GETTING BACK TO MY BUILDING ROOTS, B-17F

[Down Time]

Started by building the Mighty Eighth. Now I want to tackle a little known historical aircraft flown by one of histories greatest and well known pilots.

 

[Ron2]

Started by building the Mighty Eighth. Now I want to tackle a little known historical aircraft flown by one of histories greatest and well known pilots.

I love building when there's a story behind it- looking forward to watching this!

 

[Edbert]

Looking forward to seeing a proper "Fort" get built!

 

[Down Time]

I've been wanting to do this one for a while, I have decals for "Old Bill" too.

 

[Down Time]

This project is officially underway.

 

[the Baron]

I love building when there's a story behind it- looking forward to watching this!

Another story, for this kit: Revell copied Monogram's B-17G to make this kit. The made the necessary modifications to backdate it to a dash F. When it was released, Monogram's executives examined it and found it was just smaller enough to show it came from molds that used their kit as the master. They wrote a letter to Revell to say they weren't going to sue, this time, but warning Revell not to do it again. (Source: Thomas Graham's "Monogram Models" and "Remembering Revell Models")

I have one in my stash to backdate to a -E for my "US Aircraft Used at Midway" collection.

I'll be watching this one with interest!

Best regards,
Brad

 

[Edbert]

Another story

Not even suggesting a dispute to this, but...

I thought Revell basically bought Monogram and reboxed/rebranded a lot of their kits. Was that after this story?

 

[Bear43]

That would have been long after the story. The Monogram B17-G tooling first appears in 1975. The Revell B17-F tooling first appears in 1978. This is according to Scalemates. So, it's a very plausible story.

 

[Down Time]

Did some basic exterior paint, final coat will happen later.

 

[Jakko]

I thought Revell basically bought Monogram

Mattel bought Monogram in 1968, then sold it in 1986 to Odyssey Partners, "a New York private equity firm" (so only in it for the money), who also purchased Revell soon after, then merged the two and moved everything to Monogram's facilities. The combined company was sold to first to Hallmark (of the greeting cards) in 1994, then to Alpha International in 2001, Gearbox Toys in 2002 and finally Hobbico in 2007, which went bankrupt in 2018. Kits were sold as "Revell-Monogram" until 2005, when the Monogram name disappeared.

Meanwhile, Revell Germany (which had been a largely independent subsidiary since 1956) became a completely independent company in 2006 but was purchased by Hobbico as well in 2012. The lot was then bought by Quantum Capital Partners in 2018, who — by the looks of it — still own the company.

(The above is essentially a paraphrasing of this and this on Wikipedia.)

 

[the Baron]

Exactly, Jakko.
The Revell name was used for the merged company because of its overseas presence.
Revell was never financially strong enough to have bought Monogram. And the merged company was essentially Monogram with Revell's name. Revell's plant was gradually closed and operations were centered on Monogram's facilities in Illinois.

 

[Jakko]

Sort of like Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, or Apple and NeXT

 

[VegasAWACER13]

Sort of like Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, or Apple and NeXT

Hopefully the taxpayers didn't fund the model companies' merger though.

 

[Jakko]

Given that they were both bought by a private equity firm, I wouldn't be surprised if they did …

 

[Down Time]

A little progress today, pilots seats are assembled, bulkheads painted but will need further coats.

 

[the Baron]

It's interesting that you've chosen to paint the exterior before assembling the halves. Do you anticipate little or no seams when you assemble them?

 

[Down Time]

It's interesting that you've chosen to paint the exterior before assembling the halves. Do you anticipate little or no seams when you assemble them?

It's Revell, seams are inevitable. I find it easier to "rough out" the exterior so I don't have to finesse around the windows and such. Makes final paint and touch ups easier.

 

[Edbert]

This thread has a lot of possibilities for a display or diormama!

https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2...ine-maintenance-espirito-santo-december-1942/

 

[Down Time]

It would!!!!!

 

[BarleyBop]

diormama

That's a great photo record...

 

[Down Time]

At some point maybe a B-17 group build

 

[kevin]

This diorama talk made me recall this video

 

[MRDuczz]

This thread has a lot of possibilities for a display or diormama!

https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2...ine-maintenance-espirito-santo-december-1942/

Some things that I noticed here; no de-ice boots and some prop blades have stenciling on them perpendicular to the blade with no manufacturer logo while the unpainted blades have the logos with no stenciling. Some blade tips are yellow, some are not. Most prop hubs are black while the one is unpainted. So much for uniformity.

 

[Edbert]

This diorama talk made me recall this video

I knew that story a long time ago, it is fairly famous I guess. But I watched that video series recently. Amazing work!

 

[Edbert]

At some point maybe a B-17 group build

I saw some really nice builds from HKM kits and decided to buy their B-17. I was pretty disappointed with it overall, but exterior/surface detail is awesome. I got the interior done the wings together and started gluing the fuselage when I found major fit issues. So I parked it on the shelf.

All of that to say I could be talked into a group build. When the Biplane one is done, and my club has a helicopter GB starting this weekend. But soon, yeah I'm in. Maybe make it a 4-engine GB so the Liberators, Stratoforts and Lancs can join?

Edit...all of the amazing builds of K+HKM kits that I saw were twin-engine jobs like the Mitchell, looks like their forts are older and known to have issues. I need to learn to research more before buying.

 

[Down Time]

I saw some really nice builds from HKM kits and decided to buy their B-17. I was pretty disappointed with it overall, but exterior/surface detail is awesome. I got the interior done the wings together and started gluing the fuselage when I found major fit issues. So I parked it on the shelf.

All of that to say I could be talked into a group build. When the Biplane one is done, and my club has a helicopter GB starting this weekend. But soon, yeah I'm in. Maybe make it a 4-engine GB so the Liberators, Stratoforts and Lancs can join?

Edit...all of the amazing builds of K+HKM kits that I saw were twin-engine jobs like the Mitchell, looks like their forts are older and known to have issues. I need to learn to research more before buying.

This my third B-17, one was a G model by Revell, and the other was a 1/72 by Academy, the Memphis Belle. Both were ok to build.

 

[Down Time]

The G was my 2nd build when I got back into the hobby.

 

[Edbert]

The G was my 2nd build when I got back into the hobby.

Those are two different ones right? The way you posed the figures really tells a story, more than one story too!

 

[Down Time]

Those are two different ones right? The way you posed the figures really tells a story, more than one story too!

Yes, top is the 1/72, bottom 1/48.
You can check out the Memphis Belle diorama on here.