Description
PYN-up Decals B-17F Miss Ouachita & B-17G Little Miss Mischief. You demanded unique and remarkable decal schemes for your models, and this set certainly delivers. The truly “patchwork” B-17G-35-VE named “Little Miss Mischief” is know to us all for having been heavily featured in one of the first Squadron/Signal “In Action” books on the B-17. Everybody remembers this one! This amazing markings set is based on review of several newly-uncovered photos, including a couple in color. In fact, it breaks new research ground on the ship’s markings and camouflage, including the fact that the left outer wing was a fully camouflaged replacement (obviously the aft fuselage, which came from a crash-landed fully camouflaged B-17G), the natural metal aft crew entry door and battle damage repair panels, the overpainted but still visible previous code letters, etc. You’ll get the documentation on the undersized individual code letter “F” on the left side as well as the oddly spaced and slanted “DF” codes on the right side. You get confirmation the waist windows were NOT staggered on this bird, as sometimes reported, and no Pumpkin (Cheyenne) tail turret was fitted as often seen in profile paintings. You get the very faded red bomb mission markings on the PYN-up sheet. This will be a “contest killer” when you build it! The second ship in this set is the equally famous B-17F-20-DL “Miss Ouachita” (pronounced “WASH-it-tah”) which was shot down by Heinz Baer on 21 Feb 44. The Luftwaffe propaganda photos of Baer’s visit to the bellylanded Fortress have been published far and wide. Very careful review of the many photos, some available only from some fairly obscure sources, revealed and corrected a great deal of previously published information. You’ll note the overpainted previous unit markings on the fuselage, and the fact her current codes, OR*Q (she was assigned to the 91 BG/323 BS), were in fact painted on at the time she went down. You can see the odd shape of the individual code letter “Q” on the fin, the personal names on the front fuselage, and the fact that she had TWO aircraft data blocks stenciled on the nose (the original was partially oversprayed due to damage repair)! Note the B-17E type top turret, the lack of a blown astrodome. Finally, careful study of the Luftwaffe photos prove this ship did NOT have the red fin and wingtips often shown in profile paintings. In any case, they were not instituted until July 1944, more than five months after she was shot down. I can tell you with some pride that reviewers have acknowledged this is the most accurate and complete decal set ever produced for Little Miss Mischief and Miss Ouachita.
