Fiddlers Green B-17

The author (left) discussing the Fiddlers Green B-17 paper model with Ken Wright (right), editor of the B-17 Combat Crewmen and Wingmen�s Organization newsletter at http://www.b-17combatcrewmen.org

All eleven pages were printed on 67 pound Hammermill Cover Stock-White and then given a light spray of Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic Coating 1303

Wood rod to help press engine assemblies into place

Checking for engine alignment prior to gluing wings. The hollow brass rods for propeller mounting are visible. Dihedral is easily established by gluing the inside surface of the wing bottoms to the center wing brace.

Color is missing on portions of the cowl flaps and wing. Sheet 5 is missing olive drab (OD) coloring on the rivet strips in two places. On sheet 6 the left-hand engine cowl flaps have no OD coloring. I installed the left engine onto the right wing because the dark anti-glare OD on the side should be facing the cockpit. The missing color was corrected with a few thin washes of water color.

Wires were added to strengthen the propeller blades.

Note: the props on pages 4 and 6 are counter-rotating as viewed from the front, but pages 5 and 7 have the prop leading edges rotating clockwise.

For Propeller hubs, use Q tips as suggested but make a bunch so you can select four that match.

Wires were added to strengthen the scissors gear on the forward landing gear support - and for attaching to the underside of the aircraft and into the main gear strut. A quick check of reference material was needed. An illustration showing the landing gear strut attach points to the underside would be helpful.

The antenna post is made from a flat tooth pick. 1/8 lb monofilament fishing line was used for the antenna wire.

The guns were made from round tooth picks sanded to remove thickness and colored using a black felt tip pen. Note: Black enamel paint adds unwanted thickness.

This was a fast, fun build, with very pleasing results. Another good one from the people at Fiddler�s Green.

The pictures with all four spinning props were made possible using a floor fan. The hollow wing happily acts as a sounding box creating B-17 sounds in miniature.