what stage in the production process the various changes in the G model took place. Thinking some of you might find the information useful, especially if Airfix had the forethought to engineer the kit for alternate versions to be released later, I have compiled a summary of sorts, listed below. (Other than the vents/fillers for the outer wing 'Tokyo' tanks, a new fuselage and transparency sprue would allow F's through early G's to be built.) I also hope someone can confirm the accuracy of my findings, as I am NO B-17 authority! Mike chin turret- last 86 Douglas-built B-17F's beginning with B-17F-70-DL and all B-17G's regardless of maker cheek guns- done at modification centers after production, beginning with -60-BO, -25-DL, and -35BE staggered waist guns- beginning with -50-BO, -50-VE, and -25DL enclosed radio compartment gun- beginning with -80BO, -45DL, and -25DL radio compartment gun deleted- beginning with -105-BO 43-39206, -75-DL 44-83236, and -85-VE 44-8817 Cheyenne tail turret- beginning with -80-BO 43-38473, -45-DL 44-6251, and -55-VE 44-8287 Whoops- prop hubs are' way too anemic! Please, please, please, somebody in the afterrmarket give us some decent items...why is it that the hubs on almost every 1/72 kit, regardless of type, are underscale? Almost forgot! BO is Boeing-built, DL is Douglas-built, and VE is Lockheed-Vega-built...my mistake!

Boeing B-17G Photo-etch sets, masks, & guns 1:72 Eduard for Airfix kit Front Interior Set This set has both a colour nickel fret and a traditional brass one. Parts are provided for the side panels inside the nose, the bomb-sight & mounts, hatches, machine gun barrels, mounts, ammuntion boxes & feed chutes. Cockpit Interior Set This set has both a colour nickel fret and a traditional brass one. Parts are provided for The front seats & seat frames, cockpit flooring, instrument panels, bulkhead mountings, throttle assembly, rudder pedals, oxygen bottle racks, interior main canopy parts, and various side and interior fixings. Also in the cockpit set are parts for the upper turret, new gun barrels, sighting system and the gunners seat.. Bomb Bay Set This set has two brass frets, and stating the obvious is for the bomb bay. This set enables a complete new interior to be made up for the bomb bay area. Including side panels, the bulkheads, the bomb racks themsleves and hinges for the bomb bay doors. Landing Flaps The landing flap set is just what it says on the packet in that they provide a full set of landing flaps. They are cleverly made in that all the ribs just need to be twisted up into place. There is some kit surgery needed to get them in. Rear Interior Set This set has both a colour nickel fret and a traditional brass one. Parts are provided for the inside fuselage, bulkheads, doors, racks, radio operators compartment, crew doors, crew toilet, hatches, waist machine gun barrels, mounts, ammuntion boxes & feed chutes, and the rear gunners compartment with sight. Exterior Set This set is one larger brass fret. Parts are included for the inside of the engine nacelles, firewalls, cowl flaps and the wiring harness for the engine. The openings in the wing leading edges are replaced as are various grills and hatches.There are brake lines for the main landing gear and new wheel hubs. New ends are supplied for the turbo chargers and new external aerials are included. Seatbelts This set provides full harnesses for the Pilot and Co-pilot and lap belts for the other crew positions . These are the new flexible thin steel type. Masks This set provides masks for all the glazing and wheels. Conclusion The Airfix kit is a great kit but these new sets from Eduard will bring it to another level. Recommend. Review samples courtesy of

B-17G Engines/Wheels/Turbochargers 1:72 Eduard Brassin (For Airfix Kit) These new sets are for the new Airfix 1/72 B-17G. Wheels Set (672120) This set contains both main wheels and the tail wheel in resin along with a set of painting masks. Engines Set (672131) This is a comprehensive set to replace all four main engine units for the B-17G, included are engines with seperate nacelles and cowling flap rings. There are 24 resin parts and photo-etched details. To build these up first the wiring harness is applied to the engine, and a front PE ring as well which has to be bent from straight rod. Two seperate resin parts are then added to each engine front. The exhaust ring is then added to the rear of then engine. The cowl flaps are then added to the rear of this assembly. The engine is then added to the wing. The nacelles can be added over the engines as needed. Turbochargers (672133) This 6 part resin set replaces the prominent turbocharges on the B-17. Conclusion Whether you use one or all of these sets the results should be an improvement over the kit parts. All are of the consistent high quality we now expect from the Brassin range. The casting on the engines is particularity good. Highly Recommended. Review samples courtesy of

The waiting is almost over. The new Airfix 1/72 B-17G kit arrives today so get your orders in now. The kit is available at our usual discounted price of £27.99. We will also have the kit with us on our stand at Scale Models World Telford next week -if there are any left!

Attached are a few pictures of my recent model - the B-17G-40-DL ”Flying Fortress” A/C # 44-6117, LG-Q 'no name' from 322BS / 91BG depicted as it may have looked during its fifth and last mission on 21st June 1944. The bomber crashed on 21st June 1944 in Stolsko lake, Ger. name - Schlosssee, (near the place where I live in Szczecin, PL), where most of its wreckage remains until today. Source information about the aircraft and its crew: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/15193 Source information about 8th Air Force activities on 21st June 1944 - very interesting!: http://www.8thafhs.com/old/get_one_mission.php… It is likely that the wreckage will be salvaged next year and displayed in a local history museum. Example site with information + pictures about the aircraft (in Polish): http://lotniczapolska.pl/B-17-Latajaca-Forteca-z-Jeziora-St… I have built this model on request of a local Internet TV portal for divers, but also because I was very much inspired by the story of the real aircraft. To detail the model I have used resin engines, propellers and main wheels, vacu glazing, brass barrels as well as bits and pieces from various Eduard PE sets. The major modification is the tail turret, which I have borrowed from the 1/72 Revell kit. The model is painted with Alclads on Tamiya gloss black base. I have retained the original raised panel lines to achieve a specific look of a new bare metal aircraft without camouflage. I also attach a compilation of the existing pictures of the real aircraft for reference. I am going to show this kit to the public at E-Day model show in September and hopefully on SMW exhibition in November this year. Thanks guys for watching!

Hi everyone. This is the old Academy 1/72 kitset. It's spent the last 10 years of it's life on the shelf of doom. So whilst it's not my best model, it's off the shelf and finished, which I'm pleased with. I've done heaps of scratch building and modifying on this model, including: Scratch built rear fuselage interior Custom positioned figures in each station Quickboost engines, which I've put ignition harnesses on each engine Plunge moulded plexiglass front nosecone. Custom made decals (thanks Peter Mossong) Vacuum formed ball turret- complete with figure inside Detailed guns with sights Shallowing out the dihedral on the wings, which is a known issue with the Academy kit Scratch built leading edge intakes, as they are excluded on the kit Hollowed out gun barrels Hollowed out exhausts Enjoy, Regards, Alan

Finally finished third piece of this Revell gift set. I think now i will take a break from airplanes for a few years, and focus on ships, haha. I won't write much about this model because I really debated with myself should I put pictures of it, because it is very bad with a lot of mistakes. I studied some real photos of this plane, but at the end i decided not to follow color scheme and made it by my taste Thank you, and until my next model

US Legends: 8th Air Force Gift Set Revell 1:72 Neither the 8th Air Force nor the aircraft contained in this gift set need much of an introduction. The B17, P47 and P51 have all earned their place in history through the hard graft that both they and their crews performed in the face of daylight combat with Axis forces over Europe. The 8th Air Force was born in 1942 and soon after started operating from UK soil on missions over Europe with the B-17’s and later with B-24’s. Missions in late ‘42 and ’43 shown the vulnerability of unescorted bombers despite the fact that the aircraft bristled with defensive armament. The aircraft that were available as escort simply didn’t have the range to protect the bombers across the full mission, leaving them exposed over the most dangerous legs. The P-47 started to escort bombers in August 1943 and eventually equipped the 4th, 56th and 78th Fighter Groups, however despite admiral capability for such a large fighter at altitude, it still couldn’t support the bombers to the target. Initial Merlin powered P-51’s came to Europe initially with the 9th Air Force so it wasn’t until December 43 when they were available to the 8th. The impact of the P-51 was immediate. The bombers now had an aircraft that had the range to escort the heavy bombers right to the target and back. In fact, the P-51 could fly as far on internal fuel alone as the P-47 could with drop tanks fitted. Bomber and fighter crews referred to each other as ‘Big’ and ‘Little’ friends respectively indicating the huge respect that they had for each other. The 8th Air Force continued pounding German targets across Europe right until the end of hostilities in Europe. The kits I wasn’t sure what to expect when I opened the box of this gift set, but sure enough, the B-17G is the newest release. Initial inspection shows all three kits to be of pleasing quality, recessed panel lines, plenty of detail and a beautiful decal sheet. Given the price of this set, it is quite a bargain and I’m sure will appeal to beginners and experienced modellers alike. Included in the box are the three kits individually packed, a single decal sheet and a single A4 instruction booklet using clear monotone line diagrams and paint instructions. Revell have also included a set of paints, glue and paint brushes ideal for beginners venturing in to the plastic kingdom. B-17G I’m not going to review this kit as it was reviewed here on Britmodeller by Paul, so instead, here’s a LINK Needless to say though, in summary, it is a great kit, filled to the brim with detail both internally and externally and very well engineered which Revell have excelled at in recent years. There are some imperfections however. The canopy area can be questioned if you have a love affair with the old Fort, the panel lines are somewhat excessive and the clear nose cone looks thicker than the real thing! As the decals contained in the kit are of the infamous ‘A bit O’ Lace’, I’m also including a link to a stunning build by Roman Schilhart from 2013 HERE to put my comments above in to perspective Or if you want to go in a different direction as Paul our reviewer did, take a look at THIS P-47D This is the P-47D-30 that has been around for a few years, but not previously reviewed on Britmodeller. I did some research to see what has previously been said about the kit and found some criticism of the shape, notably the belly being too deep, wing chord too wide at the roots and the undercarriage being too short. To check this, I compared the main parts against profiles in the Squadron publications and come to some different conclusions. Obviously, there can be errors in the profiles, so I’m only indicating my findings, certainly not trying to create argument. From the profile comparisons, I believe the belly to have the right depth, however the rear under fuselage is somewhat anaemic, lacking the full extent of the curved profile but correct at the tail. The wing roots appear to be correct in chord width for a ‘D’ model, but much like the lower fuselage, the trailing edge isn’t as curved as it should be, giving a slight chord error most noticeable mid-way along the wing. I never checked the length of the undercarriage, but believe the legs are too short making it difficult (or impossible!) to fit the large belly tank. With the accuracy issues out of the way, let’s turn to the build. Assembly is quite traditional, starting with the cockpit interior. The parts are supplied on 4 silver grey sprues contained in one plastic bag. There are signs of flash in places as seen in the pictures, but nothing of major concern. Detailing of the cockpit is effectively done, more than enough detail for what can be seen once the fuselage is joined up. Moulded in detail includes the panel instruments, cockpit side walls and seatbelts. The aerial mast has to be fitted before the fuselage can be closed which is a bit of a pain if you are clumsy like me and prefer to leave the sticky out bits until last to avoid the obligatory break! A decision needs to be made at this point whether you intend to have the undercarriage raised or lowered. If raised, you need to fit the rear gear bay doors before closing the fuselage up. Surface detail on the fuselage is nicely done with recessed panel lines and rivet details. Next are the wings. A straight forwards stage. Again, detailing is nicely done with recessed surface details and framed wheel bays looking great in 72nd scale. The engine has individual banks of cylinders and gear box that are to be mated together on assembly. There is some fine flash on the gills that will need some delicate tidying up, but overall, the shape looks well against the drawings I used for comparison. The undercarriage wasn’t neglected when the detail fairy at Revell did her stuff. The inside of the gear doors is very well done which will come out well on a panel wash. The doors are moulded as one per side for the option of having the gear retracted, however a cut line is provided to separate them for having a lowered configuration. Just be aware of the legs being too short and the impact this will have on an unloaded stance. Extending the length of them would be fiddly but possible with the careful use of brass and plastic rod. An option of belly or wing fuel tanks is provided as well as bombs for the wings. As mentioned previously about the undercarriage, dry fitting will be necessary to determine what is possible if you haven’t addressed the length of the gear legs. The canopy is designed to be sliding using a clever feature of the internal frame that locates within the guide rail on the back of the fuselage. Whether this is useful or better off chopped to allow the canopy to be simply dropped on will be of personal choice. P-51B Again, the kit is supplied win one plastic bag containing but only 3 plastic sprues, this time in dark green. Again, detail is comparable to the P-47. I’ve read of quite a lot of criticism of this kit in terms of accuracy, so again, I compared the main profiles with drawings from the Squadron publications to form my own opinion. I found the fuselage profile to quite accurately match the drawings, obviously, what this exercise doesn’t do is reference the curvatures around the fuselage. Indeed as already known, comparisons of the wing profiles show the root leading edge extensions to be wrong in that they aren’t tapered enough. Again, traditional construction techniques mean that we start with the cockpit. Detailing is on par with the P-47, although less will be seen due to the canopy design being more restrictive than the ‘D’ model with its bubble canopy. Surface detailing on the fuselage is crisp, with cockpit sidewall detail for the interior and fine recessed panel lines and rivet detail for the exterior. The seat has moulded in seatbelts too. Obviously, we can debate the visibility of panel lines and rivets on a 1/72 scale P-51, but personally I believe that they add to the kit in the way Revell have produced them. The exhausts are added to the fuselage from the outside which means they can be fitted after painting. Prior to closing the wings up, choose if you will hang anything off the hard points. If you do, then the relevant holes need to be opened up. The carburettor and supercharger intake have separate one piece moulded parts to prevent an unnecessary join from being on view. A separate supercharger exit door for the lower rear fuselage is also provided allowing you to choose the position that you want to assemble it in. The wings are well detailed including beautifully moulded gear bays. As with the P47, the gear doors provide single parts for each side allowing for ease of assembly in the retracted stance, but with a clear cut line to open them up if you want the gear lowered. The propeller is a slightly more complicated affair due to individual blades, so extra care will need to be taken on assembly. Armament options are 75 gallon drop tanks or rocket launchers, again detailing is nicely attended too. In terms of moulding quality neglecting the accuracy issues discussed, the only real let down in the kit in my opinion is the canopy. The plastic is rather thick, coupled with quite a complex shape, can numb the scale representation down quite a bit. If there is a vac form replacement available, you may want to consider this as an option to do the kit justice, possibly with the panels opened to show off the interior detail. Decals The gift set has a single decal sheet for all three kits contained. Typical of Revells quality as of late, they are beautifully printed with excellent register and colour richness. Stencils for each aircraft are also included, so don’t think that any compromises have been made in producing a gift set. Schemes provided are: B-17G-40-VE: 42-97976 ‘A Bit O’ Lace’, 709th BS, 447th BG, Rattlesden AB, April ‘45 P-47D-30-RA: 42-28382 ‘Ole Cock III’ Major Donavon Smith, 61st FS / 56th FG, ‘44 P-51B: 43-6506 flown by Major John Bennet 487th Fighter Sqn, 352 Fighter Group, Bodney AB June ‘44 Conclusion If you look for faults with any of these kits, you will find them. Some issues are more noticeable than others, I for one dislike the overly thick moulding on the nose cone of the B-17 (fortunately, vac replacements are easily available) and the panel lines a bit excessive. Fixing the leading edge extensions on the P-51B or the rear belly on the P47 is going to be much more difficult if you would bother to attempt it, however I believe that this set delivers huge value for money and hits its target market perfectly. All kits can be built with pleasing results from the box. As a kid I was inspired by the kits I built which fuelled my interest in aviation, and I’m sure this gift set has that same potential for budding young modellers today. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit

Argh, I've just taken all the masking off my B-17G only to managed to slightly push in the side gunner windows and also have the ball turret mount come loose inside the fuselage! Anyone got any ideas or tips how to fix things?

Just finished this one. Revell's excellent Pro Modeller 1/72 B-17G. Marked as "Nine O Nine" from the 91st Bomb Group. She survived 140 missions, but sadly did not survive Kingman, AZ. Hope you like her.

Hi Guys I have heard about this in the pipeline but this is the first time i've seen pictures. She looks a beast. http://www.themodellingnews.com/2013/03/now-this-is-large-scale-modelling-folks.html Sorry if this has been posted before...

B-17G Replacement Main Wheels for the Revell Kit 1:72 Eduard Brassin The B-17G released by Revell last in 2011 (see Paul’s review HERE) has been generally welcomed by the modelling community, although there are some things that fall behind earlier kits in terms of finesse, It’s packed full of detail making it great value for money. Naturally, it’s been a target for aftermarket producers to exploit. Brassin B-17G Wheels The kit wheels are quite mediocre, so these replacements are most welcome. Moulded in light grey resin, the tyres are supplied as separate parts from the hubs which makes painting easier. Detail in the hubs is stunning, there really is a huge amount of fine detail moulded into them. They are supplied attached to backing plates, so a razor saw should help to cut them away. The tyres are equally well moulded with a tread pattern and brand lettering around the tyre walls. They aren’t flattened so you may want to sand a flat onto them if you prefer this look. Conclusion These are a great enhancement over the kit parts. Looking at the Revell B-17F kit, they should suitably replace them too (which I will be doing !). They are a simple swap, so apart from cutting the hubs away from the backing plates, no fancy skills are required. Review sample courtesy of

The big show here in Gothenburg was this weekend, and i managed to get this done on friday, with 14hrs to spare! Whew! And with that, on to the pictures: Paint is a combination of Tamiya, Xtracrylix and Lifcolor, markings from Kits-World and the box, since Kits-world have no stencils or Stars'n'Bars. Overall a fun build, but now i'll have a lie down before I start next years challange.