This all started with the venerable Minicraft B-17G. The example in question being the "Flak Eater" boxing.
By any modern standard even the improved (better clear cockpit part & decals) version I had was still a bit basic. Here's the only sprue shot of it I could find. I must be one of three or four guys that have actually built this kit.
Here's a shot of a build done by someone far more skilled which shows off that chin turret well nicely.
(found on Google, will gladly give credit where due if I knew...)
Still, huge holes have never dissuaded me. I've had the misfortune to have to work with more than a few...
I've got a huge soft-spot for the Flying Fortress. I mean, what's not to love? Great streamlined shape, a prize-fighter's rake to the windscreen, all those guns,
Twelve O'Clock High...
Well like some guys surf for pictures of pretty ladies, I surf for B-17s. Early, late, OD, NMF, no matter, it's all a great look if it's on a Flying Fortress as far as I'm concerned.
A while back, I came across a build of a 1/72 B-17C. In the comments, someone said they'd love to see an early B-17 converted to inline engines like the later Allison-powered XB-38.
A reply post said they'd seen this done, but in 1/144 scale. I wasn't able to find out any more about that 1/144 inline B-17C but I did some thinking. It hit me that this could be a relatively simple conversion using the Merlins from a 1/144 Avro Lancaster. Out came the razor saw to free the Merlins from their Lancaster prison and chop off the huge B-17 kit fin & rudder. I now have three of these B-17 parts which will make one awesome set of tail feathers.
The key to pulling this off is to cut the Merlins at just the right place so they fit on the stubs on the B-17 wings. I almost made it...
I also had to sand back the cylinder banks so they were flush with the B-17 engine stubs. I didn't do this until after the entire model was built and I wish I'd caught and dealt with it sooner. Luckily that steel colored paint seems to help in some surreal way...
I went with a dorsal spine cut from sprue to fill the gap left by cutting off the tail, not trusting my skills enough to simply putty over it as I was going with a metal finish. A new fin & rudder was made from the horiz. stab. off of a 1/48 Piper Cub. An actual blister from a pack of cold pills was used for the ventral observation blister.
The model is brush-painted by hand in acrylics, Model Masters Aluminum (or "aluminium" to some) mostly. The black leading-edge de-icer boots were done somewhat free-hand, using a Post-It note as a guide since my usually trusty Tamiya tape pulled up the aluminum (or "aluminium") paint in chunks.
Decals are a mix from spares. An RAF fin flash was cut to shape as the waist windows. Adding a MATS badge over some pale blue stripes provided the mysterious recon unit insignia. The re-designed rudder is because my talent for painting those 13 tail stripes failed me so I stripped it all back and used the decal from a 1/72 Curtiss P-6 E as a template which would no doubt only further nonplus the good folks at Boeing.
When I started this project, I had grand visions for that Natural Metal Finish. I don't do NMF very often as it tends to really highlight any flaws in the build. Also, metallic paints are notoriously bad for opacity, so it takes multiple coats. Still, I was full of high-mindedness and thought I might even paint different colored metal panels, just like on the "real" airplane!
Well eventually my ambition became more manageable and I settled for just different colors for the engines and control surfaces. B-17 control surfaces were fabric-covered and while airplane dope and aircraft aluminum (or "aluminium") can appear similar, they're not really the same. So I made sure to give the ailerons and elevators a little extra attention with a custom shade of paint. The effect is subtle but I think worth the effort.
I had a lot of fun and a few challenges building the YIB-17 which I've been working on off-and-on over the past few weeks.
This last shot was taken with the flash off which makes a bit of difference. I hope you enjoyed the YIB-17 and reading a little more top-secret (Shhhhhh!!!) forgotten history.
Brian da Basher