1:72 Revell B-17G 'Little Miss Mischief'
Probably my best build for 2013 and the best competition result of any kit I've built. She took Best in show at the Daymns Hall Show in August 2013.
I researched LMM for this build and here is the concise version of my findings:
"Lt Paul McDowell was flying her on the 15 October 1944 mission to Köln (Cologne) when she became a victim of antiaircraft fire. Flak blew a large hole in the left side of the fuselage just above the ball turret, trapping gunner Sgt Ed Abdo inside. The same explosion wounded right waist gunner Glenn Slaughter. The rudder and trim cables were shot through as well.
McDowell salvoed the bombs while flight engineer Jim Hobbs grabbed and repaired the control cables flapping in the waist. Ball turret gunner Abdo was given blankets and oxygen bottles, and administered himself morphine, amazingly surviving the whole ordeal. The aircraft dropped down to lower altitude and flying at only about 100 miles per hour eventually made it home to Bassingbourn. Before landing the crew had to crank the landing gear down by hand. The fact that the aircraft had suffered such major damage, yet stayed intact long enough to bring her crew home, was a testament to the strength of the Flying Fortress and the indomitable spirit of the people who built them. But, it certainly appeared that LMM had flown her final mission.
At the 441st Sub Depot, the service unit attached to the 91st Bomb Group, Col Frank Kamykowski decided to make an extraordinary effort to repair this ship. He combined its undamaged front portion and wings with the rear fuselage from an older aircraft, most likely 42-31405 "Walleroo Mk. 2," a camouflaged B-17G-15-BO that had served with the 303rd Bomb Group's 359th Bomb Squadron and was salvaged on 12 August 1944. By the time they were finished the repaired plane incorporated parts from at least 13 different aircraft!
LMM's "half and half" finish made her one of the most conspicuous aircraft in the Eighth Air Force. After yet another raid on Köln, she was forced to make an emergency landing at Merville, France, on 6 January 1945, remaining on the continent for about a month. She rejoined the 91st upon her return, but lost an engine on 4 April 1945 while setting out to attack Fassberg, Germany, and was forced to abort the mission. Upon return to Bassingbourn her landing gear collapsed on landing and she again suffered major damage.
Repaired yet again, she transferred to the 306th Bomb Group at Thurleigh in May 1945. Presumably she was eventually scrapped—a sad end for one of the thousands of aluminium warriors that refused to stop fighting. All told, she flew more than 50 combat missions."
Great story, Michelle, and nice looking model, I can see why you won best in show.
Thanks George
Great build and a great story Michelle, have got this kit in my stash.
And if I can do a job 1/10 as good as yours I will be happy.
Amazingly good build B-17G of Revell
I saw quite a few live but did not look like this.
BIG LIKE!
Hello Michelle...My compliments on a very fine model of Little Miss Mischief and thanks also for sharing her remarkable story.
Yeah, that is a standout. Very sharp. Congrats on the win, that is hard to get.
Really excellent work on the model and a great story to attach to it. I always find a good story about the airplane really helps me push the project a bit further forward than it might have gone.
I can but only concur with all of the above. Great job, Michelle. 🙂 🙂
Gentlemen, thank you.
Very nice! I like the varied finish - painted areas with some NMF - very nice subject. As much as I love the -17, I haven't built one yet, even though I have two in the stash. One is the G in NMF, and I think that's what intimidates me!
Excellent modeling and a wonderful story. Thank you much! (Even if it's a wrong scale!) 😉
Thanks guys, Stan get me a HKM 1:32 B-17 and I do her as LMM 🙂
Congrats to this beautiful Fortress and the price was well deserved.
Lovely model Michelle. Finish looks just right & the background story makes it even better. There are several stories of aircraft grafting. I seem to recall a Liberator with a Fortress nose job & there was a Grumman Panther in Korea with a different rear fuselage. All great modelling subjects.