Subject: Re: B-17F
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "Sharon & Angelo" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:17:11 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Sharon & Angelo 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 10:31 AM
  Subject: B-17F

    
  "1/48th B-17F" 

  by "Angelo M Picardo"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

  Where I live in England, I am surrounded by former 8th Airforce bases.

  The 92nd's at Poddington, the 379th's at Kimbolton, 384th's at Grafton Underwood, the 365th's at Chelveston, and the nearest is the 306th's at Thurleigh.

  I have gone round all of these old bases taking photographs and looking for old war time parts of the old camps.

  Not alot remains, as these airfields were all a temporary measure for the war and were mostly demolished after the war.

  Most of the dug up runways and taxi ways being turned into foundation rubble for England's first motorway the M1.

  Unlike the others, after the war, Thurleigh was not pulled down and dug up to be returned to agriculture, it became RAE Bedford where alot of pioneering research work was carried out, the Blackburn Buccaneer first flew from Thurleigh and a lot of the VTOL research for the Harrier was carried out there too.

  This model of a B-17F is in the markings of a machine from the 306th Heavy Bombardment Group based at Thurleigh.

  The 306th were the firsth 8th AAF bomb group to fly over Germany and they had the longest stay at their base than any other 8th AAF group.

  Another piece of their history is that the film "Twelve O'clock High" is based on the early experiences of this group.

  The Airfield does not resemble its old war time lay out very much know.

  The main runway was extended, resulting in the demolition of the control tower and the old habitation and technical sites were all torn down.

  The two WWII hangars were relocated to the new site and a few war time buildings still exist as do some of the old hardstandings.

  The fusing hut near the bomb dump is now a museum dedicated to the 306th and is well worth a visit. (http://www.306bg.co.uk/)

  The airfield is no longer in use. Part is a the home of the Bedford Autodrome race way, the runways are used to store new cars and the buildings are home to various small companies.

  A lovely memorial to the American aircrew, and ground crew of the 306th exists near the old officer's mess site near Thurleigh village.

  Click on images below to see larger images

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg 
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg 
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg 
       Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg 

  This model started life as two wrecks.

  One Monogram's G the other Revell's F.

  I created a hybrid out of the two to represent a late war F variant and added some extra bits and pieces left over from other B-17s I have built.

  No decal manufacturer produce markings for the 306th (SHAME ON YOU!) so I cobled together a set of fictious markings from my spares box.

  I used Life Colours acylics for the olive drabb and faded drabb and weathered it with pastels, oil washes and various shades of olive drabb to give it the weather beaten look these aeroplanes developed stood out all the time in our glorious East Anglian weather!

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

  Photos and text © by "Angelo M Picardo"