Eduard The Bloody Hundredth 1943 Limited Edition (11183) 1:48 Boeing B-17F of the 100th Bomber Group USAAF

[Mike]

The Bloody Hundredth 1943 Limited Edition (11183)

Boeing B-17F of the 100th Bomber Group USAAF

1:48 Eduard in collaboration with HK Models

 

 

The B-17 that first flew in 1935 was quite a different beast than the one that flew during WWII, having a glossy bare metal finish, a tall, narrow chord vertical tail with no fin fillet, and lots of art-deco glass. The press coined the term "Flying Fortress" because of the number of gunnery positions around the aircraft, a nickname that stuck, and was later trademarked by Boeing. Its first attempt to gain approval and induction into the USAAF was foiled by an unfortunate accident that wrote off the prototype and killed the pilots, but it was given a second chance because of its comparative performance, and was eventually accepted into service with more powerful Cyclone engines and without the blister-type waist gunner windows.

 

The E model was probably the first "real" fortress, with a larger expanded tail fin, tail gunner position and guns in the nose. It also had the familiar ball-turret on the underside that stayed with it throughout the rest of production. The F model brought in some more changes, most notable of which is the almost frameless nose glazing, which afforded the bomb-aimer a much better view, although he must have felt commensurately more exposed as a result. The G model with its jutting remotely operated chin-turret was the final mark of the war, and fought doggedly over Europe with a formidable offensive armament consisting of 13 guns. This of course was at the expense of bomb-load, which reduced the distance from home the Fortress was able to bomb, although as the front lines moved through France, this became less of an obstacle.

 

Many of us will have recently seen the new AppleTV show The Masters of the Air, a show that depicts the trials and tribulations of the brave pilots and crew of the 100th Bomb Group, who flew missions over Nazi Germany and other occupied territories during 1943 and beyond, taking heavy losses due to the type of missions they flew, and the fact that they were flying in daylight over heavily defended factories, shipping yards and so forth.  Their losses were so severe that they gained the unfortunate nickname “The Bloody Hundredth”, which was well-earned, as the rate of attrition of new and experienced crews was so appallingly heavy.  If you’ve not seen the show, it’s well worth a look to gain an insight into a truly momentous battle in the air that the Allies ultimately won, but at a heavy cost.

 

 

The Kit

Several years ago HK Model brought out a monster of a 1:32 kit of the B-17, and eventually followed up in 2019 with a 1:48 scale reduction in a -G model, and two years later a -F, that between them put many a Monogram kit out to pasture, being a thoroughly modern kit with plenty of detail included in the box.  This kit is a collaboration with HKM, adding new parts on a clear sprue that broadens the range of B-17Fs you can build from the box, additional details in resin and PE, new decals, masks and revised instructions.  In addition, there are a host of new after market sets available separately to the modeller that wants to inject even more detail to their model, and we’ve all been there.  This is a Limited Edition boxing, and arrives in a large top-opening box with a painting of a group of B-17s flying in formation high over enemy territory, with contrails streaming out behind them, and what could be the contrails of a swarm of enemy fighters coming in from above, circling round to get in behind the bombers.  Detail of the kit is good, with an almost complete interior included within the fuselage, well-detailed engines on the wings, and details included for the bomb bay and gear bays.  This is augmented further by the inclusions that Eduard have added to put their stamp on the model.  There are eleven sprues in grey styrene, plus two fuselage halves, two wings and two forward fuselage halves in styrene of the same colour.  There are also five sprues of clear parts, some of which containing only one part, and the most prominent areas are protected by an extra layer of clear adhesive tape within their bags.  The extras include a handsome 25mm/1” enamelled pin in a small plastic box, seven resin parts that include the superchargers, two frets of Photo-Etch (PE), one in bare brass, the other nickel-plated and pre-painted for extra detail, plus four sheets of kabuki-tape masking sheet that is pre-cut to mask the interior and exterior of the model’s transparencies.  The final parts of the package are the instruction booklets, one standard, the other marked as ‘Bonus’ that includes four extra decal options that require different nose window arrangements that are included on the additional sprue, which is transparent and designated X, which is in addition to the standard clear sprues.  There are three large decal sheets, the smallest of which is A4, the other two substantially larger.

 

The level of detail is excellent, and the box is rammed full of styrene, resin and decals.  The large surfaces such as wings and elevators have internal support structures moulded-in, and have plenty of rigidity that will be essential for a model of this size.  There is also a full spread of ribbing around the interior of the model that will be seen, even if only vaguely from the windows, leaving the modeller plenty of choice to pose hatches and windows open as appropriate, and for the modeller with insane levels of confidence and skill, a cut-away model is also possible if you choose the locations to cut open carefully.  If you have the Bonus edition, you can choose the decal option you would like to portray, then select the appropriate instruction booklet to refer to during the build, putting the other to one side to avoid confusion.  The Bonus boxing has additional steps to create alternative nose configurations that match the extra decal options, but the majority of the build steps are identical between the two boxings.  The standard instruction booklet have a four-page history of the Bloody Hundredth that is written by Jan Zdiarsky, a historian and long-time contributor to all things Eduard.

 

For the sake of this review we will follow the booklet with extra steps (the Bonus Instructions) until we reach the painting and decaling steps, showing both of these to assist you with choosing.  It’s worth noting that this boxing has already sold out via the Eduard website, but there are many retailers that will have bought plenty of copies that are currently still available.  Let us begin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the cockpit floor, which has the centre console moulded-in, and has two four-part seats installed after adding the pre-painted four-point PE seatbelts, which is probably best done after literally smothering the centre console with PE surface, throttle levers, and using some 0.5mm styrene rod from your own supplies to create the cross-bars that allow the crew a double-grip when necessary.  Both flight crew have a handed control yoke in front of them, then the cockpit is bracketed by a pair of sidewalls that have racks of oxygen bottles moulded-in, painting them yellow so they stand out.  The bomb bay is close behind the cockpit, separated from it by a bulkhead and the top turret mechanism.  It has two bomb ladders and a large lower beam glued behind it, along with six two-part bombs split into threes, one set on each side.  there are decals to be applied to the bulkhead, and the diagram also shows that if you are planning on closing the bomb bay, you should cut away two ‘whiskers’ from the bottom edge.  A curved section of roof is glued over the bomb racks, with another bulkhead behind it that has a navigation table moulded-in, and two more whiskers on the lower edge to cut away if selecting a closed bay.  Two sidewalls are glued between the two bulkheads, and a section of floor is fixed to the rear bulkhead and outfitted with radio gear and a seat with separate support.  A circular bulkhead is fitted behind the radio room, fixing two boxes to the front face, and two supports for the belly turret at the rear.  Another bulkhead is attached to the front of the cockpit after gluing the instrument panel and three decals to the rear face, or following the next step to create a much more detailed panel.  This option involves removing all the moulded-in detail from the face, then applying two layers of PE that are pre-painted with dials and panel details, using four parts for the main panel, and folding a smaller part to accommodate the raised box on the starboard side, fitting PE levers near the lower edge.  Additional PE parts are applied to the bulkhead above the moulded-in rudder pedals, with five in total.

 

The main fuselage halves have the section forward of the cockpit separate to allow variants to be created more cost-effectively, and both halves are filled with ribbing detail from nose to tail, with a few ejector-pin marks that you may wish to fill if it bothers you or you think they’ll be seen.  The waist gunner positions have narrow platforms added to the insides, with an ammo box and oxygen bottle forward of the window, and the .50cal Browning machine guns on curved shelves, mounting the gun on its shelf either facing forward for unopposed flight, or facing outward when enemy fighters are expected.  The waist gun positions for this variant have a larger window that should be cut out following the guide, and you have a choice of inserting the closed window panels, or inserting a three-frame insert and resin gun pivot, sliding the gun through the hole from the inside.  The PE sheet includes ring-and-bead sights for the guns, and all variants have a small square window over the wing root trailing edge.  The port fuselage is prepped first so that the interior assembly can be glued in place, adding another framework bulkhead and the tail-wheel floor further aft, linked to the belly turret via a narrow walkway with a piece of equipment on a spur to the side at the rear.  The starboard fuselage half is prepared in the same manner, after which the fuselage can be closed, with the rear crew hatch optionally posed in the open position.  The tail gunner’s position is built on a narrow floor, adding two ammo boxes, a simple seat back, and gun breeches, linked together by a vertical mount, applying PE lap belts to the bicycle seat that’s moulded into the floor.  The completed assembly is then inserted from behind, a scrap diagram showing how it locates within the fuselage before it is surrounded by the two tail inserts and gaiter that fits around the guns.  The PE ring-and-bead aiming device is assembled around a length of 1mm rod from your own stock, pivoting on a PE bracket that is glued just behind the canopy that fits snugly between the fuselage and tail.

 

The Fortress’s raised crew area was configured differently between variants, and this area is provided as a separate section that inserts in the space in the top of the fuselage over the cockpit and other crew areas.  It has more ribbing inside, and is prepared by adding a support for the dorsal gun position, the gun’s breech and barrel plus PE sights as separate parts that pivot around a curved mount in one of two positions depending on whether the aircraft is in combat.  The canopy glazing, roof lights and the two clear panels over the rear are added if the gun is retracted, leaving the larger panel off if the gun is deployed.  The nose insert is where the biggest variation in fit and finish will be found, and all but one Bonus option uses clear skin parts from the new X sprue, which have ribbing moulded into the interior, and have been moulded clear to simplify the depiction of the many windows.  Choosing the correct parts for your decal choice is key, and it is wise to put a prominent mark through the other options to avoid confusing yourself after looking away, especially if you have a poor memory like me.  The clear nose parts don’t need any additional glazing panels gluing in, simply masking them off before painting, but the grey styrene option will require careful gluing of the clear panes in place, then all options are rigged with ammo boxes, oxygen bottles, gun support frames and the guns themselves, adding PE sights and small parts on shelves to the starboard side.  The interior of the nose compartment is standard between all nose options, starting with a tapering floor, then adding a raised portion and instruments with decals on the port side, plus ammo and other boxes on the starboard side, then mounting the Norden bomb sight on a small platform in front of the two-part chair, which has a set of PE crew belts laid over the pad.  There is a later step that has you drilling a 0.3mm hole underneath the floor, but this is best done before any details are added to avoid damaging the delicate parts on the top side.  The interior is then enclosed by the two nose halves that you created for your decal option, plus a common roof section that has the radome moulded-in for the clear options, adding a pair of curved inserts to the front of the bomb aimer’s window.  The nose gun installation consists of the breech with separate barrel that inserts into a four-legged frame that projects through the nose cone, installing antennae and a D/F loop underneath.  The grey styrene nose option is used for some of the Bonus decal options, and doesn’t have a roof insert, only one of the three options having an astrodome that is cut from the centre of the roof using a thinned area inside as a guide, filling two small windows nearby, then adding a teardrop fairing and the clear dome over the top, taking care to align it dead-centre, as the human eye is very good at telling when things aren’t quite level, central or even.  The other Bonus options have a pair of PE appliqué armour panels glued either side of a small window above the bomb aimer’s position, installing the gun and nose glazing in the same manner as the other options.  Your choice of nose and upper crew area are mated to the fuselage after adding more decals to the front bulkhead in the nose, then the elevators are each made from upper and lower parts, plugging onto two holes in either side of the tail.

 

The belly turret is made from two tapering side panels that have the breeches and barrels of the guns, plus the pivots added, joining them together with the help of the two-part centre section along with the two-part interior that locks into the sides.  Its vertical mount is made from a Y-shaped part with two additional legs and an actuator, plus a two-part oxygen bottle and hose for the gunner, fitting a ring to the ends of the legs, and locating the turret’s pivots in the edges of the ring.  The mid-upper turret has its mechanism assembled inside a cylindrical base, adding two ammo boxes underneath in a V-shape, then building the tapering supports with foot-pegs and a central pivot below that, and adding the glazing over the top, fitting barrels later, which is good news for painting and masking.  It slots into the cut-out above and behind the cockpit, with a small antenna mounted on the tail fillet, flipping the fuselage over to install the belly turret and the tail wheel, which is made from two halves, plus a two-part strut that locates in the shallow bay.  A towel-rail antenna is made by drilling two holes under the aft fuselage, inserting PE masts, and stringing a length of wire or stretched sprue between them, adding another pair of antennae in front of the bomb bay, a whip aerial behind it, plus your choice of two open, or one closed bomb bay doors.

 

When you unbox the wings, they appear to be moulded as a single part, but in fact it’s just that their fit is so good that they appear to be one.  Each wing has a tubular gear bay assembly made of six parts, with ribbing moulded into the parts for extra detail.  They are trapped inside the wings when they are brought together, adding a pair of prop axles to the front of each nacelle as you do so.  The flap bays are moulded with ribbing integrated, but they are shown covered by the flaps in the instructions, and Eduard have a PE flap set if you should get the urge to deploy them, with finer detail included in the set that is well-engineered, and shouldn’t be too taxing to create.  The resin superchargers are removed from their casting blocks and inserted in the recesses under the nacelles, plus an additional length of trunking for the inboard engines due to the presence of the gear bay taking up the space inside.  The landing gear is straight-forward, consisting of two-part wheels, and a two-part strut that installs in the gear bays after painting.  The leading edges of the wings have short intake trunks inserted between the two nacelles, and a landing light lens with clear cover in the outer panel, trapping the engines between the cooling gill inserts and the forward cowling, after adding the PE wiring looms that Eduard have provided, slotting them into position at the front of the four nacelles, and mounting the four three-blade props to the front of the bell-housings.  The last act involves mating the wings with the fuselage on locking-pins that will be familiar to anyone that already has a HK Models kit already, adding the four remaining barrels to the top turret and tail gunner’s posts, and for some markings options, a short length of wire is glued as an antenna between the astrodome and the nose cone.

 

 

Masks

There are a surprising six pages of instructions for the masking of the many windows, turrets and canopies on the model, which are included for interior and exterior surfaces, and is great news.  The interior masks are tailored to fit the inside of the glazing so that you can paint the model’s interior and give your kit that extra bit of realism.  Having used these sets on my own models now, I can confirm that they are extremely accurate, and it's good practice to place the outer masks first to act as a guide for alignment of the inner masks.

 

 

 

Markings

The standard boxing has a generous eleven decal options, while the Bonus boxing has another four, and both booklets have a separate page at the rear that shows where all the stencils should be placed, with extra diagrams showing decals for Wright and Studebaker engines (Marked on the individual profiles), extra decals around the cockpit windows to depict armoured glass, the ball turret, the backs of the crew seats, and bomb stencils.  All decal options are Olive Drab over Light Grey due to the period of operation, and from the box you can build one of the following:

 

Decal options A-K are the standard boxing, whilst L-O are in the Bonus Edition.

 

• B-17F-30-VE, 42-5864, Capt. Thomas E Murphy crew, Lt. Col. Beirne Lay Jr. 351st BG, Telergma, Algeria, August 1943
• B-17F-30-VE, 42-5864, Capt. Thomas E Murphy crew, 351st BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, September 1943
• B-17F-30-VE, 42-5867, Lt. William D DeSanders crew, 350th BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, August 1943
• B-17F-120-BO, 42-30796, Capt. Glenn W Dye crew, 351st BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, September 1943
• B-17F-120-BO, 42-30796, Lt. George W Brannan crew, 351st BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, December 1943
• B-17F-120-BO, 42-30758, Lt. Robert Rosenthal crew, 418th BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, October 1943
• B-17F-45-DL, 42-3307, Maj. Ollen O Turner, Lt. Jack R Swartout crew, 351st BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, July 1943
• B-17F-45-DL, 42-3307, Lt. Arch J Drummond crew, 351st BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, Late 1943
• B-17F-40-VE, crews of Lt. Sumner H Reeder, Lt. Henry M Henington, 349th BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, early 1944
• B-17F-55-DL, 42-3413, crews of Lt. Loren C Van Steenis and Lt. John S Giles Jr., 350th BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, April 1944
• B-17F-55-DL, 42-3413, Lt. Albert E Trommer crew, 350th BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, July 1944
• B-17F-85-BO, 42-30066, Lt. Charles B Cruikshank crew, Maj. John C Egan, 418th BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, August 1943
• B-17F-40-DL, 42-3271, Capt. Robert L Hughes crew, 351st BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, January 1944
• B-17F-120-BO, 42-30788, Lt. Steward A McClain crew, 350th BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, early 1944
• B-17F-80-BO, 42-30088, Lt. Sumner H Reeder crew, 349th BS, 100th BG, Thorpe Abbotts, United Kingdom, April 1944

 

Standard Boxing Decal Options

 

 

 

Bonus Boxing Additional Decal Options

 

 

 

 

 

 

The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas.  This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film.  It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain.

 

 

Conclusion

The base kit is good enough, but the additions made by Eduard and the wide range of decals included in both Standard and Bonus boxing make it a highly appealing subject, as does the fact that this is the Bloody 100th.  A subject well-deserving of a Maximum Effort commemorative build.

 

Very highly recommended.

 

 

 

Review sample courtesy of

[georgeusa]

I pre-ordered this kit from Squadron (which as of Sunday still had some in stock as did Hannant's, don't ask why I was looking).  Your fine review makes me even more anxious for its arrival as it has been shipped.  I do like the added tips you gave such as drilling out holes out of sequence to avoid messing up prior completed steps.  This is one of the reasons I appreciate your reviews.  Thanks for being so thorough.    

[colin]

No picture of the enamel pin badge Mike, well I think it's enamel in mine ☺️

[Matt B]

On 8/12/2024 at 7:58 AM, Mike said:

 

 

 

Did you accidentally get two left halves of the tail?

[Mike]

41 minutes ago, Matt B said:

 

Did you accidentally get two left halves of the tail?

Yep. I’m currently sorting that out with my contact. Well spotted! I didn’t notice until I’d posted the review and was packing everything away.  

[georgeusa]

Just received this today and what is the first thing I do; search for the sprues having the tail sections to make sure I have a right and left tail.  And, I do.  Now to savor the kit and appreciate it.  Thanks for all you do Mike and thanks to Matt B for pointing out the issue.