Small Scale Military Headquarters

We've been talking about it for years and now, it's finally a reality!!!!
A 1:32, B-17 heavy bomber!!!! It'll be released in about a month!
I can't wait for all the cool diorama photos that are sure to be posted and I'm willing to bet PILOTS and GROUND CREWS are destined to follow!
Lots of photos in the link below! Enjoy!

http://wwiimodeller.co.nz/#jp-carousel-17637

The Plastic General

Whats the price on this bad boy?

HONG KONG MODELS released the 1:32, B-25 MITCHELL about 6 months ago, I got mine for $175, but the B-17 is much larger, so my bet is around $300.
BIG DEAL, think of all the other stupid things you spend your money on, like food.

Plastic General

Looks like "Bit O Lace" on the box cover. Hopefully an optional scheme in olive drab too.
Lots of detail, though glad the hole in the fuselage is optional it looks like.

I want one of these so bad hanging from my ceiling or a ground diorama, or both.
Just don't know if my latent modeling skills are up to the task.

The viewing holes, were just for the display model at the toy fair.

plasticgeneral wrote:The viewing holes, were just for the display model at the toy fair.

I see now, looking for the removable panel they might want to put there to show off all that inside detail.

Whenever building 1:32 bombers, I'm very careful not to overstep myself while assembling my kit, because I customize removable hatches for interior play with the crew figures.

Sorry, I'm crazy. I have to play.

Plastic General

521 parts

The engines have more parts than some 1/72 entire plane kits and that's times four.

Looks like they got the length and span mixed-up on the dimensions.

At least they made the cabin glass more like a model car which has driven me nuts for 50 years. You don't get one big clear piece for the roof, windshield, and top half of the side door pieces for model cars or trucks that you would have to paint like canopy frames. Monogram's 1/48 B-25 is a good example of way too much clear plastic to paint on canopy frames. Why do plane models always have that? Considering some of the delicate detail parts in modern kits, you should be able to have canopy frames molded seperately. I think the only plane I remember where they did it right was the old 1/48 Monogram -4 Corsair and that was from the 1960's.

Anyway, I would rather have seen an upsized monogram style B-17 with about 1/4 the parts for about 1/3 the price.

If only 21st Cent.Toys was around long enough, I easily could have seen them doing a 1:32 B-17.

I am impress in lots of details Hong Kong Model put in this model. I am also like B-17 since my first saw "Memphis Belle" movie. I stop making model many years already and change to collect pre-painted models/figures. May be this is the time to refresh old skill again. I wish 1/32 B-17' pilots and aircrews set will lunch to market follow this model soon.

I thought 21C did do a 1/32 B-17 prototype, and sold it off ebay a few years ago. Or did it not meets its reserve?

It never met it's reserve when I was watching it.

I think it's still a viable idea. Not as much inside detail as the HK, but perhaps partial assembly like all the other 21stC planes or the smaller F-Toys concept.

Maybe when the Tom Hanks/ Spielberg / HBO series Mighty Eighth comes out there might be more interest in the Flying Fortress.

I think it was a B-25 Mitchell that 21st Cent. built in 1:16 scale. I remember being pissed off because it wasn't in 1:32.

I learned a lot of lessons while building my 1:32 HK B-25, ones that will serve me well, when I build my B-17.
I always try and build my large 1:32 & 1:35 kits as if they were toys, quite often incorporating a lot of the features that a 21st CENT. product might have featured. For example:
Both cockpits can be opened to place figures into the seats (21st Cent. pilots) I even built the top gun turret so that it spins and a figure can be placed under the bubble operating the gun. Even the tail gunner can be placed under the canopy behind his gun. (I wish I knew how to post photos on this !@#$% site)

Plastic General

Detailed review on a HK B-17G test kit:

http://www.themodellingnews.com/2013/03 ... folks.html