B-17 F ‘Memphis Belle’ 324th Bomb Squadron, 91st Bomb Group
Hi everybody,
I don't know how to start this article. My first thought was to write: ‘don't yell on the damn intercom!' (famous sentence from Capt. Bob Morgan), But no Let's first present my happy new year to you modelers.
This B-17 has been completed last year for the group build: B-17 - group build! I've been awaiting fo a nice sunny day to take some shoot but unfortunately in the Belgium winter it's quitte seldom.
The aircraft:
It's of course the Belle, the ‘first' bomber which accomplish 25 missions. Actually, it was the second, the first was the ‘Hell's Angels' whom the crew complete their tour of duty on May 13th, 1942.
This Bomber is famous due to the film from William Wyler, who captured the missions of the ‘Belle'.
The pin-up is a creation from Cpl Tony Starcer, and is there to honour Margaret Polk, the fiancé of Capt. Morgan.
The crew:
• Pilot: Captain Robert K. Morgan
Co-pilot: Captain James A. Verinis
Navigator: Captain Charles B. Leighton
Bombardier: Captain Vincent B. Evans
The First Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Leviticus "Levy" Dillon
The Second Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Eugene Adkins
The Third Engineer/Top Turret Gunner: Harold P. Loch
Radio Operator: Robert Hanson
Ball Turret Gunner: Cecil Scott
Right Waist Gunner: E. Scott Miller
Right Waist Gunner: Casmer A "Tony" Nastal
Left Waist Gunner: Clarence E. "Bill" Winchell
Tail Gunner: John P. Quinlan
And of course: the crew chief, Joe Giambrone and the mascot Stuka
The kit
For this project I chose the revell 1/72, which has been built OOB. Nothing special to say about it, the fit is good, decals are good, regarding the result… leave it in your comments.
For more details, please follow this link:
- iModeler
Hope you like and don't hesitate to give comment.
Happy New Year, Yann! Great collection of WWII bombers, and your Memphis Belle looks awesome. I've never seen a photo the actual crew, thanks for posting!
Many thanks Joe @jroamer. The photo represents the crew of the last mission, other crew members were affected to other B-17 in the meantime.
Great take on a legendary aircraft, hope you get better weather for photography soon, it’s too cold here in north China for outside photographs, the temperature never gets above minus 10C during the winter. A great start to 2023.
Thanks George @chinesegeorge, -10degC really, I will freeze my... fingers while taking the pictures. Today was a great day to take the pictures but all the models are already stored in their boxes in the barn.
Nice display in Belgian weather Yann ! The history, work and tribute is nice to read.
My parents recounted the Bomber streams on their way to Germany. Americans by Day and British at night. Back and forth until Victory was ours.
The Royal Museum In Brussels has a map with pins locating the places of Downed planes of all participatory country’s over Belgium.
There is hardly a blank spot on it .
Freedom has a Price.
Hi Bernard @bernardbedeur, thanks for your comment. You're right there barely a blank spot on the map. only in my village there was a crash of a B-17G 'Sac Hound' not far from there are a Hallifax and a P-47.
I visited the Royal Museum last week, and was a bit disappointed, nothing changed in 30 years.
A fantastic result, Yann!
A great writeup too!
Well done!
Thanks a lot, my friend @fiveten, it's always a pleasure to have you following the build. See you soon for other projects.
Happy New Year to you as well, Yann @yann
You built a beautiful "Memphis Belle".
Even though the weather is indeed boring during winter time in the Low Lands, you took some very nice pictures showing the great result.
Thanks a lot John @johnb, yeah, the weather is indeed boring. But it's the best weather to build model, isn't it?
Waiting to see your Sally-B in the headlines.
Happy New Year! Great B-17! very nice photos! It was pleasure to built togeather in B-17 Group build! Both of them are from Revell?
Thank you very much Lis @lis. First for the nice comment and secondly to let me participate in this group build. It was a pleasure for me as well to see the progress of each member.
Yes, both B-17 are from Revell, and the B-24 from Hassegawa.
A lovely build - well done!
Many thanks Greg @gkittinger.
They are all nicely done, great work!
Thanks a lot Robert @roofrat) for your nice comment.