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Airfix brings a 1/72 B-17G!


WildeSau75

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Thinking out loud here, the B-17 is a natural choice and the vehicle set is filling a notable gap. The next logical thing might be to produce a B-24 as a new moulding. The only decent kits of the B-24 are very expensive or rare. It has a lot of potential and can reuse the same vehicle set. If they miss out the Cletrac I think they're not doing the set justice however.

One final request for the Airfix designers, please please make sure you mould the intakes properly in the wing leading edge, make the panel lines appropriate and give us the different tail gun options as well as the radome to produce a 'Mickey Ship' option.

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I made the Lindberg one too, so never had the Airfix one. But I think 1956/57 was likelier. I didn't get it until Xmas 1958, according to my lists but they are not reliable enough that far back to be certain. I don't recall seeing any plastic kits in the shops before 1956: of course the North East could have lagged behind more fortunate areas but 1953 seems very early.

Unfortunately we don't have a good history of the Lindberg range to go with the books we have on Airfix, Frog, Heller, Revell, Aurora or Monogram. They were widely available in the late 50s in the UK, but distribution got very erratic later.

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Airfix should certainly do a Cletrac, I would have thought American modellers would be furiously champing at the bit for this kind of thing. Maybe more ground equipment will be on the way, I hope.

Maybe a Cletrac will turn up eventually with another new tool Airfix kit.....especially if people keep asking Airfix to do one..

B-17G = Awesome.....now can i have a new tool B-24 and B-25 please Airfix....yes the Hasegawa kits are wonderful but HTF and stupid money....i refuse to pay between £50-£70 for a 1/72 B-24 depending on source..

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Bring on the kit and the decal flood gates open...

Thousand's of cheesecake nose art option's......but decal guys please remember there were other Bomb Group's so please just don't rehash the same old 91st BG red tail scheme's

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Not being a vehicle guru, I've never heard of a Cletrac before you lot starting pining for one.

I've just googled it and saw a photo of one towing a B-17 from the rear.. now thats kinda cool.

OK - I'll join in..... C'mon Airfix, please give us a Cletrac...

Now it would appear that this resupply set will also include a number of 500lb and 1000lb bombs.

That will probably be a pointer to suggest that the base B-17 kit will not have a warlord included (I can hear the cries already).

Cheers.. Dave.

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I do remember the original Airfix 1/72 B-17 and the odd out 1/64 Lindberg kit moulded in that horrid green plastic Lindberg loved to use. I built the Airfix B-17 Bit -O-Lace in the mid-sixties along with many other Airfix kits that I bought from the local Woolworths. Revell had a 1/72 kit too, but was very heavily riveted if I remember correctly, even more than the Airfix kit.

The Lindberg kit wasn't popular by the mid-sixties as most odd scale kits were by them. Lindberg's big sellers were the small 1/72 Ar-234, He-100, He-162 & Do-335 which flew of the shelves with the 1/72 Airfix kits.

Two years ago I bought at a local Flea Market the original Airfix kit B-17 kit in the old Roy Cross Box Top. It must have been one of Airfix's most popular kits as it is hard to find at IPMS meet sales, as a matter of fact I have never seen one example among the tens of thousands of kits I have seen at the shows for sale over the years.

The think Airfix will have another big selling winner on their hands again with the B-17 kit. And maybe they will retool their B-29 kit in the near future which in think would be another big seller over the pond as the Academy kit is overtly expensive over here and the 1/48 Monogram just to large.

In this present recession, price is a major factor and up to now they have presented the buyer with a nice new tool kit at a reasonable price (with one exception in my view) and lets hope that continues. Go Airfix!

Steve190.

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I built the original Airfix kit, 1963 or 64? I remember getting it for Christmas with the Revell Memphis Belle, I preferred the Airfix kit! I'll certainly be getting the new kit when it comes out, on Airfix's present form it will be a cracker!

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I built the original Airfix kit, 1963 or 64? I remember getting it for Christmas with the Revell Memphis Belle, I preferred the Airfix kit! I'll certainly be getting the new kit when it comes out, on Airfix's present form it will be a cracker!

I also built both kits but much later (probably 1981 or 82) and also preferred the Airfix kit. From memory both kits suffered the same build problems, dodgy nose side windows, fuselage halves that didn't meet up and saggy wings. Bit of Lace's Yellow paint was also a problem back then, no matter how much I tried I could still see the base colour through it. Back then I liked to see the chin turreted B-17G all painted in shiny silver and bright colours, now I prefer ugly weathered B-17F's.

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intuitively I always prefer OD B-17s as well, but when (not if :coolio: ) I get one of these new B-17s I wouldn't mind a colourful late option. Somehow never liked the yellow tailed ones, but do really like the red markings seen on some of these in Mark Stylings profiles; the red checkers of "Betty Jo" (here http://www.markstyling.com/3ad_b17s3.htm) ; big red weathered triangle of "the silver lady" (here http://www.markstyling.com/303rd_b17s6.htm) or the ones with the dark blue bands seen here: http://www.markstyling.com/1ad_b17s5.htm. These markings makes them look like B-29s!

Edited by elger
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Works fine here in the UK

I'm really pleased that Airfix are doing a B-17G, I'll be doing a 100Group RAF aircraft (I have the Paragon conversion), I hope it will be available with the earlier rear gun mount and non-staggered waist guns too, this should capture all of the options.

Wez

Edited by Wez
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Wouldn't this be a rather expensive kit? The B-17 is not a small aircraft and with not one but two or mere or lessthree more kits in the same package it doesn't sound cheap.

Would the pricetag be compared to the Revell offerings or more in the same level as Hasegava?

What about the pricetags on the upcoming Airfix and Revell bomber - the new Shakletons?

The new Italeri Stirling isn't an chaep kit...

/Andre

Edited by Andre B
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The kit number puts this within Series 8, so I would think that this B-17 will probably retail somewhere similar to what you will pay for the new Airfix DC-3 and Whitley.

I must admit, I bought my DC-3 from Hattons who for some reason have this kit on constant sale for GBP12.00!!!. Now that's a real steal even in my country where the exchange rate keeps getting worse by the week.

Cheers.. Dave.

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Ah yes... Just re-read your post again and the B-17 and Re-Supply set will be seperate kits.

I would suspect however, that a complete set that includes all will also be out in similar vain to Airfix's Lancaster and RAF Bomber resupply set.

If it is anything like the 1/48 Battle of Britain "Ready for Battle" set (which is a real bargain) the complete set will end up much more cheaper then the sum of all kits if purchased individually. Fingers crossed.

Cheers.. Dave.

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