Mighty 8th GB 1-Nov-2010 - 31-Oct-2011

Sorry to hear that redraider! I managed to slip with an xacto and stab myself in the index finger when I was younger. Bled like a stuck pig, and still have the scar all these years later.

Makes me question my sanity sometimes when I pull out the scalpel!

All I can say is 'it happens'

Bish:  I hope you have a safe deployment, and return home healthy and happy.  What branch of the military do you serve with?  I remember watching the news in 1982 when the British fleet set sail for the Falklands.  Even for a Yank living in North Carolina (a paradox, I know) at the time it was a stirring sight to see.

Here's a photo of the Airfix 1/72 Flying Fortress and a sheet of decals (dated 1999!) I found in my stash.  I plan to build one of the planes feature.  All are from the 91st Bomb Group, stationed at Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire (USAAF station 121).

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I'm leaning toward "Just Plain Lonesome," a B-17G from the 324th Bomb Squadron.  In photos (I've only located two on the net) she appears to have the longer "F" style nose cone, and extended barrels on the chin guns.  One item I'm not sure of are the waist windows.  I suspect from the timeframe they may be the three piece canted style, rather than the later flush style.  If I don't find information to the contrary I'll probably go with the earlier style,  Squadron has some vacuformed pieces I've used before.

checkmateking02 Thanks, i will update the build list.

You sound like somone who knows a bit about B-17's, so maybe you can help me. I had always thought that aircraft with the chin guns were B-17G's.  I recently got a book from the Osprey Combat Aircraft series on B-17's in the 8th. In there it has colour plates of two B-17F's with chin guns. I also noticed the longer nose cone on the F's and its also on one aircrfat labeled as a G. So apart from the shorter nose cone, how do you tell the difference between a G and an F with the chin turret.

Sorry mate, didn't see your first post. I was 12 in 82 and used to watch the news up dates every day. We didn't have 24 hour live news back then. Even then i knew i wanted to join the army, but never thought i would be down there. Its a bit quierter now, but i have done my bit getting my *** shot off in Ulster and Iraq so i don't mind the slower pace now. This will be my third time, so its becoming like home.

Hi, Bish:

I've been building B-17's since 1982, and I have 24 of them (plus 2 B-24's and assorted 8th AAF fighters--all1/72) stored in plastic boxes to keep them out of the dust.  It was the year I discovered Hasegawa.

Chin turrets began appearing on some late-model B-17F's, and perhaps the only way to tell the difference between an "F' and a "G" for sure is by serial number.  There were some "escort" B-17's, called the "YB-40," loaded out with guns which I think had chin turrets too.  If I remember right, YB-40's were converted "F's."

Also, the side gun windows in the nose were often located differently, depending on whether the plane was built by Boeing, Vega or Douglas.  It took a while to standarize the location.  Then there was the factor of the modification centers (like Cheyenne, Wyoming), where some planes were altered before shipping overseas; plus any field modifications that were carried out once the plane arrived in England.  It makes for a confusing mess, so I try to find a photograph of the plane--which isn't always possible and which doesn't always answer all questions.  Most photographers seemed to be more interested in the nose art (I wonder why?), rather than whether the waist guns were staggered or not; and whether the guns mounts were K-5 or K-6.

The recoil from the chin guns tended to crack the longer "F" nose, so the cones were shortened during the "G" production runs, although there were "G's" that continued to carry the longer nose cone.  In addition, some early "G's" made it into combat with the old window arrangement from the "E" series, notably and unfortunately "Pistol Packin' Mama" from the 91st Bomb Group, which means I can't build that ship without substantial modification.  Maybe the best answer would be to get an "E" and splice in the chin turret, rather than try to fix the windows on a "G" kit.  But not for this group build! 

I have been partial to the Flying Fortress since the days Robert Lansing portrayed Brig. Gen. Frank Savage in "12 O'Clock High" on TV--waaaaay back in 1964/65 (when I was 12).

For some odd reason I feel compelled to go out and get a P-51 but I'm gonna try to fight off the urge

WOW, and i thought i had problems trying to figure out the production periods of Tigers. I only have 3 Forts, an F, G and one thats going to be build as an RAF Fortress I, plus i will have to get another G. I guess i better check my kits to see if they match the decals as i am useing AM markings. I do have 5, soon to be 6, B-24's. But thats only because alot of the bases in Norfolk only operated that type.

I am glad you are doing another Bassingborn aircraft. I know when people think of bassingborn, they think of the belle, so will be nice to see another plane from their, and will take me back to my training days.

Bish,

Put me down for Ol' Flak Joe flown by Lt. Bill Fricker  363FS/357FG out of Leiston.  Kit will be either the Tamiya or Academy D in 1/72.  The only info I could find on Lt. Fricker was from a small obit on the Princeton U. website.  He graduated Princeton in 1942 as a geology major and served as the manager of the cross country team.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with Four Clusters.  After the war he worked in the floor covering industry.  He was an avid sailor and Commodore of the Atlanta Yacht Club.  He died of cancer on 14 Aug 1995.  Survived by his wife, five children and eight grandchildren.

lewbud Welcome to the build, and thats a nice bit of background, thank you.

Bish

WOW, and i thought i had problems trying to figure out the production periods of Tigers. I only have 3 Forts, an F, G and one thats going to be build as an RAF Fortress I, plus i will have to get another G. I guess i better check my kits to see if they match the decals as i am useing AM markings. I do have 5, soon to be 6, B-24's. But thats only because alot of the bases in Norfolk only operated that type.

I am glad you are doing another Bassingborn aircraft. I know when people think of bassingborn, they think of the belle, so will be nice to see another plane from their, and will take me back to my training days.

I often wonder why the decal people make decals for specific planes that there are no kits for.

The RAF Fort should be impressive.  The camouflage on British planes is attractive.  I built an "E" and painted it for the early 8th AAF--"Peggy D," I think.  It was on a MicroScale decal sheet ages ago.  I read that some of  these early Forts in England were repainted with British style camouflage, so that's what I did:  Dark Earth, Dark Green, with Sky undersurfaces.  More recently, I've read that perhaps only the Dark Green was applied, so mine is probably wrong.  I think there was a photo in one of Roger Freeman's "Might Eighth" books. 

I have to plead guilty to building the Memphis Belle, but it was a couple of years ago.  The camouflage was trying--I photocopied the part for the upper wing, then drew the pattern on it and cut it out with cuticle scissors.  I used doubled-over tape so the mask would "float" a little over the wing, trying to reproduce a soft spray.  The result is here:

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The paint was AeroMaster OD and OD faded, mixed half and half for a lighter shade, over their version of neutral gray.  The blotching was AeroMaster medium green.  I had seen some color movie footage of B-17's lifting off on a mission, and it appeared that the inside of the ailerons were reddish, so that's what I did.

Until November, when this build starts, I've taken up with another Fortress that I started two years ago.  Back then we underwent a house remodel, my hobby room got filled up with stuff we had to relocate, and I only got around to cleaning it out this summer.  This particular B-17 will be "Carolina Moon," B-17G-75-BO, and flew with 851 BS, 490 BG.  Decals come with the Academy kit, but I will replace them with AM.  It's the second time I've attempted "Carolina Moon"--the cat jumped on the first one. 

Ye, i like the look of the RAF Forts, i have a sheet from Rising decals which has markings for several, the one i am useing will be Green, earth and Sky. It will be nice to see that alongside an OD and NMF B-17 i plan on doing.

What is that pattern on the Belle, i have never seen that on an American aircraft. Is that a deliberate pattern as it looks more like where areas have been patched up. 

I have the carolina Moon kit as well, but i will be useing a set of asero master decals for Super rabbit from the 100th BG. But my first Fort will be the F for this GB, though i think i may have built the old Airfix kit years ago, the one with marking for 'a bot o lace', but thats long gone.

Screw it, I'm in for another build but this my LAST one.   I havn't bought the kit yet, but it will be Tamiya's 1/48 P-51D.  I did however buy some Aeromaster decals for this yellow nose Mustang flown by Lt. Donald F. Vulgamore of the 376th Fighter Squadron of the 361st Fighter Group based at RAF Bottisham, Station 374

redraider56

Screw it, I'm in for another build but this my LAST one.   

LOL! I know EXACTLY how you feel! Joined the Ostfront GB on a whim with a Zvezda La-5. Haven't even started it yet, and I'm now up to not one, but two La-5s, a Yak-3, and Zvezda's new Bf-109F-2...

redraider56

Screw it, I'm in for another build but this my LAST one.   

LOL! I know EXACTLY how you feel! Joined the Ostfront GB on a whim with a Zvezda La-5. Haven't even started it yet, and I'm now up to not one, but two La-5s, a Yak-3, and Zvezda's new Bf-109F-2...

I found an interesting bit of info while doing some research on the 361st FG.  You all know Colonel John Landers and his famous checkerboard nose "Big Beautiful Doll", but I found out that he was transferred from the 78th FG to the 361st FG in June of 1945 and brought with him his famous plane which was lettered "WZ-I".  When he arrived with the 361st, his aircraft as recoded "E2-I", the entire nose was painted yellow, and the canopy rail, wing tips, and rudder were painted medium blue which were the markings of the 375th squadron.  Retained though, was the scoreboard, pilot name on the canopy rail, and of course the plane's name.  This picture is of the plane after it was recoded and  the canopy rail painted blue.

Thats a nice bit of background. And judging by those kill markings, would i be right in saying this guy started out in the pacific and then switched to Europe.

I believe he did, I don't know the whole story, but I think so.  I'm not making this plane but am building a mustang from the same group, so you can add that to the roster

Bish

Ye, i like the look of the RAF Forts, i have a sheet from Rising decals which has markings for several, the one i am useing will be Green, earth and Sky. It will be nice to see that alongside an OD and NMF B-17 i plan on doing.

What is that pattern on the Belle, i have never seen that on an American aircraft. Is that a deliberate pattern as it looks more like where areas have been patched up. 

I have the carolina Moon kit as well, but i will be useing a set of asero master decals for Super rabbit from the 100th BG. But my first Fort will be the F for this GB, though i think i may have built the old Airfix kit years ago, the one with marking for 'a bot o lace', but thats long gone.

Some of the early "F" Forts that reached England were camouflaged with medium green blotches along the leading and trailing edges of the horizontal surfaces, and parts of the fuselage.  Besides the Belle,  Hell's Angels and Knock Out Dropper (in an odd bird's foot pattern) also carried them.  I'm not certain, but I think Delta Rebel and/or Eight Ball (which boasted Clark Gable as a sometime gunner) also carried them.  I'd guess the blotches were applied "in theater" rather than back in the States, but I don't know for sure.

Bish

Thats a nice bit of background. And judging by those kill markings, would i be right in saying this guy started out in the pacific and then switched to Europe.

You would be correct .  First six came while flying P-40Es out of Australia with the 49th Pursuit Group.

http://www.granburydepot.org/z/biog/LandersJohnDave.htm

I had a feeling those came while flying a differen plane

Good thing this doesnt start for awhile. I've been finding usefull information about the kit in general and how to fix the problems. I found this on swanny models.

http://www.swannysmodels.com/P-38fix.html

I'm thinking I'll order the cockpit detail set on friday when I get paid.

ww2psycho

Good thing this doesnt start for awhile.

With the other GB's I'm involved with kicking off early, I'm glad this one's holding out until November! Should give me a chance to get the Wildcats - and hopefully the La-5 - knocked out ahead of time. Just need to decide if I want to kick things off with the P-51B or the Monogram P-47...

I can't wait to start the Tamiya Razorback, this kit is really truly a gem.....I'm gonna start with that, then the Mustang and then the B-24

I bought a Verlinden PW 2800 for my Razorback. Has anyone built one of those and used it in the Tamiya P47? Since I've got a complete engine and two fronts I might add a B-26 to the group build... just got to finish the P47 and F4F I'm working on then I can get started on the GB.

I'm building my Razorback OOB except for a true details seat

No need to worry guys, i have no intention of bringing it forward. I know a few people, myself included have other things to finish first. I have 3 builds in 2 GB before i start on this one. And remember, theres no pressure to start straight away, it run for a year so got plenty of time. I won't get to start on mine until mid May.

jbrady  I haven't used any Verlinden sets on aircraft, but have used an engine set on a tank. While it does look good, it was a pain and didn't fit right, and i have heard bad things about other Verlinden armour sets, but nothing about aircraft. And by all means add a B-26, it would be nice to get as many aircrfat typoes as possable.

redraider56

I'm building my Razorback OOB except for a true details seat

Come on...you know you want 'em...

http://ultracast.ca/products/Master/48%20Scale/MAM-48-002/default.htm

jbrady - Don't know specifically about the 2800, but I know that Verlinden's kit-specific aircraft stuff is supposed to be pretty solid. Apparently the F4U super detail set is one of the few out there that doesn't require cutting the hell out of things. Eager to see what you think of the 2800 though...may have to add that to my Tamiyabolt whenever I get one.