Half Pint

[Ratch]

I bought this on 8/8/09 from Oliver Warder on this very site, and it has languished in my stash ever since.

Some of you may know that I like to build aircraft that flew from Northamptonshire, and this is for this one.

Edited September 26, 2023 by Ratch

[Snafu35]

Hello, Ratch.

 

Welcome aboard, and have fun in modelling a fort'!

 

Isn't this box a rework of the Academy kit?

The oblique yellow stripe on the tail is sure to add a touch of original colour.

This fortress, delivered on 3 February 1944, was built by Douglas (block 35). The side gun positions were staggered, while the rear gun position was of the stinger type. (for those who like details! )

 

I am waiting for the beginning of your construction.

 

Regards,

Eric-Snafu35 

[Ratch]

Hi Eric, indeed this is the re-boxing of the Academy kit that Airfix originally issued in 1999. Ice Cold Katy was a Douglas Long Beach-built B-17G-35-DL serial 42-107039, and she would have been fitted with the standard tail turret and staggered waist guns. There are a few other quirks she had during her career too, such as a replacement O/D stinger tail gun position and wing tip. The Kits World decals have a few problems, such as the 401st Triangle "S" being black and white. The "S" was natural metal, not white. I'm hoping to make a start soon.

[Ratch]

The runners have been rinsed and are drying.

[vppelt68]

Welcome, Ratch! Does that boxing come with both types of tail gun positions? Some Academy G:s come, and some don't. Although there is a seam smack in the middle of the tail window, the Stinger tail is lightyears better representation than the single piece Revell part. Those Academy parts are the best option to craft into the recent-tool Airfix kit. V-P

[Ratch]

9 hours ago, vppelt68 said:

Welcome, Ratch! Does that boxing come with both types of tail gun positions?

Thanks, here's what I've got in my box.

[vppelt68]

A Cheyenne tail on the left, and two Stingers!? Would you like to sell me the second Stinger set, please? 😇 V-P

[Ratch]

No problem @vppelt68

PM me 

There appear to be runners from another kit included in my box.
A Runner.

 

B Runner.

 

C Runner.

 

J Runner.

 

K Runner with two additional sections of this in individual sealed bags.

 

L Runner.

 

And three unidentified runners, of which two are duplicated.

 

I have a few spares left over from previous builds.

 

I refreshed my memory on my previous build and research of the aircraft. 

 

I painted the interior components and started assembly. A decal is provided for the instrument panel, which I painted black and coated with Humbrol Clear. I used DecalFix to aid to the conformity of the instrument decals.

[Ratch]

I have cut off the bosses in front of the wheel well openings. 

I then cut off the oil tank moulded onto the rear of the strut and repositioned it on the front. 

 

The staggered waist gun position was cut out of the starboard fuselage.

[vppelt68]

Nice progress!

[Ratch]

I found these notes -

‘Ice Cold Katy’ of the 612nd Bombardment Squadron, 401st Bombardment Group, 8th U.S. Army Air Force, Deenethorpe, Northamptonshire, was named by her first crew's top turret gunner/engineer, Sgt Earl C. Gibson. Her name came about due to a popular song at the time. It was reckoned that 42-107039 had a defective cockpit heater and was one of the coldest aircraft in the group. The yellow stripe did not denote a pathfinder aircraft, it was simply one of the group’s identifying markings along with the triangle "S". Black outlines were introduced on the yellow stripe when the natural metal aircraft started to arrive at Deenethorpe so it would stand out more, but it was several months before "Katy" was painted with the black stripes. There are photos of "Katy" showing both. "Katy" was one of the first natural metal B-17's the group received, one of three that arrived in March 1944.

She completed 103 missions and survived the war returning to the States in July 1945. She ended her days at Kingman, Arizona like many other US aircraft and was scrapped sometime in 1946/47.

 

I am very disappointed with the Kits World decal sheet. There are no triangular fin markings (or square for that matter), no serials or squadron codes. Only nose art, mission tally and two aircraft letter Ms and a small stencil. A very poor show in my book.

Edited September 20, 2023 by Ratch
Image added

[Ratch]

Looking for alternatives I can possibly make up the markings for 42-37825 DS-Q Super Ball of 511 BS. This aircraft was declared missing after the raid on the airfield at Landsberg on 18 March 1944. This raid cost 351 BG four aircraft of the twenty-one dispatched. Super Ball was seen stranded on Dubendorf airfield in Switzerland. Hit by a fighter attack as they left the target, Nos 1 & 2 engines were put out of action, in addition to other damage. The pilot, Lieutenant Mears, was stunned and the aircraft fell to 5,000 feet before he and the co-pilot affected the recovery. The damage, which included leaking fuel tanks, made the return flight to Polebrook impossible.

[Ol' Scrapiron]

The diagonal band on the tailfin that started in August 1944 indicated the 1st Air Division's 94th Combat Wing. The bands were red for the 351BG; yellow for the 401BG; and blue for the 457BG.

 

I don't have the "Blue Book" at my fingertips, but I don't see any examples of the yellow band on an NMF plane that doesn't have the 4" black stripe borders on the yellow band. Not sure what reference was used for the profile of Ice Cold Katy on the Kits-world sheet.

Edited September 20, 2023 by Ol' Scrapiron

[vppelt68]

3 minutes ago, Ol' Scrapiron said:

Not sure what reference was used for the profile of Ice Cold Katy on the Kits-world sheet.

There we have it! The first time words "reference" and "Kits-world" used in the same sentence

[Ratch]

Other options are:

42-97492 DS*B ‘Slow Ball’

42-31090 IN*L ‘Nasty Habit’

42-31033 IN*B ‘Pee Tey Khu’/’Pee Tay Kun’

42-38026 SC*N

42-39847 IN *G ‘Battlin’ Betty’

42-97449 SO*B ‘Sweetheart’

 

Not so likely -

42-106992 SC*D ‘Baby Lu’

43-39125 IN*M

42-97947 SC*U

42-97372 SO*P

[Ratch]

I'm now looking at B-17G-80-BO 43-38192 KY-A 'Half Pint' flown by Capt. Cook of the 366th BS / 305th BG, Chelveston, 1945

[Ol' Scrapiron]

On 9/20/2023 at 8:19 AM, Ratch said:

I am very disappointed with the Kits World decal sheet. There are no triangular fin markings (or square for that matter), no serials or squadron codes. Only nose art, mission tally and two aircraft letter Ms and a small stencil.

 

That is an amazing failure on their part. What good is the nose art if you can't actually depict the plane as a whole? I can understand not including the generic items like stars/bars that would be included with the kit, but specific tail markings would be important.

 

Not having looked into this more than your post here, is it possible that there is a second sheet with the larger markings that would be primarily in black/blue/white/yellow that may have been grouped to save on screen costs because of the limited number of colors? If not, then my other hunch is they expect you to purchase a separate set of generic numbers and Group markings and cobble what you need for your specific plane.

 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Ol' Scrapiron

[Ratch]

4 hours ago, Ol' Scrapiron said:

is it possible that there is a second sheet with the larger markings that would be primarily in black/blue/white/yellow that may have been grouped to save on screen costs because of the limited number of colors? If not, then my other hunch is they expect to get a separate set of generic numbers and Group markings and cobble what you need for your specific plane.

 

If there is, it isn't in the packet. Like a dummy I never looked into it, just assuming everything would be there. I put it in the kit box until I got around to building it and only just discovered the omissions.

[cmatthewbacon]

Presumably they want you to buy one of their three other B-17G “squadron codes, numbers and bomb group IID” sheets!  It’s a bit cheeky, I agree: normally when some one does a “nose art edition” of a kit, it means build a plane with nose art, not that all you GET is the nose art… 😜

best,

M.

[Ratch]

i don't think I shall be buying from Kits World again 😭

[Ratch]

Although I will not use them in this aircraft, I built the 500lb General Purpose bombs and painted them.

They will be going to the bomb store.
I have opened the exhaust pipes, and airbrushed interior green. 

Black primer next followed by aluminium.
After much deliberation I have decided to change tack. This model will be finished as B-17G-80-BO 43-38192 of the 366th BS, 305th BG, Chelveston 1945, coded KY-A ‘Half Pint’ and flown by Captain Cook.

[Snafu35]

Good morning,

 

You're doing a great job here.
I'm at the same level of construction as you, so I'm following you closely. 

 

On 9/21/2023 at 7:08 PM, Ol' Scrapiron said:

 

That is an amazing failure on their part. What good is the nose art if you can't actually depict the plane as a whole? I can understand not including the generic items like stars/bars that would be included with the kit, but specific tail markings would be important.

 

Not having looked into this more than your post here, is it possible that there is a second sheet with the larger markings that would be primarily in black/blue/white/yellow that may have been grouped to save on screen costs because of the limited number of colors? If not, then my other hunch is they expect you to purchase a separate set of generic numbers and Group markings and cobble what you need for your specific plane.

 

 

 

I don't think Kitsworld is all that mercurial;

Their catalogue for the B17 is starting to look very rich, with generic decoration sheets and options for decorating an aircraft with all its markings.

I bought the generic sheet with pin-ups 72010 and 72009; they were indeed their first decal sheets.

I also bought a generic sheet with black codes for aluminium planes and another with yellow codes for camouflaged B17s:

 

It's the choice of a B17 neurotic, but I understand that the absence of the markings can be annoying.
Kitsworld also sells marking sheets with roundels and all possible inscriptions (items 172187 to 172189). 

Finally, Kitsworld sells items to decorate two complete models per pouch.

PS: I am neither an employee nor a shareholder in this company, I just like their products.

 

Regards,

Eric-Snafu35

 

[Ratch]

I primed the B-17 internal surfaces black in preparation for the bare metal finish. I then took the wing sections and opened the air intakes. The missing intakes at the wing roots between the engines for the oil coolers were also cut out. 


I could then airbrush the aluminium interior. 

Going back to the wings, I crudely added internal frames for these. 

They will be painted black and merely serve as blanking plates.

[Ratch]

I have primed the wings and fuselage. I did this mainly in preparation for the windows and wheel wells. I appreciate that when everything goes together that touch-ups and respraying will be required, but any variation in panel colours will not be unwanted.

[Ratch]

I have airbrushed AK Interactive AK479 Xtreme Metal Aluminium for the basic natural metal finish.