B-17 Flying Fortress

[JMSmith]

right here we go,

B 17E-BO
B 17F-70-BO
B 17F-75-DL/G5DL
B 17F-115-BO
B 17F-125-BO
B 17G-15-BO
B 17G-30-BO
B 17G-50-VE
B 17G-70-BO

early to late.

followed by a rather crude polish book image and a full list of types

[Jarink]

Attachment 5706

Having temporarily abandoned the complete profile, I have resorted to doing only the nose section. Here's a WIP on Bit O' Lace.

Looks pretty nice.

A couple of notes:
I agree that the cheek gun should be partially visible behind the window.
The chin turret looks a little too deep; check the height?
The rear of the dorsal turret (behind the gunner, not the rearward-facing side that has the guns) seems too squared off. Compare it with the line art John posted.

[pkassak]

Thanks John

I had the Polish material, but that one deals only with noses...
The one you added helped a bit...

[Otterkins2]

Uh huh...B-17's aren't complicated. There's the BO, the AS, the DAR and probably the NAFTA. I'll pass on this one.

[pkassak]

Okay Okay...Apologizes...but the changes are not so drastic...few antenas, and windows I think less thank Bf 109 but I miss some nice pictorial guide linked to the subversions John has shared...

[Jarink]

"Shack Bunny" is the plane my grandpa was shot down in!


The only "F" nose missing from this study is the F-75-DL. It was exactly like the later Gs, so no biggie.

The B-17G noses are easy.
There was the early G-1s without cheek guns and windows like on the Es and early Fs. (missing the extra window above the middle one)
There was the later Gs with cheek guns.

There was really only 7 variations in noses for the wartime B-17s. (E-G)
There were only 3 variations in waist guns (open (E-early G), staggered and framed (G) and staggered and unframed (late G)).
There were only 2 types of tail turret: the early "stinger" and the "Cheyenne" turret
There were only 2 types of dorsal turret: the early Bendix with heavy framing (E-F) and the later "High Hat" (F-G)
There were only 2 types of belly turret: the Bendix remote controlled (early E) and the Sperry Ball (E-G). There were some variations of the Sperry, but they mainly consisted of some of the windows being closed off and the covers around the arms being removed.

[Otterkins2]

OK....already 16 different variations. No no NO! I ain't gonna tackle it Jarjar. It's nice to see that in the shots you included though someone was intelligent enough to name the A/C after our crumudgeonous John.

[gamary]

@John: thanks for the extra pics. The scale plans don't look too bad, although I shouldn't get my hopes up too much I imagine...

@Peter: It is still a WIP, and I intended to do most of the things you point out. Good point on the pitot tube. Thanks!

@Jarink: will check it out. Thanks!

Uh huh...B-17's aren't complicated. There's the BO, the AS, the DAR and probably the NAFTA. I'll pass on this one.

You've got to be kidding me... A day in the life of the Royal Otter:

SPS Visitor: "Is that a Fw 190A-8 cowling gun cover you've drawn?"
Royal Otter: "Yes."
SPSV: "Is it a type 2 or 4?"
RO: "Actually it's a late-series type 6a from the Dortmund factory, but with the standard Regensburg modifications and Heinkel-made rivets. The work was probably done by Hans, but some say it was Karl so I can't really be sure this is perfectly accurate... Don't really like working this way, I must admit."

And B-17s are complicated? Yeah, right.

[inkworm]

SPS Visitor: "Is that a Fw 190A-8 cowling gun cover you've drawn?"
Royal Otter: "Yes."
SPSV: "Is it a type 2 or 4?"
RO: "Actually it's a late-series type 6a from the Dortmund factory, but with the standard Regensburg modifications and Heinkel-made rivets. The work was probably done by Hans, but some say it was Karl so I can't really be sure this is perfectly accurate... Don't really like working this way, I must admit."

I'm tempted to laugh at this but it's probably true, except for the bit about Hans and Karl, it was actually Kurt, just dodgy hand writing on the paperwork!

I'd much rather stick with a/c that didn't have a long lineage and almost infinite variations and mods, good luck.

[GiantFlyingRobots]

I'm currently flip-flopping between as many as a dozen different projects right now, and every time John posts another series of drawings it takes all of the little discipline that I have not to start another.