1:32 Boeing B-17 Mk.III

Fortresses with Icelandic names

Over the North Atlantic the fate of the convoys was decided during the war, and so was the question of when the bomber formations would take off. The weather reconnaissance squadrons, which flew daily patrols from Icelandic airfields along firmly set routes, were among the least visible but most valuable parts of Coastal Command. The British used American four-engine Fortresses of the third series for this, whose range and stability suited this service better than they did night raids.

Two aircraft, two Icelandic names

The crews gave their machines names after the places they saw daily from the flight deck. The first subject is the aircraft with the serial number FA696 and the code AD-B, named after a small port town on the western coast of the island. The second is FA699 with the code AD-H, whose name refers to the best-known Icelandic volcano. The description assigns both machines to No. 251 weather reconnaissance squadron based at Reykjavik and dates them to the end of 1944. Besides the names, the sheet contains code letters, serial numbers and British roundels matching the late war period. Both aircraft carried identical two-letter unit markings and differed only in the final character, so the builder can build two variants of the same model from one sheet.

What to watch out for

The subjects carried a restrained maritime finish, so it is exactly the decals that will stand out on the finished model. The roundels and the large letters are applied one at a time, and before laying them the surface is dampened so that the artwork can still be slid about. The set contains only the printed sheet; plastic and painting goods do not belong with it.