Airfix 1/72 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress (585) (Old-Tool)

[davecov]

My build of the ancient Airfix 1/72 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress (585)

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was intended to be an OOB build but it ended up being a bit more involved. The tail was modified to a Cheyenne tail, and the starboard waist window was moved back opposite the port window. I also removed the rivets. I applied Kits-World decals but they were useless and I had to resort to using the kit decals, which necessitated the painting of Miss Lace's dress red.

 

Dave

[Lightningboy2000]

Nicely built of the old classic! 

A bit of nostalgia there, I remember putting that together on the living room floor during the 1970's power cuts! 

[georgeusa]

You have made a really nice looking finished model from an very old kit that had issues.  Thanks for sharing.

[RJP]

That kit was the cat's pajamas when it was first issued way back in 1962.

[RJP]

Your posting got me digging around.  The machine was delivered in April 1944 and did 80 trips over a short period in the winter of 1944-45.  It survived to be photographed in colour by Charles E Brown in May 1945, just a week or two after the European shooting ended.  It was back in the States very quickly after that, delivered to the Kingman AZ graveyard by July and sold for scrap in mid-1946.  So just 15 months in service.

 

The aircraft looked like it had been through the war, and it had, suffering major combat damage to the port wing and the tail group with replacement components coming from a camouflaged specimen.

 

I have to guess the colour photos suffered colour shift - the original Airfix instructions specified the Bomb Wing chevron and the replacement elevators (both) and rudder were to be painted violet.  They even gave a mix formula using Airfix paints - 3 parts Blue G6 to one part red G1.  I never found Airfix paints in shops here in Canada but the Humbrol equivalents worked a treat.

 

I too have one in the stash and have intended to replicate the kit as Airfix specified in 1964.  You have given me a push in that direction.