Boeing 307

Don,

I read an article today on the B-307.  It stated that the B-17 "donor" parts came from a B-17C.  I found the article

while using google's image search.  Sorry but I don't remember the URL..

Good luck in your build.

Ray

When first built the "donor" parts came from a B-17C, but after the war they where retro fitted with -G parts, wings, engines (no super chargers) and tail plane and then given back to the airliners.  The fin fillet was an add on modification after flight tests revealed it was too unstable, so what "donor" parts are needed depends on what time period you want.

I wanted to use airline logos on it.  Did any airlines actually use these returned planes in airline service? If so, I would be happy to model them as that era, as I have heard in response to my queries in another group that the only 1:144 kit I might likely find is a G model.

Question- why did the 307 not use turbochargers?  Was it cost, maintenance?

Don, check out my C-75/307 build under the scratchbuild heading. I've got quite a bit of info on the bird. The info above is corect, the re-fit of the G parts was performed during the war and not all were retro-fitted. the 307 in the Smithsonian does not have this mod. The easiest way to tell is, when G fitted the pivot point of the elevator was even with that of the rudder. I have a pic of a  C-75 that apparently JUST got finished re-fitting as you can clearly see the original position of the unit before re-painting.

Don Stauffer

Question- why did the 307 not use turbochargers?  Was it cost, maintenance?

Did some digging and the 307 had superchargers installed but I believe it was all internal, has you can't see them in any pictures (remember it used the civil version of the Wright R-1820).  Pan-Am and TWA where the only ones to fly it.  The 3 planes used by Pan-Am where not converted to the G wings and where actually retained by Pan-Am through out the war, though the military told 'em what to fly and where (still manned by Pan-Am crews).  The 5 TWA birds where actually bought by the military, stripped the pressurization equipment so they could haul more cargo, renamed to C-75 and operated cargo flights for the military manned by the original TWA crews.  In 1944, the USAAF returned the planes to TWA, which then sent them to Boeing to put the pressurization back in and modify them with B-17G wings, tail planes and engines and renamed them 307B-1.  TWA flew their 307s till 1951, Pan-Am sold theirs some time before 1950.

The B-1 modification was done during the war. There are several pictures of the planes still in USAAF service with the B-1 modification. At the time of the modifications, the paint was removed and they reverted to their pre-war NMF for the rest of their service. The easiest way to tell if the planes were modified is by looking at the tail. In B-1 configuration the elevator pivot point and the rudder pivot point are in alignment. I do not believe the Pan Am ones ever got modified. The one surviving example in the Smithsonian does not have the mod and it is ex-Pan Am.

I purchased the Academy B-17C/D "Colin Kelly" kit, for future use. I'm disappointed to hear the Maquette kit is unusable, but it isn't surprising when I get it out and look at it..