Airfix 1/72 B-17G-65-BO 'Skyway Chariot'

Before I began construction, I had to ensure proper fit of the crew. Some of the figures required a huge amount reshaping in the process. 

The crew was given 100% oxygen in the form of lead wire and Mr. Hobby Dissolved Putty. 

The Pilot is busy keeping the aircraft in formation while the Copilot scans for enemy fighters. 

I didn't put arms on the top turret gunner, which made him easier to put in. He just needed a stand fabricated at the base of the turret. 

The togglier (bombardier) holding the nose turret controls. 

Navigator 

Radio operator 

The waist gunner turning to retrieve some additional ammo. B-17 missions in 1945 often had a single waist gunner because the risk of enemy fighters was low. 

Tail gunner. The seat was moved forward, so he can be seen better from the outside. 

The ball turret gunner. I saved this one for last because I wasn't even sure if I could fit a figure in there. 

Testing the in-flight layout 

A couple key items for the project arrived in the mail today. The decals are from the first edition of the kit, which I prefer (thanks Tony!) The metal .50 barrels will replace the fragile plastic ones from the kit. 

The crew is slowly being painted. I definitely underestimated the time and effort that these figures would take. 

I finished the crew after a very busy few weeks at my job. Not perfect, but good enough to me. 

Test fitting the figures with the clear parts installed. 

Finished cockpit with figures installed. Added scratch built boxes on top of the glare shield. 

I needed to install a clear rod into the bomb bay, so I decided this was a good time to plan and build the display base. 

 

The finished display base. Everything is still dry fitted. Next, I will glue the clear rod into the B-17 and continue working on the interior. 

Nose compartment finished 

 

Radio room finished 

 

The Ball Turret gunner is in. His left hand and head are barely visible to the right of the toothpick. The fit was so tight that I didn't need to use glue. 5x zoom reveals gaps that need to be filled. 

27 different windows to mask on the ball turret alone. 

Surprisingly, the ball turret gunner can still barely be seen inside the finished turret. 

The finished ball turret glued into a downward angled position. This will be set aside until the very end of the build. 

The waist gunner is in place and now I think I'm finally ready to glue the fuselage halves together.