1:48 B-29 Super Fortress

A Superfortress with a legend of its own

There are two Boeing B-29 bombers on the sheet. The first is the machine with the number 44-87657 and the inscription Command Decision, which served with the 28th Bomb Squadron of the 19th Bombardment Group and became famous because its gunners are credited with several jet fighters shot down over Korea. The second is the aircraft 45-21768 of the B-29-95-BW series with the name Kee Bird of the 46th Reconnaissance Squadron, whose fate ended with a forced landing far to the north.

What set the Superfortress apart

Boeing built an aircraft with pressurized compartments for the crew, remotely controlled gun turrets and a range no production bomber had had before. The gunners aimed from sighting stations using a computing device that worked out the lead, so the turrets could be left unmanned. The design was so demanding for its day that it was among the most expensive armament programs of the time.

Storing and preparing the sheet

Decals age, particularly if they lie in the light or in damp. Before you start applying them, try a small motif at the edge first: if the film breaks after it comes out of the water or will not release from the paper, brush the whole sheet over with thin clear varnish and let it dry. That stops the embrittlement and the large areas can then be transferred in one piece.

Silver surfaces with no finish

Postwar Superfortresses flew mostly in bare metal, where every joint and panel has a different sheen. A polished surface is therefore enough under the decals, but be aware that the slightest unevenness shows far sooner on glossy metal than on matte paint.