Pyn-Up Decals

1/48 B-17 decal sheet - Boeing's Babes Part 4 decal sheet

Product # PYND48044

Product Article by Steve Bamford on Nov 19 2007

 

 

 

This new decal sheet from Pyn-Up Decals includes markings for two different 1/48 B-17's in paint schemes that will reward you at the next contest.  

The first aircraft is a B-17G-35-VE, 42-97880, DF-F, Little Miss Mischief.  The paint scheme for this aircraft is the oddest collection of parts from a variety of aircraft I've seen in a long time.  This is a G model so it comes with the chin guns and side guns on the nose to help deal with the new head on attacks being used by the Luftwaffe.  This aircraft suffered a massive flak hit to the waist gunner area wounding one of the waist gunners and despite the massive damage and cut control cables (which were patched up by her crew) she was able to limp home.  The repair depot removed the intact front half of the aircraft and grafted it to  the rear half of an older aircraft.  This gave the aircraft the bare metal front and Olive Drab rear portion.  Further repairs include d a bare metal rudder and an Olive Drab wing tip.  This aircraft had an was forced to make emergency landing in France where she remained for a month while repairs were completed.  In a later mission she lost her  #4 engine and eventually belly landed in the UK when her landing gear collapsed.  She was repaired again and was probably scrapped after the war.  The history of this aircraft is as full as her paint job is odd.  

Sexy noseart includes a topless Red Head wearing a red with white poka dots bikini bottom as she holds a puppy.  She is standing next to script that reads "Little Miss Mischief" and all this is beside a massive amount of mission markings that show the true history of this battle weary aircraft.  There is no doubt this aircraft would stand out on the contest table and there is always the option of doing her in a diorama of her crashed landed on a runway in the UK with the wheels up.  

The second aircraft is a B-17F-20-DL, 42-3040, 91 BG/323 BS, OR*Q, Miss Ouachita which was sadly shot down by Heinz BŠr on 21 Feb 44 with 2 KIA / 8 POW.  The aircraft crash landed in a pasture and was mostly in tact as the Luftwaffe considered her repairable for future Luftwaffe missions, but she was spotted by American fighters and destroyed on the ground.  

The paint scheme for this B-17F is overall Olive Drab on top and Neutral Gray on the underside.  This aircraft had been damaged on previous missions so the fuselage and tail is a bit of a patchwork quilt of shades of Olive drab.  There had bee some repairs on the fuselage so there is newer darker paint which shows up well with the faded Olive Drab on the rest of the aircraft.  A large section of the tail was also replaced with a newer darker section.  The instructions do provide a full view of the left side of the fuselage, but unfortunately the instructions don't provide a view of the right side (no doubt due to the lack of photo) so you'll have to use artistic license to complete the rest of the paint scheme.  This aircraft does include sexy noseart of a topless bathing beauty in a red bikini bottom with white polka dots next to the script "Miss Ouachita".  The decals include this nose art with a red bathing suit as well as a blue bathing suit. 
The instructions are clear and include 3 views of each aircraft.  The decals are beautifully printed on 1 decal sheet.  You get a massive amount of text information regarding both of these planes that will assist you in completing your B-17 in the most accurate way possible.  National insignia are available from Cutting Edge CED48262 or CED48263.

The decals are beautifully printed and the noseart decals include an extra set of these delicate decals in case something goes horribly wrong when you are installing them. 

The B-17 has a rich history for the horrific battles it fought in the day light skies above Germany and occupied Europe during WW2 and this sheet brings you two of the more interesting Flying Fortresses from that epic time period.

I would like to thank Pyn-Up Decals for providing me with this review sample.

Steve

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

Photos and text © by Steve Bamford