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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...

Hello All! Happy holidays and all the best in the new year. Thought I'd post some pictures of the subjects I got done this year. The B-17 is Revells in 1/72. Seen before. All the rest are 1/48. The Airacobra is Eduards weekend addition. The Hurricane and Stuka are both Airfix kits. Enjoy the pictures and all comments are welcomed. All the very best in the new year. Don Junis

Airfix have just released their 1/72 Messerschmitt Me262A-1A Schwalbe and Boeing Fortress MK.III kits featuring brand new moulding! Available in-store now and at the RAF Scampton Airshow this weekend!

The EAA's B-17G just flew over my house. Its going to be here for a few days at the local airport giving rides. Im hoping to get over there and getting some photo's to upload today or tomorrow.

Good Day All, Here's my rendition of Revell's 1/72 B-17 F. All in all it's a good model but there are a few challenges. The ball turret has several frame lines missing which were added. Also the fit of the two clear parts is not the best. The engine push rods were way out of scale and were replaces as well as adding ignition wiring. The blanking plate for the chin turret for the G model doesn't fit well at all. Quite a bit of time was expended to get it blended. You have to modify the tail guns to fit in the tail interior. The tail clear part was marred with interior tool scratches and had to be polished out. I did OK with it but next time we'll look to use the Pavla alternate though it wasn't great either. The ammunition boxes for the waist guns just did not make sense for an F, they were abandoned. Next one I will have to scratch them The ammunition boxes on the ball turret interfere with rotation and the ammunition feeds really need to be replaced. The pilot and co-pilot seats reminded me of recliners..they were modified. Eduard bits were used for the instrument panel and throttles...excellent product. I dipped the nose glazing in Future (or Pledge floor care here in the Stated now) to get it as clear as possible because it is very thick. Pavlas wasn't great either. I took quite a bit of time to blend the clear front windows and associated panel lines into the fuselage. I'm OK with it but I think Ill do better on the next one. It is painted with Vallejo acrylics as I no longer use oils except for washes and weathering, I do not spray them anymore. Kitsworld decals were used for the artwork. The kits national insignia were used as they were the correct size. The Kitsworld national markings for the wings were undersized in my opinion. Tom Probert gave me some very useful information on painting the interior...thanks so much. It was about 18 months when I asked for it Tom..better late than never. Well onto the pictures. As always all comments are appreciated. All the Best! Don ps: Yes that is the new Airfix 1/48 Stuka B-1 in the background. But that's for another post...LOL!

Hi all, Came across this interesting and (for me at least) unusual scheme on a B-17F and wondered if anyone can shed any more light on it. http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/27435 I would like to know what the second colour used for the camo is, I assume its medium green blotches on the olive drab but I'm not 100% sure, there also seem to be some areas in different colours such as the stbd tailplane and the control surfaces on the wings. Now I know some of this can be explained by weathering, such as the control surfaces, but I'm not sure about the others. If anyone has any more pictures of the same aircraft or others in similar schemes I would be very grateful to see them. Thanks in advance. Craig.

Greetings, styrene surgeons! Found these sent to me this morning- hoping this is the right location for this post- if not, Adm. please relocate! Some excellent early and late B-17F photos, as well as B-17G's, B-24's, and assorted WW2 types; some very famous examples scattered here and there, but I have not seen most of them before in other publications. I hope you enjoy them. (Sure wish the photographers had future model builders in mind when they took the photos- serials and codes would have been a real blessing!) Mike https://www.pinterest.com/pin/323977766931388450/?utm_campaign=homefeednewpins&e_t=b1ea75f7bb3b4e44b3750d519a4ead25&utm_content=323977766931388450&utm_source=31&utm_term=5&utm_medium=2025

Hello, this is my 1/72 Revell B-17F, dressed as "Shamrock Special". Built from the box with the help of Eduard masks. Painted with Gunze acrylics. Photographs by Wolfgang Rabel of IGM Cars & Bikes. Thanks for your interest. Best wishes and happy Easter Holidays from Vienna! Roman

B-17E/F Update sets & masks - For Hong Kong Models Kit 1:32 Eduard The Hong Kong Models kit is a good one, however Eduard are along as always offering their update sets for the kit. Here we have 6 sets for the Bomb Bay, Bomb Racks, Engines, Landing Flaps, Undercarriage and Seatbelts. There are also a two sets of masks, on for the E model and one for the F model. Bomb Bay (32400) This is one large brass fret. As the title would suggest the set provides new parts for the bomb bay as well as the bomb bay doors. The modeller will need to supply some 1.5mm square profile in addition to what's in the set. Bomb Rack (32899) This is one brass fret, and one coloured fret. As the title would suggest the set provides new parts for the bomb racks, as well as lugs and vanes for the bombs. The coloured parts represent warning and other placards. Engines (32397) This is one brass fret. As the title would suggest the set provides new parts for the engines, mainly in the form of a new wiring harness, but also includes other detailing parts for items which will be seen through the cowls. There are some detail parts for the superchargers and some of the cowl flaps. Undercarriage (32399) This is one brass fret. As the title would suggest the set provides new parts for the undercarriage. A new interior is provided for the tail wheel bay as well as detail parts for the tail wheel leg. New parts are provided for the interior of the main gear wells as well as detail parts for the main gear legs. Flaps(32398) This is 2 very large brass frets which provides flaps for the kit. Some of the ribs are already attached which need to be bent into position, some need to be added individually. Some work on kit parts is needed. Seatbelts(32897) This small fret provides a full set of coloured seatbelts for the aircraft. These are the new Steel belts from Eduard. They are etched from 0.1mm sheet, which looks like stainless steel because it doesn't rust, these new belts combine the best of both worlds. The resulting etch is thin at around 0.06mm, and the paint that has been applied after etching is included in that thickness. The paint itself seems to be more flexible too, and the designs have added details such as shadows printed near buckles and joints to give an added depth to the design. They appear less susceptible to fatigue and will stand up to repeated movements, and can be posed much more realistically due to the ease of bending of the surface. The paint is also a lot less likely to flake off at a sharp bend, which is a worry for standard PE belts. Masks(EX543) Each set is supplied on a 4 sheets of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for all of the clear parts on your chosen B-17 model. E Model F Model Conclusion These sets will enhance an already impressive model. Recommended. Review samples courtesy of

I wanted to do some OD Green B-17G's but the options are limited because of the Cheyenne tail turret. I modeled the early part and it's posted on Shapeways if you'd like one. http://shpws.me/Oi7o

Hey guys, here's my try at Academy Fortress. Almost OOB, with exception of QB gun barrels and scratchbuilt landing lights. Markings are from Revell, since i always wanted to do "Shamrock", with it's replacement tail, it makes otherwise dull overall Olive Drab looks interesting. I preshaded the model with Gunze Tire black, and then gradually painted OD in about a dozen thin layers. I used Gunze OD and faded OD, and repainting of markings is done with MM OD. Wash is Tamiya, weathering done with Tamiya Smoke + Tamiya D set. Sligh chipping is done using artist silver pencil. Comments are welcome, thanks for looking!

Norden Bombsight 1:32 Robert Mrozowski Model & Design Modeller Robert Mrozowski set about fabricating an accurate bomb sight for his HK Model B-17 Flying Fortress, which turned into a mammoth two year project of research, learning, design and a search for fabrication facilities. The end result is a highly accurate resin replica that would look great in the nose of your Fortress. The set arrives in a ziplok bag with a black backing card and a header card stapled to the top, which also contains the instructions in colour. There are six resin parts and two in clear acrylic sheet Construction is straight-forward once the parts are removed from their moulding block, with the main part needing very careful removal to leave you with a 2mm cylindrical stub at the bottom of the part. This is detailed at length by a series of three 3D drawings showing the correct way to remove it, and the end result. The instructions suggest slow-setting CA for attachment of the resin parts to allow sufficient time for fine tuning the arrangement, and also recommends the use of PVA glue for the attachment of the clear acetate disc that is also supplied in a small ziplok bag within the main one, along with a spare in case you mislay one. Painting is important to obtain a life-like finish, and you are recommended to visit two web pages to obtain details, but these links are quite long-winded to type, with strings of numbers providing plenty of opportunity for typos. To help you out, here they both are in a short, clickable format. That said, I only managed to screw up one of the links when typing them in, so perhaps it's not sure a chore afterall! Link 1 Link 2 From looking at the pictures in the links above, you will be able to gather just how accurate the model is when comparing it to the photos of the real thing. Conclusion This is Robert's first commercial aftermarket product, but if this is well-received others may follow, although we believe that the alternative mount for the newly released E/F Fort will be forthcoming soon. We wish him luck! Highly recommended. Available from Hannants in the UK Review sample courtesy of [img= http://www.britmodeller.com/reviews/robertmrozowski/logo.gif]

Hi everyone, I am about to start my Airfix B-17G and would like to know if it would be alright to follow the instructions and paint almost all of the interior sidewalls, etc. in aluminium to resemble unpainted natural Aluminium. I somewhere here read a thread about B-17 interior colors some time ago but can't find it anymore. IIRC the general outcome of the discussion was that B-17s could have appeared in almost any combination of painted and unpainted interior sections. Would it be likely for a late B-17G like the Airfix "Skyway Chariot" to have been left unpainted inside - regarding side walls and bulkheads? My second queston is about the interior green itself - Airfix instructions say Humbrol 195 Dark Green. I would like some opinions about Airfix' choice of color and maybe a recommendation for alternatives because I do not have 195 amongst my Humbrol cans. Ingo

Hi guys, When I joined the forum I introduced myself as a 1/48 scale modeller, however having some Christmas money to spend on a recent trip to my LMS i was drawn in by a shiny box and I knew it would be my next build despite having a 1/24 Typhoon to go at! So here we go, my first proper WIP (I did build a P-51d in the group build but never posted in the main section of the forum) will be the new tool 1/72 Airfix B-17g. I built a B-17 as a kid but this one will be quite a bit better than that one, hopefully. To add a disclaimer, I'm not a scratch builder, having never done it I wouldn't know where to start, so this kit will be completely OOB warts and all, assuming there are some, so please bear that in mind and be patient with me When I get around to it I will be adding an Eduard mask set as there's no way I am cutting tape to some of the sizes required, it's just mental. Enough waffle heres the box shot: A shot of the sprues and lastly the bird I shall be building, going for the 1945 version Wish me luck, always grateful for any hints and tips along the way. Progress to follow in a few days hopefully, wanted to get the thread started. Cheers Ant

After the B-17G ( http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234933316-132-boeing-b-17g-flying-fortress-by-hk-models-released/), HK Models is to release a 1/32nd Boeing B-17E/F Flying Fortress kit - ref.01E05 Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1648375182078767&id=1375731456009809 CADs Test shot at Nürnberg Toy Fair. Source: http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Ausstellungen/Nuernberg2016/Bilder_VH/Bilder_VH_1.htm V.P.

2ND PATCHES Matchbox B-17G Flying Fortress, 346 Bomb Group, 99th Bomb Squadron, 15th Air Force, Tortorella, Italy, 1944. It looks like this will be the group builds only B-17 and certainly it's only Matchbox B-17. I shall be building this one almost straight out of the box, the paint scheme looks an interested one, with all its repairs and patches. Here are the sprue shots.

Dear fellow Britmodellers. I am currently working on Revell's 1/72 B-17F kit, which contains markings for B-17F-10-BO, serial 42-29591, LL-Z, The Shamrock Special, 8th Air Force, 91st Bomb Group, 401st Bomb Squadron. Revell's instructions are a bit vague: - Revell's painting/marking section show "Shamrock Special" with a astrodome. (The astrodome is not mentioned in the build instructions though.) As "Shamrock" is an early production B-17F (F-10 block), should it have an astrodome - or the flat transparent panel? I have found two period photographs of "Shamrock", but can't tell for sure which part should be fitted. Information on this subject is welcome. Thanks!

Hi all, Something I finished last year. It went into WIP and sort of never came out again... There's a story behind this. It was built for a research project I did with the IWM Duxford and was based around this image: http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/2907 Here it is corrected: The image on the website comes from a slide is actually scanned back to front. After much eye straining and research I determined it was the 'Missbehaven Raven', a B-17 from the 34th Bomb Group at Mendlesham. I found artwork from another image and had it reproduced. I then made my own decals (passable -just!). The kit is the Academy B-17 that Airfix re-popped some time back, not a bad kit at all but its biggest fault is the wing dihedral, i.e. shed loads of it. I did a bit of surgery and corrected it. The decals were either home made or from the kit sheet. I also robbed a few bits and bobs from the spares box. I think the wheels were Quickboost, the treads certainly add realism and are a great improvement over the kit offerings. Making the T2 hangar was an interesting experience. I had a look at some real examples. The model is built mostly from card with some careful printing. The trusses were simple to cut out (if you have access to a laser cutter -very fast and simple!) and the hangar door bracing was also laser cut. The concrete base is printed. That Dodge Beep is a white metal kit from Sergeants Mess and the rest of the trestles and engine crane were scratch built. There's also a 'technical latrine' in there, also cut from card. It was always a work in progress and there was still much to do (paint the guys overalls in olive for a start) but time and tide got the better of me and such items are never really finished, they're just abandoned at a certain point. The model sat in the café at Tollerton (Chocks Away -a great place to eat and have a gorp at aircraft) for a while before it was adapted with a new aircraft and went to the museum at Nuthampstead as part of their exhibition. Nuthampstead also had a T2 hangar so it's a fair representation of what stood on that airfield. Now here's a request, I've not been to the Nuthampstead museum since it formally opened. I had a look in the months prior and it was coming along nicely. Anyone got a picture of the model as it now stands? I'd love to see what they've done with it. I know it was going to have a change of aircraft and a few other mods with their resident modeller and I felt it was a fitting place for it to be displayed. They've worked so hard to get that museum opened. Here's some piccys... Missbehaven Raven Not entirely happy with the weathering but its probably not too far adrift from those mucky engines. Home made decals, just about got away with it, not easy to work with. Here she is in the hangar. I used a mirror in the background to give an impression of more depth. Engine crane a tad overscale but 'meh'... The last shot is one I took when visiting Maddingley cemetery. It's the grave of Leo Bartczak who was killed bailing out of this aircraft only a month before the war finished. The sad irony is that the aircraft made a safe landing and eventually went back to the US. I'm making a guess here but from the descriptions I've read I suspect the aircraft was in the hangar to repair damage after the failed bail-out attempt.

All, I've just taken another look at the DK decals main website and they have now included the latest images of their five newest 1/72 decal sheets. 72014 - B-17 Flying Fortress in the Pacific. http://www.dkdecals.cz/B17_pacific_navod1.jpg 72015 - B-17 Flying Fortress in RAF & RCAF service http://www.dkdecals.cz/B17_RAF_navod1.jpg 72016 - 100 Group RAF http://www.dkdecals.cz/100GR_navod.jpg 72017 - B-24 in RAF & Commonwealth service http://www.dkdecals.cz/B24_RAF_navod.jpg 72018 - No. 311 Sqd. RAF http://www.dkdecals.cz/311_navod.jpg I especially like the 100 group subjects and have both books penned by Martin Streetly in my personal Library. I also have some of the earlier RAAF sheets and can honestly say that these are very nice decals indeed. Cheers .. Dave

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

Hey, I even tried some large aircraft. I would like to introduce this model. Construction without options, just out of the box. Maybe she will like

Following my review of these kits: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234992932-meng-kids-aircraft-kits-meng-model/ I thought I would give everyone an idea of what these look like, and purely in the interests of Model research you understand I put this one together straight from the box. The kit fit is pretty good overall and well within the means of little fingers (with some help). The stickers are not to good especially around the wing tips and fin where they go over curves. Still the are more suited I think to children than decals. Overall they look good and will hopefully generate further interest in the hobby. Oh and they are pretty fun as well Julien (getting back to serious modelling now!)

New Lancaster and B-17G kits from Meng released: price and photo of completed model found here: http://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/woh0shsaylv2vhefje7e.html

Dear Fellow Modellers If you work at your old Academy B-17 you can get something reasonable out of it. I scratch built interior for the lower cockpit entry compartment radio room and rear fuselage. Interior dressed up with Eduard photo etch and Quickboost oxygen bottles. Scratch built seats for the Bombadier and Navigator. Wing dihedral adjusted with plasticard shims and filler. Exterior received rivets and extra panel lines. Quickboost engines and cowlings with added ignition wiring. Squadron Vac-form canopy, nose and turret. Quickboost 0.50 gun barrels. All other windows cut to shape from acetate. Landing light lens from ‘Little cars’. I know the engine staining seems a bit vivid but I based it on pictures shown in the B-17 'Haynes Manual'. Anyway, hope you like it? Andrew

Hi All, here are some shots I took at the excellent Palm Springs Museum back in October. More can be found here: http://www.hanger51.org/aircraft-museums/us-museums-collections/palm-springs-air-museum/ F-14A Tomcat by tony_inkster, on Flickr F-14A Tomcat by tony_inkster, on Flickr B-17 Flying Fortress by tony_inkster, on Flickr A-4 Skyhawk by tony_inkster, on Flickr B-25 Mitchell by tony_inkster, on Flickr A-6E Intruder by tony_inkster, on Flickr C-1 Trader by tony_inkster, on Flickr AH-1 Cobra by tony_inkster, on Flickr