1:72 Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Nose names from the 500th and the 40th Group

The inscriptions on the noses of bombers never followed a regulation. They arose from an idea of the crew, were usually painted by the mechanics and survived only until the machine got a new finish or a new crew. That is precisely why they are today the most accurate clue for dating the particular form of an aircraft, and the sheet puts two such cases side by side.

The aircraft 42-65296 served with the 883rd Squadron of the 500th Group and in May 1945 stood at Isley Field on Saipan. It carries a name referring to a well-known poem about a sailor, which stands out among the mostly jocular inscriptions of the time. The second machine, 42-24654 of the 44th Squadron of the 40th Group, operated in June 1945 from West Field on the island of Tinian and its name joins the name of a Kansas city with the figure of a witch.

Before you reach for the tweezers

The package contains printed markings, no plastic or photo-etched parts. On this type bare metal makes up most of the surface, on which the edge of the carrier film gives itself away even after a light overcoat, so it pays to polish the surface carefully before applying.

Settle the large elements on the fin and the fuselage first, while the area is free, and only then come the inscriptions on the nose and the small warning markings. With sizeable decals warm water and a soft brush help, with which the film is pressed down against the rivets and the panel transitions. Once dry, check against the light whether a bubble has stayed under the film. If you find one, prick it with the tip of a scalpel and press it down again while the film is damp.