1:48 B17F Flying Fortress

Two machines of the F version on one sheet

The decal sheet in 1:48 scale brings the decoration of a pair of Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress aircraft. The first of them carried serial number 42-5054, the name The Belle and the fuselage letters PU-I. The second is listed as The Duchess, with serial number 41-24561 and the letters RN-T. Besides the art on the nose, these letters are printed as well, so a finished model refers to one particular aircraft rather than to a general camouflage.

How the F is recognized

You will tell the F version from the later G by the nose, under whose cockpit no lower gun turret yet sits. Both bombers shown had exactly that silhouette at the time when daylight raids over Europe cost American crews the most. A painted name was not mere decoration then: in a tight combat formation the men recognized the machines around them by it and referred to them in reports.

How to work with the printing

The motifs lie on a continuous carrier film from which they release in lukewarm water. They hold best on a smooth glossy surface, because under matte varnish the edge of the film shows through as a silvery veil. Once dry it pays to varnish the model again, so that the edges disappear under a uniform finish. For the build a plastic kit of the Flying Fortress F version in the matching size is needed; what you get here is the printing on its own.

The small things that decide the result

Cut a motif out as close to the artwork as possible, so that a minimum of transparent backing is left on the fuselage. Slide the soaked printing into place with the tip of a brush, not with your fingers, because the thin film ripples easily under pressure and a crease cannot be put right. Press the excess water out from under the motif with a soft cloth from the center to the edges and let the area dry undisturbed before starting on the next part. Store the remaining part of the sheet in the dark, because the printing yellows over time in light.