1:72 B17 F/G Flying Fortress

General markings for American bombers

While nose art turns a Fortress into a particular machine, it is only letters and numbers that make it part of a unit. This sheet aims at exactly that: according to the data it holds aircraft identification, squadron letters, numerals and group symbols in a gray variant.

The system was simple and legible from the ground as well as from the air. The bomb divisions of the Eighth Air Force were told apart by a geometric figure on the rudder, inside the figure stood the group letter, and on the fuselage followed a pair of squadron letters together with the individual letter of the machine. The gray version was a later, less conspicuous alternative to the striking colored symbols of earlier years.

For a modeler a sheet like this is rewarding in opening up a whole unit instead of a single aircraft. From the same sheet you can put together the machine whose photograph you have in a book at home, without hunting for a specialized set.

What to think about while transferring

• scale 1:72, general markings instead of a single particular machine
• letters, numerals and group symbols in a gray version
• suited as a companion to sheets with nose art
• a model of the bomber itself is not included

Lay the letters out dry first: cut a strip from paper, lay it on the fuselage and check the spacing against a photograph. Small numerals have a thin carrier, so soak them for a shorter time and transfer them onto a damp surface on which they can still be moved. Over riveted strips it pays to add a drop of decal softener, so that the film settles into the relief and does not cast a shadow.