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B-17 Reference Information


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but but but... i have the itch to scratch build something!

Sure go a head. All you have to do is; just unscrew the scale bolts/screws from the cockpit window frames, remove them and then carefully remove the scale windows, after which you can just reach in with your scale fingers and add the scale curtains- which likely you sewed on your scale sewing machine - See? Simple! :lol:

Good Luck

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You forgot the scale swearing and cursing when the first curtains are botched, and the scale tech who's ticked off that his scale Fort isn't ready to fly some scale missions - where as the scale crew is in the scale mess hall drinking a few more scale beers.

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I got a question, anyone got pics of the radio room for a B-17D? I'm trying to figure out how to replicate this area, amd dont have a spare set of the monogram radio room parts to put into the revell F kit to at least give me something to work with. Plus I honestly just dont know how differant it was compared to all the big tailed forts.

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Check this out, found this on the WIX site, kits world has made a decal sheet of the B-17 cast from the memphis bell movie. Pretty cool, my I was looking at this with my 8yo looking over my shoulder, he was telling me I have to build those (one of his favorite movies), all of them!

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Sure go a head. All you have to do is; just unscrew the scale bolts/screws from the cockpit window frames, remove them and then carefully remove the scale windows, after which you can just reach in with your scale fingers and add the scale curtains- which likely you sewed on your scale sewing machine - See? Simple! :thumbsup:

Good Luck

ZING! well played

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A small detail for those of you getting further along. On the lower aft fuselage, there were three Identification lights. While most model instructions show them located on the centerline of the aircraft, they were in fact located to the right of center as shown in this picture taken from the "Memphis Belle" documentary:

Identlts.jpg

Little hard to see, but FYI...

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Alright a call to research buffs....

Still researching my grandfather with what little time I can muster.

I have yet to get my hands on the pictures since my ***** sister who doesn't have anything to do with them stole my idea of scanning them all and took them from my mother. My uncle won't give up the log book he has so I have to go over there and copy it by hand. UGH

Anyway I'm pretty certain that he was in the 482nd Bomb Group 813th Squadron. But I can't find crew lists anywhere. If anyone knows how I can find this information let me know. I'm looking for S/sgt Roy H Baine. He would have been a waist gunner on a 17. Between 1943-1945

Kris

482-bg-LOGOS.JPG

813%20Bomb%20Squad.jpg

Edited by Bigasshammm
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OK so I need to find out more information on this bird.

I'm not 100% certain on how the tail numbers correlate to the serial numbers. So should this be 42-107172? I think that's too many numbers for the serial but 2107172 is whats on the tail.

Or is it just supposed to be 42-10717 and the 2 that's on the rudder is for something else?

SCAN0043.jpg

There are a couple of serial numbers on some of the photos that I have of targets being bombed but one of them is to a B-24 "Shoo Shoo Baby" which was shot down. I'm not sure then if someone gave him that photo or what.

The other number I can make out I can't get any info on.

You can see on this picture the SN 42-51095 which references to the B-24

SCAN0194.jpg

This one looks like 42-51059 which may be a misprint of the 42-51095 or may be a different craft but I can't find anything on it.

SCAN0179.jpg

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OK so I need to find out more information on this bird.

I'm not 100% certain on how the tail numbers correlate to the serial numbers. So should this be 42-107172? I think that's too many numbers for the serial but 2107172 is whats on the tail.

Or is it just supposed to be 42-10717 and the 2 that's on the rudder is for something else?

SCAN0043.jpg

Tail serial number is correct.

It's B-17G-35-DL 42-107172

I believe it was shot down during ill-fated Memmingen mission on 18 July 1944, when 483rd lost 14 out of 26 airplanes.

A photo of crashlanded B-17 that made back to Sterparone you posted before is also taken after this mission.

Look: http://www.483rd.com/mmission.html

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Here's the story about that photo:

This is indeed "Mizpah". Boeing B-17G-35-BO 42-32109 840th Bombardment Squadron of the 483rd Bombardment Group (15th Air Force). 14 July 1944. Damaged by flak, nose blown off, continued flying for about 10 minutes, crashed at Solt. Ewald Swanson crew, Berndt, Henderson, Dudley, Gramenzi, Simonelli, Hish, Bell, Kelley, Tucker. Henderson and Dudley were killed, the rest became POWs. (MACR 6901).

from Grimm's Heroes of the 483rd:

The name Mizpah was suggested by Joe Hendersons wife, Mary. The Biblical word means May the Lord watch over us while we are absent one from the other. Swanson and crew had just returned from a most enjoyable week on the Isle of Capriwhen they were shot down. The mission was to the Shell Oil Refinery in Budapest, Hungary, 14 July 1944. An 88mm shell exploded in the nose, causing it to peel up and over the cockpit, just missing the tail assembly. Henderson and Dudley were killed instantly. The back section of the plane filled with dense smoke and the five men in that section bailed out. Unbelievably, Swanson and Berndt kept the plane flying for about 10 minutes without instruments or windshield. Sub-zero weather and fear of stalling made it necessary for the three men up front to bail out. All eight survivors were captured. The officers were sent to Stalag Luft III, the enlisted men to Stalag Luft IV. The crew had flown about 38 to 40 missions. Robert W. R.W. Toombs, a waist gunner, flying with Bob Orton in B-17 42-109849, Joanne, in the number 5 position (Swanson was in the number 2 position) had his Kodak Brownie with him and took three photos of Mizpah as it slowly drifted out of formation. These are among the most celebrated combat photos of World War II. Edward Jablonski used one of the photos in his publication Flying Fortress, suggesting the pilot and co-pilot were carried off and the engineer wounded. Swanson, Berndt and Gramenzi were miraculously unhurt. Some crew members may have seen the famous photos of their plane in publications, but had no way of knowing it was their plane until they saw the photos in the Association archives. Mizpah was the only 15th Air Force bomber lost on this date, but Bob Goeslings plane also received a direct hit on this same mission.

*Source: AAF Forum

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