This kit was so high on my Christmas wish list, it competed with the fairy on the top of the tree. Sadly Peterborough and Cambridgeshire had not even seen the kit prior to Christmas or between that and the new year so I had to go without.
However, a parcel arrived in the post this morning and in it was my belated Christmas present.
Now, I believe that this kit released late last year as a new tool 1:72 B17G could possibly be the most important release in the scale for 2010 and possibly 2011.
It is a huge jump from the very long in the tooth 'Memphis Bell' which I have been doing the "Shall I, shan't I" bit for ages. The reviews of the Memphis Bell and the age of the kit kept putting me of and I am soooo glad I waited.
The new tool is very impressive. It has a fully detailed interior and I mean fully detailed at this scale. Sadly, I doubt much of it will be visible at the end but this could well be a modellers model.
Also, Revell have dropped the Memphis Bell, I had hoped that they may have done the Sally B as at Duxford, but have instead gone for "Little Miss Mischief" as the star of the superb box art.
Little Miss Mischief is a very well thought out subject as it history is clearly displayed on the aircraft.
In 1944 over Cologne, the aircraft was hit by flack and was described on crash landing at base as "almost cut in two" by the flack. In just over a month its ground crew got Little Miss Mischief operational again using parts from 13 other damaged aircraft. So when she flew again, it was a bit of a patchwork quilt. She has bare aluminium. Olive Drab, Olive and green cam and even a whitish grey on some of her parts, not to mention the red on the fin and the tail planes.
Not only is the story behind Little Miss Mischief fascinating, it has to be one of the best paint challenges for an aircraft modeller, if only it came with pre cut masks for all that glass!!!!
Anyway, I believe Revell have done us all a major service with this release. It comes in what I originally though to be an optimistic box measuring some 17"x9.5"x4.25" deep, now that is one big box for a 1:72 model However, although not tightly packed, the four bags of sprues fit in quite snuggly. As usual with Revell, this is an end opening box which I find a pain in the bum.
As I have mentioned, the box art is beautiful and photos on the side show the finished interior detail
The sprues are in good old silver plastic and the panel lines are, at last, engraved. I don't want to get into a debate on this as I think we all know that engraved panel lines are the least accurate you can be but they certainly make the model easier to detail with washes and, most agree, look better that the possibly more accurate fine raised panel lines. However, neither are technically right but I like mine engraved.
The decals are superb given the scale and have loads of stencils and of course, the obligatory nose art. There are two options, Little Miss Mischief based at Bassingbourn as part of 8th USAF, 1st Air Division, 1st Combat Wing, 91st Bomb Group Feb 1944. Or "Nine 'O Nine" same unit and base but depicting the aircraft in April 1945. Nine 'O Nine is painted in the Olive upper and grey lower colour scheme. Bassingbourn is situated near Royston Cambridgeshire and is only a short drive from where I live so it is nice once more to have models of aircraft which operated locally.
I have to admit, I have no idea when I will get around to this wonderful looking kit but I shall be keeping an eye out for reviews and even possible 3rd party additions.
If you want a really stunning B17G, packed with history then at around £18, you cannot go wrong with this one from what I have seen so far.
P.S. Apologies for the quality of the pictures. I am still not back to full health and my head is still a shed lol. If you want more detailed pics then I would be more than happy to take specific ones if it would help you decide on the kit.
However, a parcel arrived in the post this morning and in it was my belated Christmas present.
Now, I believe that this kit released late last year as a new tool 1:72 B17G could possibly be the most important release in the scale for 2010 and possibly 2011.
It is a huge jump from the very long in the tooth 'Memphis Bell' which I have been doing the "Shall I, shan't I" bit for ages. The reviews of the Memphis Bell and the age of the kit kept putting me of and I am soooo glad I waited.
The new tool is very impressive. It has a fully detailed interior and I mean fully detailed at this scale. Sadly, I doubt much of it will be visible at the end but this could well be a modellers model.
Also, Revell have dropped the Memphis Bell, I had hoped that they may have done the Sally B as at Duxford, but have instead gone for "Little Miss Mischief" as the star of the superb box art.
Little Miss Mischief is a very well thought out subject as it history is clearly displayed on the aircraft.
In 1944 over Cologne, the aircraft was hit by flack and was described on crash landing at base as "almost cut in two" by the flack. In just over a month its ground crew got Little Miss Mischief operational again using parts from 13 other damaged aircraft. So when she flew again, it was a bit of a patchwork quilt. She has bare aluminium. Olive Drab, Olive and green cam and even a whitish grey on some of her parts, not to mention the red on the fin and the tail planes.
Not only is the story behind Little Miss Mischief fascinating, it has to be one of the best paint challenges for an aircraft modeller, if only it came with pre cut masks for all that glass!!!!
Anyway, I believe Revell have done us all a major service with this release. It comes in what I originally though to be an optimistic box measuring some 17"x9.5"x4.25" deep, now that is one big box for a 1:72 model However, although not tightly packed, the four bags of sprues fit in quite snuggly. As usual with Revell, this is an end opening box which I find a pain in the bum.
As I have mentioned, the box art is beautiful and photos on the side show the finished interior detail
The sprues are in good old silver plastic and the panel lines are, at last, engraved. I don't want to get into a debate on this as I think we all know that engraved panel lines are the least accurate you can be but they certainly make the model easier to detail with washes and, most agree, look better that the possibly more accurate fine raised panel lines. However, neither are technically right but I like mine engraved.
The decals are superb given the scale and have loads of stencils and of course, the obligatory nose art. There are two options, Little Miss Mischief based at Bassingbourn as part of 8th USAF, 1st Air Division, 1st Combat Wing, 91st Bomb Group Feb 1944. Or "Nine 'O Nine" same unit and base but depicting the aircraft in April 1945. Nine 'O Nine is painted in the Olive upper and grey lower colour scheme. Bassingbourn is situated near Royston Cambridgeshire and is only a short drive from where I live so it is nice once more to have models of aircraft which operated locally.
I have to admit, I have no idea when I will get around to this wonderful looking kit but I shall be keeping an eye out for reviews and even possible 3rd party additions.
If you want a really stunning B17G, packed with history then at around £18, you cannot go wrong with this one from what I have seen so far.
P.S. Apologies for the quality of the pictures. I am still not back to full health and my head is still a shed lol. If you want more detailed pics then I would be more than happy to take specific ones if it would help you decide on the kit.
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