B-17F Revell 1/48 - Memphis Belle

[olgerd83]

Hello everyone, I want to share with my build of an old and well-known Revell's model of B-17F. I decided to make the Memphis Belle variant

(I know that it's a quite ordinary variant, but I want to make exactly this model).

 

 

Here are the kit and some adds

 

 

I started my build from the interior: made door, some holders for instruments and other devices

 

 

 

 

 

 

[olgerd83]

Improved interior, because without additional parts it looks really poor

 

 

[Wurzacher]

Interesting idea to do the fuselage stringers using fine wire!

[tomprobert]

A great start but if you don't mind me saying, B-17s were never painted interior green. Instead that were dark dull green in the cockpit only, all other areas being natural aluminium.

 

Loving the extra detail work going into this!

 

Tom

[olgerd83]

Thanks guys, Tom, are you sure? I thought that only G's were natural aluminium inside, because I saw pictures of original plane (I know that it's a museum variant that was restored and repainted many times, but any way)

and interior wasn't aluminiam one. Look at the pictures

 

[tomprobert]

Never take warbirds as accurate!

 

The aircraft you show here is actually a very late model G backdated to represent an F, ("The Movie Memphis Belle") and is painted inside for anti corrosion purposes, as a lot of modern warbirds are. All marks of Fortress were devoid of interior paint apart from the cockpit area. Some had an olive green interior padding installed in the nose and radio room, but this was nearly always removed in combat to reveal the aluminium skins beneath.

 

The original Memphis Belle is actually undergoing restoration at Dayton, and they are painstakingly removing any interior paint from previous 'restorations' to return it to its wartime appearance as accurately as possible.

Edited March 28, 2016 by tomprobert

[Karl H]

Also, the nose, cockpit, and radio compartment were lined with an olive fabric while the bomb bay was Neutral Gray.

 

In this photo, taken inside the "Memphis Belle" prior to any restorations, you can see the insulation (the light yellow/brown stuff) and a bit of the fabric (red arrow).

 

 

Here is the bomb bay:

 

 

The green channel is a mod: They added the capability for nose fusing which was not on the early aircraft.

 

In this picture, which is a screen capture from the Belle War Department film, you can see the fabric and insulation in the damaged area. This would be the left forward area of the bombardiers compartment.

 

 

Here is that area undamaged and the fabric undamaged:

 

 

 

Sometimes the fabric was removed and you could see the insulation that was glued in between the ribs and formers:

 

Edited March 28, 2016 by Karl H

[Karl H]

Other little details that may be of interest: The bombardiers floor was unpainted plywood as was the area around the top turret. The navigators floor and floor under the pilots feet were unpainted aluminum. The radio floor was plywood covered with black rubber matting as was the waist floor. Sometimes this matting was removed as it got loose or was damaged. Areas in the cockpit covered by the fabric included the sidewalls, the overhead and aft bulkhead. The aft bulkhead in the nose and both bulkheads facing the radio room were also fabric covered. Areas in the cockpit not covered with fabric were painted Dull Dark Green. This included the control column, glareshield, center console, rudder pedals, seats and their supports, the intercooler stand, the pilots switch panel, the hydraulic tank and accumulator, and the frames around the windows. The top of the center console was black.

[kkarlsen]

Very nice start Oleg. Interesting, I will follow your project closely - Perfect with all the detailed photos and everything, all together in one tread?

[olgerd83]

Thank you Karl an Tom that you showed me my mistakes with colors, but the job is done and it's too late to correct my mistakes. I have already made a huge work and the both sides of the fuselage are glued,

I have so many photos to show, that I decided not to post them in one post, that's why you mistakenly thought that my model is in the of the build.

I give you my word that I will take your advices into account when will start my B-17G in 1/32  

 

 

 

 

fire extinguisher

 

[olgerd83]

A ply-wood floor as you wanted and some instruments and wires

 

 

[LSP_Kevin]

Nice project, Oleg, and nice work, too!

 

Kev

[olgerd83]

the oxygen balloons  and more photos of the almost completed cockpit

 

In order to make all those adds visible I decided to try to make lights inside the fuselage






 

[Karl H]

Hi Oleg, just thought I would throw that info out there, too bad it was too late. When you get to your G, there are some differences so don't rely on what has been written here ; ) ! You are doing a nice job on a beast of a kit. Really like the excellent work you are doing with the Eduard details, those things can be tricky!

Edited March 29, 2016 by Karl H

[tomprobert]

At the end of the day Oleg, you can paint it whatever colour you want, and like Karl I just wanted to help out with colours etc.

 

And rest assured you won't be the first, and certainly not the last, to paint a B-17 interior green!

 

It's looking good though - the extra detail is really brining it to life.