B-17G Flying Fortress

This was the first of (then) Monogram's series of 1/48 WW-II multi-engine bomber series. It is molded in a dull aluminum, which works as the late-war no paint color scheme, as well as black sprues which make for a nice contrast and makes an attractive and reasonably accurate color scheme right out of the box. The clear window parts complete the kit, and they are molded thin enough that they do not give a clunky feel when the interior is studied. It has a very detailed interior, so good that there is also a version of this kit with a clear half-fuselage to fully display the interior. The plane is big enough that you will want to paint the interior -- the cockpit, the bombadier's nose position, the waist gunners' positions, and the turrets are all big enough to justify a lot of attention to the interior. It is also a decent deal price-wise -- it costs about as much as a typical 1/35 tank (which I build far more frequently) and you get a lot more for your money.

This bomber is big. As with most big models this one is done very well with every detail painstakingly reproduced. From the bomb sight to the moveable ball turret, the details are amazing. In the bomber's compartment there is a table with wood grain details. There are bullets in belts around the ball turret. These little extra details may go unnoticed by some but the fact that they went through the trouble to include them says a lot about the manufacturer. As with most models there is good and bad, but in the case of this B-17 the bad isn't really that bad. The only complaint I have is with how the ball turret just barely hangs in its two prong housing. But other than that this kit is awesome and this bomber gets 5 stars for being the BOMB.

The Revell kit of this aircraft is pretty much the 'bar' that other B-17 models in this scale are measured against. The parts have a good fit and detail is pretty nice. A great value for the price. Consider using some of the 'rub and buff' silver products for the body sheen. You can also find many aftermarket decals available for this model, should you want to create a specific aircraft.