This is Academys 1/72nd B-17F. t was built firstly for my own GB, the Mighty 8th GB. But was also enetred into the Too many Props GB. It was also supposed to have been in the Weathering GB. But do to a number of issues with the build, that slipped to one side.
The build was started at the end of May. But due to a number of issue has only just been finished. At one point it was going to be put in a box and put back on the shelf. This was due to me realiseing the decals i had did not represent a real aircraft. This was saved by littleJ who found a set of supercale decals for an aircraft of the 96th BG. The aircraft depicted is ole puss II, which flew with the 96th from July 43 to April 44.
I added a complete Eduard Big Ed PE set. It wa sthen painted with Xtracolour enamels and after the decals i use pro modeller wash for the panel lines and weathering.
I added the field fitted forward gun position but cutting a hole in the clear nose piece and added framing with lead foil, then use the foil to make the gun mount. The support framing is styrene rod. But i am not 100% happy with the result, the clear plastic is to thick for starters. And the framing is a little to big. So i plan to replace this at a later date with a thinner vac form nose, this should be easier to modify using the lessons from this one. The canvas covers for the gun barrels was tissue paper painted OD
I plan on a dio showing the aircraft about to be loaded with bombs. And so the bomb bay has been left open. The bomb bay its all eduard PE
Off the top of my head, and without going through all the posts on this thread and others i would like to thank Stikpusher, B17pilot, B17, checkmateking and littleJ for all their help. And if i have forgotten anyone, my apologies. and thanks to everyone else for the kinds words, advice and encouragement during this build.
And now, for a touch of history.
This kit is the second in a personal project of mine, to build 72nd aircraft from all of the 37 military airfields in the County of Norfolk. This is was more airfields than any other county in the UK.
The aircraft depicted here is B-17F-85-BO 42-30073. Originally issued to the 384th BG, on the 6th of July 193 it was transferred to the 96th BG in a straight swap with 42-5883. 883 had been named ‘OLE PUSS’, and so 073 was named ‘OLE PUSS II’, though the nose art only reads ‘OLE PUSS’. The Nose Art was painted on by Sgt Johnnie White. During 073’s time with the 96th, she carried out 27 missions and claimed to have shot down 12 enemy fighters. Her career came to an end on the 17th April 1944 when she was forced to belly land at East Wretham, home of the 359th FG, just a few miles down the A-11 from Snetterton.
The 96th BG was activated in July 1942, commanded by Lt. Colonel Archie Old Jr. After many months of training in the USA, the Group deployed to the UK, their first base being at Grafton Underwood, where the Air Echelons arrived on the 14th April. In May, the Group moved to Andrews Field airfield, from where their first mission was carried out on the 14th of May, with 21 aircraft being sent out, and all 21 coming back. Then in June 1943, the 96th moved yet again, this time to Snetterton in South Norfolk. It would spend the rest of the war here, as part of the 45th Wing, 3rd bombardment Division. The Group would spend the next 2 and a half years there, carrying out its last mission, its 320th, on April 21st 1945 and they left Snetterton in December and was inactivated once back home.
On the 29th may 1947 it was re Activated as the 96th BG (Very heavy) and was inactivated again on 27th June 1949.
The village of Snetterton is in South Norfolk. It lays just to the North of the A-11, one of the major roads into the county that runs from Norwich, to the north, and heads South towards London. The airfield opened in May 1943. It lay right next to the A-11, to the South of the road. On my first visit to Snetterton back in the late 70’s early 80’s, the road was still a single carrage way. We went in through what was the old gate, and you could see how close to the road the runways were and some of the old buildings were still there. The road has since be turned into a dual carrage way and many of there old features have gone.
In June 1943, Snetterton became home to both the B-26’s of the 386th BG and the B-17’s on the 96th. The 386th only stayed a few months, moving out in Sept. The 96th was one of only 3 B-17 BG’s based in Norfolk. Most B-17’s were stationed in Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. Snetterton, along with the other 2 Norfolk B-17 bases, Thorpe Abbots (100th BG) & Deopham Green (452nd BG) are all in South Norfolk close to the border with Suffolk. When the 96th left for home in Dec 1945, the base was used by the RAF until it was closed in Nov 1948. It then fell into disuse until it was bought in 1952. The runways and perimeter were seen as ideal for motor racing. The first bike race took place in 1953 and the first car race in 1954. Today it is still used for motor racing, both national and international. It is also used for a massive market every Sunday. Recently the old airfield, now known as Snetterton park, has be transformed with a Garden Village and SP models, who have a sign on the A-11 claiming to be the worlds largest toy shop. True or not I don’t know, but it defiantly is very big, the model section is at the back and took me a good 5 mins to get to walking through all the other toys and hobby sections.
But, despite all the modernisation, Snetterton, and in deed Norfolk and the rest of East Anglia, has never forgotten the friendly invasion by young men with strange accents and strange habits.
This has to be one of the most impressive war memorials i have yet seen.
Thanks for looking, and thanks to all the great people on this forum without whom i would never have finished this.