David Parker's B-17G Big Bird Modelling Guide

Have you ever been asked, “What is your favorite aircraft?” I have a feeling we all have been asked that many times and many of us have answered, “The Boeing B-17 Fortress”. I've been to airshows and have seen the B-17 doing flyovers and loving the sound of those beautiful radials. I've paid my $5.00 and moved throughout the aircraft, sitting in the left seat, moving up to the nose, sitting in the bombardier's seat imagining flying a mission during WWII, and then moving back through the bomb bay to the radio operator and waist gunner positions. Then upon leaving the aircraft I met an older gentleman who actually piloted one of these B-17's during the war. Full respect to him and all veterans, but a little envy that he got to fly this aircraft.

I've built the 1/72 and 1/48 scale models of the B-17 produced by various manufacturers and each one included interior details that were virtually hidden after mating the fuselage sides. It didn't matter I added the interior anyway. I have never built a 1/32 scale B-17, but have always dreamed and hoped that some manufacturer would produce a 1/32^nd scale or larger B-17 cockpit from the upper turret forward. HK Models has come close with the complete 1/32^nd scale B-17G and David Parker has shown me how to build the kit with his book, “B-17G Big Bird Modelling Guide”. Many of us know David as the editor of Meng AFV Modeller and Meng Air Modeller. David is also one of the best modelers and scratch-builders in the modeling world today and those skills are evident in this book.

“B-17G Big Bird Modelling Guide” is a compilation of articles from Meng Air Modeller that takes the reader through a complete step-by-step build of the HK Models kit. The book is heavy on pictures with concise, informative captions. David starts with the cockpit and progresses though the interior of the aircraft, then on to the exterior construction, painting and weathering. Throughout David explains how many of his add-on scratch-building parts were made and the material used to make them. Obviously, I really enjoyed David's treatment of the cockpit, bombardier's and navigator's compartment, and the highly detailed upper turret. I hope HK Models will release a kit of just that part of the aircraft. I also found it entertaining to read about the mistakes David made and how he went about correcting them. A reader can learn much about scratch-building and model construction from this book regardless if you are building HK Models B-17G or not. David narrative seems inclusive as he explains many of the decisions he makes along the way on the level of detail, the specific aircraft he is modeling, and some of the challenges the kit has and his solutions.

The book consists of 11 highly illustrated and detailed sections as well as a final section on a photo walk around of the finished model. The book is a $40, soft cover, 81 page beauty, and is highly recommended for all modelers. Available at Last Cavalry.