1:48 B17G Flying Fortress

Yankee Maid and Ice Cold Katy

On this sheet you will find two painted motifs from the noses of Boeing B-17 bombers as the machines of the Eighth Air Force carried them over Europe. The first is called Yankee Maid, the second Ice Cold Katy. The name gives the G version, that is the form of the Fortress with a twin gun turret under the nose, which fundamentally improved the aircraft's defense against head-on attacks by fighters. The artwork is printed in a sharp screen and preserves the coloring of the original paintings.

Art that came about on the grass

Nose art was never anything official. It came about between missions, usually by the hand of a mechanic with a feel for drawing, and calendars, film posters or a girl waiting for someone in the crew at home served as the model. The command tolerated it, because a picture on the skin held a crew together better than an order did. Today artwork like this is the fastest way to give a model a face and set it apart from dozens of otherwise identical Fortresses.

Use on a model

The nose of the aircraft is curved in two directions at once, and that is exactly where flat printing behaves worst. A stronger decal softener brushed over a motif already in place will help: the film softens, clings to the shape and once dry looks like painted lettering. Wait before touching it until the area has dried completely, otherwise the softened printing tears.

What you will need for it

Besides a Fortress kit in a ratio of 1:48, gloss varnish as a base, a soft brush, tweezers and a little patience come in useful. The set holds only the printed sheet; plastic parts and paints do not belong with it.