Military Model Scene

Title: FlightCraft 27, Boeing B-17
Author: Ben Skipper
Publisher: Pen & Sword
ISBN: 978-1-3990-8646-2

A new book from author Ben Skipper, and this time he has turned from ground vehicles to an aircraft, the B-17 as the subject for FlightCraft 27. A 96-page soft-cover book aimed especially at modellers.
The first half of the book gives a useful overview of the real thing, from Design & Development, In Service & In Action and detail on some very interesting B-17 Special Variants. All of this is well illustrated with a mix of archive photos along with modern colour pictures of preserved examples and a section of 8pages of 24 excellent colour profiles which illustrates how varied the camouflage & markings were on the B-17 over the years. Then there is the particular content for modellers, with Modelling the B-17. This gives details of the many models that are available, from the big 1/32 model by Hong Kong Models and their 1/48 alternative as well as the Revell/Monogram offering, then others in 1/72, including the modern tooling for the Airfix kit. Added to these are more details of the various upgrade sets that can be had for them all. Then we are treated with 5 showcase builds, including a 1/72 Airfix B-17G by Geoff Coughlin, another by Daniel Baxter and a third by Manuel Magrinho, this time in a bright Spanish ASR finish. That is followed with a 1/48 Monogram/Revell B-17G before finally an early B-17D, the Academy kit, also in 1/72. Some really first class model builds with a lot of high quality photos. Everything is rounded off with coverage of a full scale model, the complete restoration of the real Memphis Belle, a B-17F, in the care of the National Museum of the United States Air Force. They started the work in 2005 and rolled out the completed project in 2018. The museum has provided a series of photos of the work done over the years, which includes some detail that we might not otherwise ever see.
As an aircraft enthusiast and a modeller, this gives an ideal mix of history with modelling references and inspiration. Ben and publishers Pen & Sword have done a very nice job with this one.
Thanks to Pen & Sword for the review copy.

Robin