If you think of WWII bombers, there is an excellent chance that the B-17 will be in there. The Flying Fortress wasn't the heavily armed, self-defensive bomber that the USAAF was hoping for. It was heavily armed, but it still needed friendly fighters to keep the losses down.

The ultimate B-17 was the B-17G and more of this variant was built than any other. Of the thousands that flew and fought in the European theater (very few were used in the Pacific, and then only in the first year of the war), only a few are still around. There are several in museums and about a dozen are still in the air.

Within the 88 pages, there are over 300 photographs, the majority in color, of these aircraft and the various areas within and without. Author David Doyle has selected photos of ten of these planes that are extant in the US to help illustrate this volume. Most of these are very late war planes; so late war that many never saw combat, but some did. Every part of these aircraft have been photographed to give the reader a good idea of what the various sections of the B-17G are like. It includes photos of the now-gone 'Liberty Bell' which burned to the ground after a forced landing in a field while the nearby fire department watched a few hundred yards away. They were afraid their trucks would get stuck in the field so just stood by while it burned.

In addition to the mass of photos, there is a short history of the B-17 as well as some very nicely done color profiles. In all, it is a great issue and especially timely since there has been a new 1/72 B-17G kit released by Revell. Like all books in this series, it is highly recommended.

September 2011

My thanks to Squadron Products for the review copy. Get yours today at your favorite shop or on-line retailer.

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