discussion Joe's Academy 1/72 Boeing B-17F Memphis Belle

[flyjoe180]

The Boeing B-17 in general, and specifically Memphis Belle, needs no introduction and the exploits of both the aircraft and her crew are well known.


After the war, Memphis Belle was saved from reclamation at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma where she had been consigned since 1 August 1945. She was flown to Memphis in July 1946 and stored until the summer of 1949 and was then put on display at the National Guard Armoury near the city's fairgrounds. She sat outdoors into the 1980s, slowly deteriorating due to weather and vandalism; souvenir hunters removed almost all of the interior components. Efforts by a Memphis Belle Memorial Association saw the aircraft moved to Mud Island in the Mississippi River in 1987 for display in a new pavilion with large tarp cover. She was still open to the elements, and prone to weathering. Pigeon nests and droppings constantly needed removal from the B-17. Dissatisfaction with the site led to efforts to create a new museum facility. In summer 2003 Memphis Belle was disassembled and moved to a restoration facility at former NAS Memphis in Millington, Tennessee for work. In September 2004, however, the National Museum of the USAF apparently tiring of the ups and downs of the city's attempts to preserve the aircraft indicated that they wanted her back for restoration and eventual display at the museum at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton Ohio. Memphis Belle arrived safely at the museum in mid-October 2005 and was placed in one of the Museum's restoration hangars, where she is still being restored. 2018 is the expected finish date for the restoration.


Academy's B-17F kit represents a later version of the B-17F. I removed the astrodome and placed a new glazing panel ahead of the windshield. I added nose armaments. I corrected the kit's excessive dihedral issue. The decals were difficult to work with, brittle and refused to settle against a gloss coat. Academy's colour and markings guide was inaccurate. However overall this was a nice kit to build with few major vices.


Build thread is here http://www.scale-models.co.uk/threads/joes-1-72-academy-b-17f-memphis-belle.30898/


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[Guest]

Great build Joe!


A very clean and tidy model, the decal work looks very good as well!


That's a nice Memphis

 

[Guest]

Great build Joe! Looks very nice and lovely

 

[Guest]

Nice build mate, like the clean build with subtle exhaust streaks

 

[Ian M]

Great work all round Joe.

 

[Dave W]

Great work Joe. Nice B17.

 

[geegad]

Cracking build on this big bird.

 

[papa 695]

She is every bit of a Belle Joe great work on such a Iconic American plane

 

[monica]

great build Joe,she is great,very nice and clean with the attention to detail,lov it,


very well done,


hope to what you do next will real look forward to it after this one,


cheers


Moni

 

[Guest]

Nice model Joe. I like the finishes just the understated effects give your model a cool look. Some intricate pattern camouflage painting some patience some execution.


Like the after war history. Shame these things get into such a state but really nice that bunches of enthusiasts under the umbrella of an Institution get together to rebuild these things.


Like the picture showing the nose and starred wheels.


Laurie

 

[john i am]

Great build Joe I especially like the wheels and rear gun little touches that make a big difference well done mate

 

[Guest]

Very nice indeed

 

[Snowman]

Nice build!!

 

[flyjoe180]

Thanks everyone who has commented. It was a pleasure to build, apart from work getting in the way I reckon I could have knocked this off in three weeks.

 

[Guest]

A nice clean build there Joe


Looking at the bomb bay, hardly seems worth the effort of flying to Germany to drop 2 bombs!

 

[flyjoe180]

Looking at the bomb bay, hardly seems worth the effort of flying to Germany to drop 2 bombs!

Thanks Patrick. There are six bombs in there, probably 1,000lbs each. The B-17 had a relatively small bomb bay due to wing construction. The bomb bay was effectively cut in half by the wing spar. Avro's Lancaster and other types had larger bomb bays. The B-17 was originally designed with range, endurance and strength in mind. Fuel capacity and self defence was of more importance in those early stages of the B-17's life than large bomb loads.


The B-17 could carry around 6,000 to 8,000lbs of bombs on a normal mission. The Avro Lancaster by comparison could carry somewhere in the region of 14,500lbs (excluding the later special missions with 22,000lb bombs). A B-17 could carry 3,500lbs to Berlin, the DH Mosquito 4,000lbs (but only one bomb, or limited to 3,000lbs of smaller bombs).


Anyway that's why you see a small bomb bay and few bombs.


BTW if you ever see this around, it's one of my favourite brews:


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[Richi72]

Great build Joe.


Like the subtle weathering allot


Cheers Richi

 

[Guest]

Excellent job joe. That is excellent. Seen the flying one at Duxford. I should post up some pics...


John

 

[colin m]

She looks lovely Joe. The B17 is just one of those aircraft that just look right (in my own opinion) After watching the film I searched 'tinterweb' for details on the crew. I can't remember what I found, but it was nice to see what these brave and famous people got up to having survived the war.

 

[flyjoe180]

Thanks Colin. Here's a list of the crew: http://www.memphis-belle.com/crewlist.htm


On the crew front escape hatch is the name "STUKA". Stuka was the crew dog, the unofficial 11th crew member, owned by co-pilot Captain James Verinis. Stuka even had his own 8th USAAF dog tags and was said to have flown a few missions with the crew in Memphis Belle.


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The movie was good for its time, but wildly inaccurate. It did reinvigorate interest in the B-17 and the exploits of the daylight bombing campaigns though.


The wartime documentary is not as it seems either. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Belle:_A_Story_of_a_Flying_Fortress

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