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Wolfpack Design is to rebox the 1/72nd Academy B-17 as Boeing B-17C Flying Fortress - 80th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor - ref. WP17212 Sources: http://www.wolfpack-d.com/catalog/htm/wp17212.html https://www.facebook.com/wolfpackd/posts/341193617814034 1/72 B-17C Flying Fortress (Premium Edition Kit) Sprue parts by Academy Plastic models, 2 A/C markings for the USAAF during the Attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7 1941. Decal Printing in Korea Canopy Masking seal included, A4 8 pages color printing manual included Box art V.P.

Available 2Q 2013 - ref. 01E04 - Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress Source: http://www.pacmodels.com/news.php And in German langage (HK Models .de page???) and not yet available in the homepage English version, the first testshot - not prototype - pics! Wingspan: 78,79 cm, Fuselage lenght: 98,80 cm... Don't forget HK Models has a 1/32nd Avro Lancaster and a Gloster Meteor IV in project... V.P.

Hi All, As a kid I always wanted the Airfix “Lace” but the nearest I received was their B-24J ( which went together well as I recall. As an early teen in the mid-seventies I first came across Hasegawa at the Model Engineer Exhibition (at Wembley then). I was blown away by the detail (and price) compared to what I was used to. So I only built some of their lovely early US jets which seemed fantastic. I don’t recall seeing the larger kits, though obviously they were around as the kit for this GB is in an A.A.Hales Ltd boxing; the importer of that time. Hasegawa Fortresses seem quite common at shows nowadays, this was £15 which seems to be the going price. I know there’s newer kits by Airfix and Revell, but I expect this one will be more straightforward to build. Hasegawa’s artist was no doubt influenced by Roy Cross… Hopefully all the parts are present, it seems so but I will need to replace the 50cal barrels with wire! My plan is to build OOB, I need to decide whether to reposition the starboard waist gun as “Lace” had the earlier fuselage with opposing positions and this kit has them staggered. Either way my plan is to replicate her well-rogered appearance in the famous colour photos. On that subject, Hasegawa have correctly shown Ms. Lace as a scarlet woman, rather than Airfix’s demure bride! Cheers Will

TANKER E61 TB-17G N3702G in 1:48 (Revell 85-5600) Photo Credit: Steve Williams via Airliners.net It's been a long time coming and I'm way overdue at my bench but this past Christmas Santa left a Revell 1:48 B-17G Flying Fortress under the tree for me. I'm not much for building OOB so started looking for an interesting subject to build. I will be finishing the kit in litho for a NMF and want to do some scratch-building as well. Thus I started looking for a B-17 converted for air-attack or aerial fire-fighting. After a few days of poking around the web and collecting photo references I settled on former USAAF s/n 43-38635 Boeing B-17G-90-BO (TB-17G) N3702G Tanker E61. I plan on fabricating the replacement tail cone where the Cheyenne turret had been installed, rework the interior and scratch-build the borate tank(s). I'm not going overboard on the interior as the point of this exercise is to build the tail, tanks and finish it all in metal -- rivets and all. My work schedule often gets in the way so I will do my best to update this project as much as possible. Thanks for stopping by. May the building begin... Cheers! PR

Greetings Friends! Here is my latest model completion... The HK Models 1/48 B-17F Memphis Belle... What a kit! It took me full time 3 weeks to build this! I had 2 weeks off between jobs which helped! This is basically OOB with the only changes being the excellent Eduard 'Look' Instrument panel and pilot seat belts. The other change related to decals. The Kit comes with excellent Memphis Belle decals by cartograph. However, the insignias are not properly drawn. The Star was not symmetrical! I substituted kits world Insignia and used the rest of the excellent stencil kit they sell for B-17F's. Otherwise kit decals were great! I attempted to paint it like it appeared in the US Bond drive where there are many photos of all angles of the Belle. The appearance changed a little, and at some point the ship got a repainted or new vertical fin. There are some airframe patches around the plane that I tried to replicate. The paint is Gunsie Mr. Color, Olive Drab C12 and Dark Green C302. The Underside Grey is Testor's Model Master AMC Grey. I hope you like it and leave comments... Hope you guys try and tackle a B-17 in 1/48! Last one I did was the Monogram in the 1970's! It's like a rite of passage for a modeller! I found out after it was done, that it doesn't fit in my display case! I will have to get a new bigger case for this one!

Ho, ho ho, this is the HKM B-17 G in 1/48 ….it’s a marvelous kit and an enjoyable built. It’s a little bit pity that one can’t see all the interior when the model is finished. But nevertheless you can get a good impression how the crew must have felt when they were on their missions. The only things that I replaced where the resin tires from eduard and the machineguns from Mastermodel. Airbrushed with Gunze Superfine Silver 2 ( extremely nice stuff) and some Alclad metals. enough waffling hope you have fun regarding the pic’s. have a nice Christmas time! Andy

Boeing B-17 Wheels Rhomboid Tread (648645 for HKM) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. As is now usual with Eduard's smaller resin sets, they arrive in the new shallow Brassin cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags, and the instructions folded around acting as padding. One bag contains three wheels on their own pour blocks, plus two more blocks with four hub parts that are added once removed from their blocks. The tail wheel is a separate part, and all three have a slight flat at the bottom to represent the weight of the airframe on them. All wheels are incredibly detailed from tread to hubs and sidewall contours, with manufacturer and stencil data in raised writing, all perfectly crisp and legible. In addition, a set of kabuki tape pre-cut masks are included (not pictured) for all three wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation cleanly with little effort. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-17 Wheels Oval Tread (648644) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set includes seven resin parts for the two main wheels and the tail wheel, with two pairs of separate hubs on their own casting blocks. Also included is a set of pre-cut kabuki tape hub/tyre masks (not pictured) to cut the demarcation with ease, and once liberated from their casting blocks the hubs are inserted into the keyed depressions in each side of the wheels, and then are a drop-in replacement for the kit parts. You might also notice that the wheels have been cast with the raised maker’s marks and type stencils in different places on each side, so that when in place on the model they won’t line up. That all helps with realism. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Boeing B-17F/G SPACE 3D Printed Sets (3DL48020/21 for HKM) 1:48 Eduard The Eduard SPACE sets use new 3D printing techniques that lay down successive layers of different colour resin, creating highly realistic almost fully completed panels that are supplied on a decal sheet. They can depict metallic shades, plus glossy, satin and matt colours too, which really ups the detail on everything they print. In addition, a small sheet of nickel-plated and pre-painted Photo-Etch (PE) is included for the aspects of the set that lend themselves better to this medium, such as seatbelts and rudder pedals. These two sets are similar on first look, but when you examine them closely the differences in the instrument panels become evident, while the PE is common between both sets. You will need to remove some of the moulded-in detail on the instrument panel, the control column and other areas such as side consoles and overhead panels before you begin, with a similar process for both sets. The main panel is completely replaced with 3D decals; the two control columns have printed bosses added to their centres; the pilot and co-pilot are given PE four-point seatbelts; both side consoles/walls are detailed with 3D panels, with an electronic panel on the rear bulkhead; the centre console has a 3D decal wrapped around the throttle quadrant, with PE throttles that require some 0.5mm rod from your stash and other instruments laid over the top and to the rear; the overhead panel is scrubbed of all detail and replaced by a PE base with 3D decals for the instrument panels on it and the other sections. B-17F (3DL48020) B-17G (3DL48021) Conclusion The detail present in these combined 3D/PE sets is at the pinnacle of aftermarket design today, and gives any model a lift in a relatively simple manner. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

An old and flawed kit, but one that has a special place in the memory banks for me – when I was 12 we were told we could have a home made mascot on our desks for end of primary school exams. I persuaded my parents to get me a Flying Fortress model kit for my 13th birthday and by exam season it was ready. Despite my teachers’ horror at such an oversized mascot, they were amused enough at the odd child with the plane to let it slide, and it sat on my desk proudly for my entire Common Entrance exams (which went well enough to get into the school I wanted). Despite many moves since, I still have the old B-17 ‘Memphis Belle’ sat in my workshop at aged 30, looking more than a little tired. So I figured since I’d got back into model making after a 10 year absence about 3 years ago; it would be a nice thing to find the same very old Revell kit and make it again – to keep the old and the new side by side. I don’t normally do 1:72 scale as I find weathering effects tricky when going below 1:48, and the detail starts to go. Am really pleasantly surprised by how this came out though – despite the atrocious kit transparencies, lackluster detail which necessitated quite a bit of scratch built detail near the windows, and the strange panel texture on the nose. One issue was right at the end, I dropped superglue on the right wing when trying to rig up the radio aerials, which left a very ugly mark and meant I had to eventually sand down and paint over the whole panel. I couldn’t match the colour or weathering again so I tried instead to represent a battle-damage replacement panel with un-faded Olive Drab. Short video build summary video is available on my YouTube channel if folk are interested - BritFlyer.

B-17G Update Sets (for HKM) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin HKM gave us all a little surprise last year with a scale-down of their 1:32 kit, much to the excitement of anyone that has a soft spot for the Flying Fortress, like me. We reviewed the first tranche of sets early this year here, and now Eduard are ready with their second tranche, which also includes a selection of resin sets. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. The resin sets are supplied in the new cardboard boxes that are a little bit more environmentally friend as well as being easier to stack. Wooden Floors & Ammo Boxes (491072) To save weight and give a little more traction, the floors of the B-17 were made of plywood and as we all know it’s a bit of a knack to replicate a wooden finish. This set makes that easy, and contains two sheets of nickel-plated brass that are also pre-printed with wooden textured, the second of which is printed on both sides due to both sides being visible when it is used. The floor panels are first, requiring some plastic lumps to be removed first before the single-sided parts are glued in place. The long walkways have fold-over edges that give the parts depth a more realistic finish, and the cockpit has stepped sections with extra detail where needed, and a captive edge strip is wrapped around the table. Then the various ammo boxes are folded up, detailed with hinges and wood-painted stiffening bands, with two in the front, one in the waist position plus another two bigger boxes, then two more in the tail, all highly detailed and looking so woody you’ll think it was wood. In other words, the wood effect is excellent and highly realistic. B-17G Ammo Feed Chutes (481012) This set gives you the links between your brand new ammo boxes and the guns that you’ll see further down below. Supplied on one square fret, the ammo guides bear a passing resemblance to long straight ferns on the fret, and would be quite difficult to fold up without the useful template that comes with them. It folds up to three PE thicknesses, and you can wrap the “ferns” around it and fold them into a rectangular profile, drawing out the template at the end and curving it in a similar manner to the kit parts, with a few examples shown in the instructions for the nose gun and ball turret feeds, plus an additional feeder ramp for the latter. B-17G Undercarriage & Exterior (481011) This set arrives on a large rectangular fret of bare brass and does exactly as it says on the pack. The main gear bays in the inner nacelles are first to be detailed, with straps around the internal supercharger trunking, small skins and stiffener parts, plus additional straps round the other tubes etc. The bulkheads also get the treatment, some of the parts having been pressed into shape by a ball-point pen from behind first, then a set of filler caps on the top of the wing are added along with some grilles here and there, then liners and grilles for the leading edge intakes with optional FOD guards for both sides. The tips of the landing gear are fitted with tie-downs, the tail-wheel bay is decked out with internal skins, and some small panels are added in front of the bomb bay and under the front of the chin turret. B-17G Guns (648539) A resin set of guns, many with separate barrels, and some having additional parts for their mounts around the airframe. Firstly, the two waist guns are fixed up with their mounts on the lip of the window with a pivot-mount on top, through which the barrel sleeves before you put on the ring-and-bead sight, and cocking handle on each one. The two cheek guns have a similar mount and the same construction of the other guns, with another one in the radio-compartment. The turrets all have separate barrels with a choice of unadorned, or angled flash-hiders at your whim or as your references dictate. The ball-turret guns fit against the end panels, the top turret guns fit against a small fillet that fits within the turret, the chin turret guns attach one either side of the central pivot, and the tail’s Cheyenne turret guns lock in place either side of their control pivot. B-17G Superchargers (648536) This set gives you all the resin parts you need to replace the kit superchargers with highly detailed trunking and the units themselves, consisting of six parts, the two outer superchargers complete with their trunking moulded in, and the inner nacelles with the superchargers located behind the gear bay and the additional trunking separate, diving back into the nacelle, then popping back out again behind the bay. Once the casting plugs are removed the parts should be a drop-in replacement for the kit parts, so very little additional work, especially as the casting plugs are a filigree that should minimise clean-up of any remaining marks, and the detail is exceptional. B-17G Undercarriage Legs BRONZE (648540) The B-17 is a BIG aircraft, and if you’re loading it up with aftermarket, even if that’s aftermarket bombs for a short run, the weight on the main gear might be a little much over the longer term. White metal gear is an improvement, but it is still easy to bend or deform, unlike bronze, which is a tough, rigid metal that doesn’t deteriorate over time, isn't prone to weaking inclusions and won’t let you down. This set contains three gear legs, two main and one tail, plus four resin parts that go together to make two retraction jacks for the main gear legs. The main legs require very little preparation, with only the possibility of small blemishes that are sometimes a factor of the manufacturing process that require filling before you can paint. The tail gear leg has a length of curved bronze sprue between the leg and the stabilising struts, which should be cut off with nippers, a motor tool or something suitable that you have to hand. Once prepared they are drop-in replacements for the kit parts and offer orders of magnitude more strength. Conclusion This is another round of excellent additions to this modern kit. If you’re planning on building one B-17 in 1:48, these sets will make sure you’re going to build the best you can with the most detail. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-17 Engines & Turbochargers (MDR4854 & MDR4857 for Revell/Monogram) 1:48 Metallic Details The old Monogram tooled B-17 in 1:48 is an ageing kit that will benefit from extra attention in the detail department, with Metallic Details of Ukraine having created a very worthy offering in the engine department. Available as two separate sets to allow you to decide which aspects of the engines you’re most interested in if there are budget cxonstraints, you can buy an engine set and a separate set for the Turbochargers, which are very prominent on the bottoms of the nacelles. As they’re related, let’s have a look at them both. B-17 Engines (MDR4854) Arriving in a large(ish) card box with a label printed with a picture of the finished set on top, the interior is completely stuffed with resin and Photo-Etch (PE), all safely cocooned in individual resealable bags. If you read our review of the R1280 engine before this, you’ll recognise many of the parts, which are provided in multiples of four for each of the engines. There are eighteen large resin parts plus two bags of tiny parts that are too small and too numerous for me to count without removing my socks - ok, there's 103 of them with a few spares for good measure. There are also five small sheets of PE in a fine gauge to assist with ease of bending as well as realistic thickness. Construction begins with adding small arrow-shaped brass inserts that fit between the cylinders, then adding the intake piping to the centre, aligning each tube to the right of the head. Small parts and harnesses are fitted to the outer surface of the cylinder banks, then the push-rods and wiring harnesses in resin and PE respectively are glued in place to complete construction. With the cylinder blocks completed, the fronts of the kit engine nacelles are replaced with the new highly detailed units that have the exhaust collector ring moulded in, and for the inboard engines the extension that takes the exhaust gases back past the gear bays is also included with two of them supplied. The outer engines have their collector rings attached directly to the turbosuperchargers, so they attach directly to the outlet. With all the engines attached to the square lugs in the centre of the collector rings, the cowlings are fitted with the two curved sets of cooling flaps that operate when the engine temperature rises. There is a small ledge around the cut-out to give a good strong joint, while the PE flaps give a more in-scale appearance from the rear, allowing a peek into the superb detail of the engines. All of this sumptuous detail will require painting as it is assembled, and there aren’t any painting guides provided in the set, but there are ample resources online should you need them. It’s an incredibly well-detailed set of engines for the Monogram kit, and if you are serious about your detail, these are just perfect. B-17 Turbochargers (MDR4857) Strictly speaking they’re turbosuperchargers, and they’re quite simply moulded in the kit. This set provides four replacements of twelve parts in a small box, with four cut-out shells into which the mechanism fits, requiring a little kit surgery. The two inboard units have handed recesses that are marked L and R for your ease, while the outboard units are set centrally in the underside of the nacelles, so are identical and symmetrical. The units themselves are also provided with two marked L and R, plus another two identical units with long trunking for the outer engines. All of the central sections are individual parts that slot into the recessed centres for improved detail and easier casting. Again, the detail is exemplary and with a little care the set can be integrated into the model improving its immensely. Coupled with the engines themselves, they will be a knock-out! Conclusion These sets are exquisitely detailed and use the latest 3D printing techniques to create the masters and provide us with such crisp parts that were almost impossible 10-15 years ago. The kit will need a little fettling to accept the new parts, but anyone with some previous experience of using resin parts in their models and a soupçon of common sense shouldn’t struggle unduly. Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-17G Upgrades (for HK Models) 1:48 Eduard We haven’t had a new B-17 Flying Fortress in 1:48 for a long time now, which HK Models have just rectified with their new tool, taking advantage of the data they collected for their monster 1:32 kit from a few years back. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Cockpit (491057) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels and consoles are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; centre console and throttle quadrant; side wall details; overhead console and ceiling skin, and seat embellishments supplied. Nose Interior (491061) Another two-fret set, with one pre-painted and nickel-plated. These parts include the woodgrain nav table, lots of instrument faces, structural details within the compartment, and a lot of sidewall details dotted around. It also includes upgrades to the nose guns with fresh ammo boxes, ammo feed and breech details, with navigation tools to deposit on the aforementioned desk. Radio Compartment (491058) Another two-fret set, with one pre-painted and nickel-plated. These parts include another lighter woodgrain table; a complete replacement for the many black boxes on the wall at the front and rear of the compartment; brackets, and a lot of sidewall details dotted around. It also includes upgrades to the upward facing gun with fresh ammo boxes, ammo feed and breech details, plus more tools to deposit on the aforementioned lighter desk. Waist Section (491062) Another two-fret set, with one pre-painted and nickel-plated, which also includes the rear gunner’s position in case you hadn't noticed. These parts include instrument faces for the small range of black boxes dotted around in the waist and rear gunner section; structural details within the compartment; O2 panel and headsets for the three gunners. It also includes upgrades to the waist and rear guns with fresh ammo boxes; ammo feed and breech details; ring and bead sights on the barrels, and dump bags under the windows of the side gunners. Seatbelts STEEL (FE1058) In case you don't already know, these belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the two sets of four-point flight crew belts, you also get a set of four-point harnesses for another crew member, and three sets of lap belts for the others. Masks (EX678) Supplied on two sheets of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a full set of glazing masks for the rest of the airframe and hub/tyre masks for all the wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Conclusion A great range of sets for your lovely new HK Models B-17. Pick and choose what you fancy, and watch out for the other sets that are available for the exterior, bomb bay and so forth. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Reading various books about the B-17s, I got the impression that machine guns were removed between operations for cleaning, maintenance etc. Yet I cannot remember seeing a single photo showing "unarmed" B-17!! Is it because such airplane is "less attractive" for the eye or there is some other reason? Of course the same applies for other similar aircraft: B-24, B-25, B-26...

So, a giant box arrived on my doorstep yesterday. Though it says B-17G it's something a tad bit different. This is my test shot copy of HK's forthcoming B-17F. I'll be building this one for an upcoming Model Aircraft article. I'll also be running the first WIP of sorts of this kit here for you. Though I can't show everything what I will do is highlight some of the features of the new kit as well as share some intermediary pics of progress here and there. I'm currently wrapping up the Dornier Do335A kit, and will be moving into this one throwing the full Eduard assortment at it (using as much of the G stuff that is common as possible). Please stay tuned! Many thanks to Neil Yan and HK Models and James Hatch and Large Scale Modeller for making this one possible!

While some of you already noticed in my recent Herc post, I also got a real treat last summer. We had a visit for one week by bombers from the Commemorative Air Force. B-17G Sentimental Journey. I saw her the last time she was in Winnipeg. Though that was almost twenty years ago! Unlike me, the B-17 does not look a day older. And for her first time in The 'Peg, B-25J Mitchell: Maid in the Shade. This B-17 arrived in the PTO too late to see action and was used largely for photo mapping after hostilities had ended. The B-25 however was a real honour to see. She is a genuine combat veteran. She flew 15 combat missions over Italy in late 1944. Including one mission where she was the only ship out of four to return home. You can still see where bullet holes were patched. And I'm told a fair bit of flak was taken out of the tail during restoration. She wore Battle Number 18 in World War II and she still wears that number today. I brought my camera to work the day these two were expected to depart. The B-25 had a minor technical issue so she stayed in our hangar for a few extra days. I was thrilled! There was a combat veteran B-25 parked four feet from my locker! Trevor is in the tug as Brandon wing walks a legend. 20150706-DSC_5682 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr 20150706-DSC_5689 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr Why yes, I did have just the best day ever at work! 20150706-DSC_5696 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr Dan enjoying the day. 20150706-DSC_5702 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr 20150706-DSC_5712 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr 20150706-DSC_5722 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr Trevor admires the legend. 20150706-DSC_5723 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr I was tempted to get much closer with engines running. But I didn't want to alarm the crew so I kept a respectable distance. Next time, closer! 20150706-DSC_5746 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr 20150706-DSC_5758 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr 20150706-DSC_5767-2 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr Such a glorious sound! 20150706-DSC_5774 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr Volunteer from the CAF ground crew walks past. 20150706-DSC_5790 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr 20150706-DSC_5791 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr 20150706-DSC_5822 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr Till we meet again. 20150706-DSC_5855 by _m_sinclair, on Flickr Thanks for looking. -matt

Here is my attempt at building a model of the wonderful Sally-B. The WIP can be found here. My aim was to take photo of the model using the same focal length that the following picture was taken with & then to photoshop the model onto this picture. here is the model sat on a table with a fan heater blowing the props.... And here is the final image hacked about using paintshop pro: And just for good measure, here are a few pics of the finished model. Most of the detail is on the inside & can be seen in the WIP. No clever tricks to hide the blemishes... I know she's a mess in places, but she'll look just fine hanging from the ceiling of my 'office'. thanks for looking

Hello all My latest offering - this is Revell's 1/48 Flying Fortress in 1/48. This is its Memphis Belle boxing of a kit dating back to the 70s, there were some fit issues and filling required. It might be stating the obvious but this kit is BIG - way too big for my display shelf, so it has had to find refuge in the garage. She was built straight from the box with no aftermarket additions, airbrushed with Revell Aqua Acrylics, then weathered with a Flory dark dirt panel line wash, some oils and pastels and a heavily diluted Tamiya acrylic mix for some exhaust stains. As well as the kit's own issues, my own shortcomings meant that I used superglue to attach the nose, forgetting that I hadn't dipped it in Klear first, hence some fogging :banghead:although I don't think that's noticeable in these pics. All in all an enjoyable build. Thanks for looking, any comments welcome Cheers Adam

Hi, Something bigger - Boeing B17, Flying Fortress. I have two of them, both are from Academy kit. A bit upgrated - I added some structural elements in wheel bays and I opened inlets below leading eges. There are: 1. B17 D , Fortress I in RAF markings, Squadron 90, based in Polbrook, UK in 1941. Here I used decals by Propagteam. Recently Italeri is producing similar or the same markings with re-packed Academy kit. 2. B 17 G in USAAF, "D-day Doll" 43-37544 of 447th Bomber Group (here one can read about her: http://www.447bg.com/43-37544.htm). So, the RAF Fortress I: And B17 G: All nose art are home made (hand painted on transparent decals). NMF on B17 - Humbrol 191 & 191+drops of others (11,56,33...), brush Comments welcome Regards Jerzy-Wojtek

B-17F/G Engines (for Monogram) 1:48 Eduard Brassin The old Monogram kit is of the B-17 is the only game in town if you're building in 1:48, and hails from an era where Monogram were churning out big bombers in this scale like they were going out of fashion. Alas, no longer and as such this kit is getting on a bit, but still a worthy purchase, although it does need some extra detail to bring it up to modern standards. This new set from Eduard's Brassin provides some of that, replacing the rather simplified kit engines with superb and super-detailed resin and Photo-Etch (PE) alternatives. In the long card box are four bags of resin and a bag of PE, with five sheets of PE plus a tiny sheet of decals. Each engine consists of a cylinder block, 18 resin push-rods, a PE front and back ring (you'll need to roll out the forward ring), then attach it and the kit's nacelle stub. You then place the cowling over the engine, assuming you're going to have the engines covered up of course. Detail is spectacular, with full ribbing inside the cowlings, the collector ring on the engine, and interior detail on the cowl-flaps. Scrap diagrams show the correct orientation of the cowlings, engine, and give colour call-outs for the whole engine assembly, which uses a surprisingly large number of colours, so will be fun to paint. The push-rods are separate resin parts, and you have only three spares, so be careful where you ping them while removing them from the pouring block. The bell-housing, prop governor and sump and parts of the engine fit at the front in keyed slots, and have additional fine PE parts to integrate them into the assembly. The bell-housing and front oil sump both have data plates attached to them, which are represented by decals from the small sheet. Conclusion A LOT of detail has been packed into this set, and that is reflected both in weight of the box, and the price. What you get makes it good value, and if you're looking for the ultimate in engine detail you have found it. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

0.50cal Gun Barrels for B-17G (for HK Models) 1:32 Quickboost by Aires No-one likes scraping seams off cylindrical parts, and perhaps you're also less than keen on drilling out the barrels to give the muzzles that hollow look. It's easy to get them off-centre, as anyone that has done it before can probably attest. That's where this update set from Aires' Quickboost range comes in. Arriving in their customary flat package, it contains two moulding blocks of barrels, with protective strips running up each side. Each block contains six barrels, giving a total of twelve (in case counting isn't your strong point) highly detailed and most importantly, straight barrels that just slot straight into the breeches of the guns within the aircraft. If you already have the kit or have read my review here, you might know that you can install the kit barrels after construction and painting is complete, reducing the risk of damaging them due to handling. The same is also true of these resin replacements, with all the reduction in preparation that comes with them. They are more affordable than brass alternatives (£4.50 at Hannants at time of writing), so it won't break the bank to upgrade what is already a fairly heftily priced kit. Highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of distributed in the UK by Hannants Ltd.

B-17 Brass Gun Barrels (for HK Models) 1:32 Master Barrels Cleverly, HK have moulded the barrels for their new and immense 1:32 B-17G as separate parts from the breeches of the .50cals, so they can be added later to avoid knocking them off. As you can imagine, the styrene barrels can be bettered by the use of brass parts, and of course Master were always going to make replacements. It was inevitable. This set arrives in their standard package, with an inner bag heat sealed into three sections for the barrels, cooling jackets and flash-hiders. There are thirteen barrels, onto which thirteen flash hiders slide, to be fixed with a little dab of CA on the mating points. You will need to insert them carefully the first time to clear the swarf from the drilling process, but once that has been cleared out, they slide in and out nicely. If you have a piece of 1.1mm brass rod nearby, it might be wise to ream them out before inserting the barrels, which are thinner in the middle, so may conceivably bend under extreme pressure if you encounter a log-jam of brass shards. Four of the barrels are supplied with large flash-hiders that slide over the tip of the barrels to both protect the operator from the blinding flash of their weapons, and to act as an intimidating sight for enemy aircraft attacking from front or behind, by giving the impression of larger calibre guns in those positions. A scrap diagram shows the correct positioning of the parts, and a little scraping of the diagonal cut will result in a better looking finish. Conclusion There is little more appealing on a model than a set of brass barrels, and a large model like the Fortress deserves only the best aftermarket thrown at it. Because the B-17 bristles with guns, it makes sense to replace the kit parts with these brass beauties, as they are a focal point in themselves. They aren't cheap, but they're worth it. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

Archive Allsorts Is a collection of all sorts of second world war aviation pictures as revealed here using a variety of Public Domain archival images. Fieseler Fi 156C-5 Storch Fieseler Fi 156C-5 Storch, W.Nr. 4487 of Aufklärungsstaffeln 1 (Heer)/Aufklärungsgruppe 32, 1.(H)/32 at Kemijärvi, Finland during 15 September 1941. Department of Aircraft Production Beaufort Mk VIII During World War II, from August of 1941 through to August of 1944 Australia’s Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) built 700 Bristol designed Beaufort general-reconnaissance/torpedo bombers. Production of the Beaufort with a workforce of 23,800 was a tremendous industrial achievement for Australia’s fledgling aviation industry. The DAP Beaufort which equipped seventeen operational squadrons, was the backbone of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF’s) offensive capabilities throughout the war in the South West Pacific. Shown on this page are several DAP Beaufort Mk VIII aircraft during assembly early in 1943 at Fisherman’s Bend, Victoria. Of the aircraft seen A9-271, A9-273, A9-275, A9-277 and A9-279 can be identified. All of these aircraft were delivered to 1 Aircraft Depot of the RAAF, with A9-271 arriving during 22 March 1943, followed by A9-273 plus A9-275 during 8 April 1943. A29-277 and A9-279 were subsequently delivered during19 April 1943. Wright R-1820-97 Cyclones for the Boeing B-17F-50-BO Flying Fortress Shown above as captured by Office of War Information Photographer Andreas Feininger in December of 1942, are various Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone engines prior to fitting on Boeing B-17F-50-BO Flying Fortress bomber aircraft during assembly at the Boeing Aircraft Plant, Seattle, Washington, United States of America. Lockheed P-38F Lightning Captured by Office of War Information (OWI) Photographer Russell Lee during May of 1942 a United States Army Air Force (USAAF) mechanic can be seen at work upon Lockheed P-38F Lightning 41-7511 at Lake Muroc, California, United States of America. Lend-Lease Fighters Photographed by OWI Photographer Nick Parrino, the Commander of the USAAF in the Middle East, Major General Lewis Hyde Brererton, poses with 4 Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily (VVS) officers from the Soviet Union, at Abadan in Iran during March of 1943. They are seen standing in front of the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory (CBAF) built Vickers-Supermarine Spitfire FVB EP400, which was a British Lend-Lease aircraft, delivered to the VVS. Also seen behind the Spitfire shown above is Curtiss P-40K-10-CU Warhawk, 42-10107 and an unidentified Bell P-39 Airacobra, all like the Spitfire were delivered to the VVS through Lend-Lease arrangements. All of the above posted Public Domain images in this instance have been sourced from the following archives; SA-Kuva and the Library of Congress.

B-17G Updates (for HK Models) 1:32 Eduard HK Models have done a fine job of their new Boeing B-17G kit, and out of the box it's a sight to behold. As I often say though, there's always room for improvement, by using mediums that are more appropriate to the task in hand and that give a better result. These mediums are Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and resin, both of which Eduard excel at now they have their Brassin range of high-quality resin upgrades. These sets are for the dedicated modeller that wants to spend the time and money on improving the level of detail to greater heights than achievable with injection moulded styrene. Today we have the immense Flap set, Engine set, Undercarriage Bay set, and the Brassin wheel set, which is pretty incredible value if the price I've seen online is correct. Flap Set (32337) This arrives in a large flat-packed back containing two sheets of PE measuring 26cm x 20.5cm each, and I have one criticism. The weight of the brass in the bag requires a little better protection than bag and card, because in the event of a corner impact, the PE will buckle, just like my set did. Fortunately, no damage has been done to the parts, but it is a definite issue with larger sets that needs addressing to avoid disappointed customers and additional costs for Eduard in having to replace damaged sets. Moaning aside, these are among some of the largest PE sheets I've seen, and certainly the largest parts I've seen. Don't be too overcome by their size though - all you'll need is a method of folding longer parts, and you'll be ok. The set doesn't look to be too taxing beyond avoiding damaging the large parts during handling. The kit doesn't need too much preparation either, as the flaps are already separate on the wing lowers, so only the oversize hinge parts are surplus to requirements. The flap bay has moulded in ribs, which must be removed and the trailing edge thinned down as much as possible. The bay is then skinned with a single part that has plenty of detail etched in already, and that is augmented by the large number of PE ribs that are double-sided for additional thickness and detail. Actuators and rams are added, and you'll need some of your own 1mm rod to finish the job, as well as some lengths of 3.2mm rod later on. Spanwise ribbing is added using additional parts, with extra parts laid to the sides of the main ribs to give them an L-shaped profile. The flaps are made up from an outer skin that has extra detail etched into both sides, which is folded, or rather curved, to create the leading edge of the flap, supported by a large number of curved formers with a convex trailing edge that butts up against a length of 3.2mm rod supplied from your stock. Another large part is glued to the rear of the rod to form the tapering back section of the ribs, and here you'll have to twist the ribs 90o to get them to stand up. A gaggle of spanwise ribs are added from the ends again, and various small parts installed to complete the details. The flaps should get be able to fix to the wing in the same manner as the real thing, although I suspect they might need to be soldered to get the necessary strength. A trio of scrap diagrams are used to assist in this process, showing you attachment points and the correct angle of the flaps. It goes without saying that you will need to build two of these assemblies in order to complete the job. Engine Set (32338) The kit engines are nicely moulded, and include one set of pistons, with an impression of the rear row, plus the pairs of push rods that are found on the front of each cylinder. The set adds detail in quadruplicate (I wasn't sure that was even a word!) to each engine and engine nacelle. The inner faces of every single cowling flap receives a detail skin made up from a single part folded to shape, and you'll be doing that job 44 times in total. The top and bottom fixed plates on the cowling ring are given detailed skins to improve the look, and the supercharger parts, which are already beautifully detailed are given additional tiny additions in the form of PE brackets and wire from your own stocks. Moving inside the cowling, the front and rear cylinder rows are linked by eight brackets attached close to the centre, and a cowling ring is added to the front of the first row by brackets on the left top of each cylinder. Each rear row also gets a detail plate added to the outer end, and a full wiring harness is added around the centre, wiring up each cylinder, with a scrap diagram showing where each one should go, between the halves of an additional guide attached to the top of each cylinder head. The central bell-housing behind the prop is given a data plate , and a row of small "pips" is removed from the rear lip. Undercarriage Set (32342) The fit of the gear bays was excellent during my tape-up test fit when I reviewed the kit, and detail was good. The parts in this set add to this appreciably in both the main wells and tail wheel well, and include a large number of skinning parts to cover bare styrene. Measuring 14.4cm x 9.2cm, it is a smaller set than the other two, but the additions are worthy. The hose from the supercharger is given more detail, as is the stepped area behind the firewall, and the ridged outer side of the bay is further improved with more parts to the ribs and trunking, all of which should look great when painted. There are also a number of small parts added to the main gear legs, such as brackets, data plates, strengtheners and linkages. The tail wheel also receives a small bracket between the yoke and leg. Wheel Set (632017) Arriving in the Brassin box associated with the larger sets, this one not only improves the wheels immensely, but is also well priced in my estimation. In the box are two huge tyres, plus four outer hubs and four inner hubs. Each one is keyed to fit correctly, and the detail is excellent, even down to the fins within the inner hub. You'll need to drill a hole in the main wheel part of the 3.5mm to 4mm diameter 9I can't get to my kit at the moment to measure the leg), but that shouldn't be too much of a problem unless you don't have any tools! Conclusion These sets are for the detail lover that wants to improve further on what is already a fascinating and well executed kit. You'll need some PE handling skills to do it justice, but at this size that's pretty standard fare. You can pick and choose which sets to buy, or wait for the Big Ed set once they're all out, or just buy a couple to suit your area of interest - entirely up to you! There are more sets coming in September, including the bomb bay and interior, so watch this space Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-17 Wheels (Revell/Monogram) 1:48 Eduard Brassin (648078) There's no accusing the Monogram B-17 in 1:48 of being a new tool, and as such it's a product of its time, so a set of new highly detailed resin wheels would be most welcome. That's exactly what's in the slim clamshell box, funnily enough. The box contains six pieces of grey resin, a sheet of yellow kabuki tape masks (not shown), and an instruction sheet that doubles as the backing "card". They're a drop-in replacement set, and you get the two main wheels, plus their hubs as separate parts. The tyres are a large balloon type that was necessary to handle grass field strips, and these examples have a covering of diamond tread blocks, as well as the distinctive "GOOD YBAR" logos to avoid copyright problems. The separate hubs are similarly well detailed, having the brake hose entry to the rear hub and the inflation valve on the outer hub, as well as nice hub strengthening detail that will just be seen between the hub insert and the main part. The masks cover the rim of the tyres only, so you'll need to extend the masking around the rest of the tyres to avoid overspray, but the important circular section is the point of the exercise, so just make sure you have some extra masking material handy. Conclusion Another superb set of replacement wheels from Eduard - the detail is up there in the stratosphere, and arguably the best on the market at the time of writing. Remember you'll need to cut off the moulding blocks and take precautions so you don't breathe in any of the dust, and you'll be onto a winner. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of