Completed Academy 1/72 B-17F Flying Fortress “Memphis Belle” 9/12/18

Good to see you doing somthing in a proper scale Toshi . Thats a nice kit, i built a different boxing of it a few years back. Looking forward to your build.

 me too I’ve been away of sorts vac time for a retired guy lol ! that’s a nice kit had my eye on it for some time .  I have a hasagawa b17 raised panel lines does this kit have  recessed panel lines 

Nick, yes they do. I think they were considered the best B-17 kit in the scale, not sure if that still holds with the more recent Revell and Airfix kits, but of course they are G's.

Bish

Good to see you doing somthing in a proper scale Toshi . Thats a nice kit, i built a different boxing of it a few years back. Looking forward to your build.

 

Your friend, Toshi

crown r n7

 me too I’ve been away of sorts vac time for a retired guy lol ! that’s a nice kit had my eye on it for some time .  I have a hasagawa b17 raised panel lines does this kit have  recessed panel lines 

 

Your friend, Toshi

Toshi

 

Bish

Good to see you doing somthing in a proper scale Toshi . Thats a nice kit, i built a different boxing of it a few years back. Looking forward to your build.

 

 

 

 

lol!  1/72 is too tiny for shaky hands.  lol!  I’ll do my best to build this kit.  Do you still have the kit?  I’d love to see it if you don’t mind.  Thank you in advance.

 

Your friend, Toshi

 

I am sure you will do a cracking job on it.

I built the kit back in 2010, for the first GB i ever hosted. But i only just finished the simple dio a couple of months back.

And here are a couple for you from Bassingborn.

The base now belongs to the British army and is a training camp. I spent 6 months there in 1990/91. The war time hangers are still there, one of them was the gym. And we spent a lot of time running round the old perimiter track and down the runway. I was already a history buff at the time and of course knew of the memphis belle, so it was a great to follow in the footsteps of those who were there all those decades before.

Rambo

Awesome Toshi I'm planning on a trip this weekend to the National Air force Museum in Dayton where she just went on display this year. Bish: Proper scale huh? I swore this was a 1/72 kit not a 1/48 lol

 

Hope you will post some pics if you can Clint.

Rambo

Awesome Toshi I'm planning on a trip this weekend to the National Air force Museum in Dayton where she just went on display this year. Bish: Proper scale huh? I swore this was a 1/72 kit not a 1/48 lol

 

Your friend, Toshii

Oh boy!  What did I get myself into.  The kit went together very well.  The problem is with myself, having shaky hands and things having to glue into 1/72 parts.  Still, the kit is just fantastic, I would Definately build another Academy B-17F in silver.  I’m looking forward to the next step.  

Rambo

Off to a great start Toshi. I will take as many photos as I can unfortunately all I have is my cell phone and the lighting isn't the best in spots there.

 

Your friend, Toshi

Rambo

Great trip today got to see the belle plus a few other new additions since I was there last year one a fw190d but they took the me109 down to do a proper restoration on her. I got about a dozen photos of the belle for you they aren't the best she was the busiest bird in the place so couldn't get many clear shots. The rest of the museum is always pretty calm with the ability to look and read at your pace. Anyway I have about 100 photos to go through and organize I'll post a link to them tomorrow.

 

Your friend, Toshi

Wish I could of gotten some more and better photos for you Toshi I hope these help some. I will also post a link to the album I took a 160 photos so maybe you can find something to help you on your next builds too.

Again I wish I could of got more shots for you but as a bouns how about a photo of me and my little one in the EWO seat of a F-4

Here's the link 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/160124388@N08/albums/72157693547627430/with/29707207598/

Rambo

Wish I could of gotten some more and better photos for you Toshi I hope these help some. I will also post a link to the album I took a 160 photos so maybe you can find something to help you on your next builds too.

Again I wish I could of got more shots for you but as a bouns how about a photo of me and my little one in the EWO seat of a F-4

 

Your friend, Toshi! 

Chemteacher

Looking forward to your build, Mr. Toshi. Rambo, those are some great shots. Looks like fun. Thanks for posting.

 

Your friend, Toshi

Hey Toshi,

Like Bish, I built this kit a few years ago for the Boeing GB.  Did ya notice all the spare parts in this kit that build into earlier A/D and later G models?  

I didn't do the MB, but decided on a lesser known plane that was more popular in 12 O' Clock High than in the war.  I really am looking forward to seeing this build Toshi.

Thank you very much scottrc, I’m sure that Memphis Belle is one of your best prized jewel in your builds.  That is a fantastic rendition of Memphis Belle. So iconic.  Yes, it does have extra parts to this B-17F.  Once again thank you for Your help and dedication to my Memphis zBelle 

Your friend, Toshi

Bish

 

 

Toshi

 

Bish

Good to see you doing somthing in a proper scale Toshi . Thats a nice kit, i built a different boxing of it a few years back. Looking forward to your build.

 

 

 

 

lol!  1/72 is too tiny for shaky hands.  lol!  I’ll do my best to build this kit.  Do you still have the kit?  I’d love to see it if you don’t mind.  Thank you in advance.

 

Your friend, Toshi

 

 

 

 

I am sure you will do a cracking job on it.

I built the kit back in 2010, for the first GB i ever hosted. But i only just finished the simple dio a couple of months back.

And here are a couple for you from Bassingborn.

The base now belongs to the British army and is a training camp. I spent 6 months there in 1990/91. The war time hangers are still there, one of them was the gym. And we spent a lot of time running round the old perimiter track and down the runway. I was already a history buff at the time and of course knew of the memphis belle, so it was a great to follow in the footsteps of those who were there all those decades before.

 

Your friend, Toshi

25 missions. It does'nt sound like much, but approximately 80,000 B-17 crew members died trying to get 25 missions and go home. So, when the Memphis Belle crew got their 25 missions it was a big deal. The Belle was rotting away in Memphis and the government reclaimed her about 10 years ago. She was recently put on display in the USAF Museum after having been meticulously restored. 

Cheers to Col. Robert K. Morgan (USAAC/USAF), the pilot, and his crew. Note that the "Belle" married someone else and not Col. Morgan. 

Just outside Stratford (on the Avon river) England (Shakespear's home town), is a cemetery where the only flag that flies over the grounds is the American Flag. There are white crosses as far as the eye can see. Many of the men there are B-17 bomber crew members. There is an RAF air base not to far away that was a B-17 bomber base during WWII. The Belle is a very special lady. Do her up right Toshi. I know you will.  

rangerj

25 missions. It does'nt sound like much, but approximately 80,000 B-17 crew members died trying to get 25 missions and go home. So, when the Memphis Belle crew got their 25 missions it was a big deal. The Belle was rotting away in Memphis and the government reclaimed her about 10 years ago. She was recently put on display in the USAF Museum after having been meticulously restored. 

Cheers to Col. Robert K. Morgan (USAAC/USAF), the pilot, and his crew. Note that the "Belle" married someone else and not Col. Morgan. 

Just outside Stratford (on the Avon river) England (Shakespear's home town), is a cemetery where the only flag that flies over the grounds is the American Flag. There are white crosses as far as the eye can see. Many of the men there are B-17 bomber crew members. There is an RAF air base not to far away that was a B-17 bomber base during WWII. The Belle is a very special lady. Do her up right Toshi. I know you will.  

 

 

I take it you are reffering to the cemertry at Madingley. Its not near Stratford but Cambridge, in East Anglia where the 8th AAF was stantioned. Stratford is to far west. This area is covered with former USAAF bases, throw a stone in the air and there is a chance you will hit one. In fact theres one about 15 mins walk from wher ei am sitting and 2 more within 15 mins drive. When i drive to my mums in Norwich, about an hour, i pass by a dozen. Trust me when i say they have not been forgotten.

The 8th AAF suffered half the losses of the USAAF in WW2 with 47,000 caaualties 26,000 of those being killed.

To my fellow forum members,

I’m sorry in that I took almost a month before I started up on the “Memphis Belle”.  But a very active grandson who is two, can keep our home in a total mess with toys everywhere.  Absolute CHAOS.  lol!  He finally went home yesterday evening, now Mrs. Toshi and I miss him!  lol!  

As for the “Belle”, I had sometime to paint the interior Model Master Chromate Green.  I then applied a green wash all ready to go by Vallejo.  Next up?  Applying the tiny windows, and then I closed “Belle” up.  No issues nor concerns (Gaps), besides some light sanding of the seams.  Here is where “Memphis Belle” stands at this moment, I’ll let the Testors liquid cement cure before I take the tape off.

To my fellow forum members,

We just move some furniture so as to creating a huge play area for my grandson Ezra.  He is staying with us an extra day.  I thought that I could not complete “Memphis Belle”.  Luckily, my son took him to Hudson for catching Pokémon.  Now that the house is quiet, I took the liberty to work on my B-17 kit.

Assembling both wings went very well.  Again, no issues and or concerns!  The left wing went together like a breeze, everything on the left wing was great including the landing gear, this tells me that everything else would go together very smoothly.  Ya right!  When it came time to attach the right wing a major issue was shown.  

The attachment became a nightmare, the right wing tab was too big for the assembly to the fuselage.  I had to use a file and a blade to widen the attachment area.  I then shortened the tab of the right wing in order to slide it in the hole of the fueselage.  I got it to hold, so that was a good thing.  Why did this happen, I know not.  At the very least, those of you Forum Members that plan or have it their stash to build this kit, you’ve been enlightened to this issue.

Just to let you Forum Members know I purchased this Vallejo paint kit for my TBF Avenger.  The Avenger had the wrong address, so now it’s on its way back to China!  I wrote via email to the seller to send it back to me as I still am or want that kit.

Your friend, Toshi

Wow! Looks to be a fun project Toshi! You are always a fun participant in modelling to follow. Keep up the good work!

Maxie

PS...Good scale too. My 1/48 B-17 was fun but  got a bit large I must say.