1:72 Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 447th BG 1943-45

A letter on the fuselage as a name

A crew of the Eighth Air Force recognized its own machine in a formation by two things: by the group marking on the rudder and by the single letter painted on the fuselage. It was precisely that letter that told individual aircraft apart within a squadron and in reports stood for the whole aircraft. The decals on this sheet therefore carry these individual letters beside the names and artwork, without which the markings would not be complete.

The real subjects

The first Fortress is machine 43-38524 with the name Blonde Bomber II, listed with the 710th Squadron under the letter A. The second is aircraft 44-6016 named TNT Katie of the 711th Squadron with the letter P. Both aircraft were license-built by the Douglas company and both came to the unit in the later part of the war, when the Fortresses already had a chin turret and a full set of defensive positions.

Handling the sheet

Decals age. If a sheet has lain for some time, the carrier film may yellow into a faintly honey cast that is visible on white areas. A simple thing helps: leave the sheet lying for a few days by a window in daylight and the yellowing as a rule fades. For storage, by contrast, darkness and dryness are advisable, because atmospheric moisture gradually ruins the adhesive layer and the film then tears while being lifted.

Box contents

The printed sheet alone. A plastic kit is not included and is obtained separately; the choice of maker stays with you, the only condition being a matching scale. Given the late serial numbers of both subjects, a model matching the final production form of the type is suitable.