David Parker's B-17G Big Bird Modelling Guide

[CODY]

As the title states...

Does anyone have a good link to be able to purchase this book? I'm guessing it is out of print?

But was hoping it maybe still out there.

If any one has one that they would be willing to part with...I would walk hundreds of miles thru a blinding snow storm uphill both ways to get it...

Thanks in advance guys.

[nmayhew]

Btw didn’t he get the interior colours wrong?

 

he’s an armour guy...

[Kagemusha]

https://www.modellbau-koenig.de/en/Literature/other/B-17G-Big-Bird-Modelling-Guide

[CODY]

4 hours ago, Kagemusha said:

https://www.modellbau-koenig.de/en/Literature/other/B-17G-Big-Bird-Modelling-Guide

Thank you...So very much...

[tomprobert]

13 hours ago, nmayhew said:

Btw didn’t he get the interior colours wrong?

 

 

Sadly, yes. The usual error of painting the interior in US Interior Green throughout was made. B-17s were unpainted internally - only exposed metal on the flightdeck was painted bronze green. There is some evidence emerging that Douglas-built Forts had their radio rooms and some section of rear fuselage painted, but there's no definitive information as to what shades of green and also what batches.

 

However, your best bet, if you're concerned about accuracy, is to paint a WWII-era B-17 aluminium inside.

 

Tom

[nmayhew]

5 hours ago, tomprobert said:

 

 

 

However, your best bet, if you're concerned about accuracy, is...

 

 

 

...to seek out subject matter experts on internet forums (like this) rather than buy "how to model the xyz" books unless the author really knows what he is talking about

 

As i said, David P is an armour guy.

Anything King Tiger or Panzer IV, I'll take his word for it.

If it's got wings, my cat probably has an equal chance of getting it right.

[Bob MDC]

David Parker is also editor of Air Modeller some of the LSP builds are outstanding

 

Bob

 

 

[thierry laurent]

Indeed, if David is mainly an AFV modeller, he also built a lot of airplane kits (mainly 1/32 ones).

 

So, I would never say that I would not trust him as the guy does his best to get accurate references as much as possible for his kits. He's not perfect but does his best as most people are doing here!

[Palm-tree]

I have Mr Parker’s guide to modelling the HK 1/32 B-17G.

 

The guide in my opinion is excellent, lavishly illustrated and his scratch building details namely the top turret , ( prior to the B-17 E-F release) are exceptional and consistently so.

 

The interior colour is the only area where there may be some doubt, and as other’s have pointed out , is almost always natural metal -alclad. 

 

I say almost because fuselages etc were cannibalised from other forts which may have been finished in interior green as they came off the production line before the interior paint finish was cancelled....mid 1943? I forget the exact date. Roger Freeman’s excellent book on the Fortress provides all the modifications and dates as they were implemented.

 

The interior ( B-17G)was left natural metal, as was the outside which had an advantage of saving weight, hence a slightly faster true airspeed, plus saving of production time and costs.

 

In reality, the other more sobering reason was simply due to the aircraft not lasting long enough in combat for there to be any corrosion concerns.

 

Of curious note in Mr Freeman’s book is the surprising mod of pouring concrete into the top turret mounting pintle to prevent turret fires caused by electrical wire chaffing as the turret rotated.

 

As ever, check your references, there is plenty of contemporary photographic evidence showing the natural metal finish interiors. The cockpit area is the exception which shows the deep green colour ( not US interior green).

 

If you can find Mr Parker’s guide to building the B-17G, I still thoroughly recommend it.

 

p-t

[Juggernut]

Which Roger Freeman book is it that states the B-17 interiors were painted and was subsequently cancelled?  I'd like to read that for myself.

 

The upper local turret that comes with the B-17G looks like the  A-1C upper local turret which was not used in the B-17 to the best of my information.  The B-17G used the A-1A or A-1B upper local turret; nope, they're not even close to be similar to the A-1C. Did David Parker scratchbuild an A-1A upper local turret?

 

Douglas is the only source of the green painted interior of the waist compartment area of the fuselage, Boeing and Vega, nope...bare aluminum.  From extant photographs, it also appears (as was pointed out to me from a noted B-17 authority) that the painted interiors of the Douglas ships were done after the installation of the equipment as there is photographic evidence of precisely that.

 

Here's a factoid:  The B-17F was the fastest of all production B-17's... camouflage paint and all.

 

You are correct that the cockpit was painted bronze green (per Boeing E&R manual) but the flooring immediately underneath the rudder pedals was left bare metal.  I haven't discovered if this was steel sheet, stainless or just plain aluminum.  I haven't gotten into the blueprints that far yet.

 

Sweet Pea, a Douglas B-17G-25-DL w/painted waist section.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tomprobert]

3 hours ago, Palm-tree said:

I say almost because fuselages etc were cannibalised from other forts which may have been finished in interior green as they came off the production line before the interior paint finish was cancelled....mid 1943? I forget the exact date. Roger Freeman’s excellent book on the Fortress provides all the modifications and dates as they were implemented.

 

You may be getting confused with the abolishing of the interior padding in the nose and radio room - no B-17s were painted internally according to Boeing specs from the prototypes to the last G-models. Apart from the few Douglas batches that is. 

[nmayhew]

17 hours ago, Bob MDC said:

David Parker is also editor of Air Modeller some of the LSP builds are outstanding

 

Bob

 

 

 

Indeed

 

he is a far more accomplished builder than I can ever be, but we are (or at least I was) talking about the (in)accuracy of information which is being charged for in modelling books, not how cool his builds look in magazines 

 

[monthebiff]

5 hours ago, nmayhew said:

 

Indeed

 

he is a far more accomplished builder than I can ever be, but we are (or at least I was) talking about the (in)accuracy of information which is being charged for in modelling books, not how cool his builds look in magazines 

 

After seeing his B-17 close up and in the flesh it looks even better than in a book even if he does have some interior colour wrong. If only I could build to that standard.

 

Regards. Andy

[thierry laurent]

Indeed! I also saw the actual kit and it looks terrific!