1:32 B-17F/G Decal Sheet

The insignia that lasted one summer

When in June 1943 the US Army Air Forces added a red outline border to the star with white rectangles, it was meant to improve the recognition of machines on the ground and in the air. But the red color was confused with the Japanese marking in the Pacific and the order was rescinded. The new form thus stayed in force for barely three months, and aircraft carrying it can be dated with a precision you will not find with any other insignia. For the modeler this sheet is a way of capturing such a short period on a model.

Not only insignia

Besides the bordered stars, the printing offers complete general markings for both main combat versions of the four-engine Boeing. These include the lettering for the instrument equipment of the pilot's area, the details by the fuel ports, the logos for the propeller blades, the black stripes marking the path across the wing, the plates by the life raft and data placards. It is precisely by these small things that a model in a large scale differs from a toy, because empty areas look unnaturally bare in 1:32.

A procedure that has proved itself

Start with the large insignia while you still have a free hand on the model, and finish the small lettering around them. A combination of gloss clear and a soft mat under your fingers saves nerves on large areas. The red border is narrow, so when cutting leave at least a tenth of a millimeter of carrier film around the print, otherwise you risk cutting into the color. Leave the small placards until the end and place them according to period photographs rather than your own guess, because the spacing between them differs with every production series. The delivery consists of the printed sheet alone.