Brian usriflecal30m1garand thanks, it should be one hell of a bomber when done. She is going to need a lot of weathering to look accurate. Not sure how I am going to do that yet. Busy trying to research how olive drab fades and how best to recreate that on the plane.
BRGT350 I'm sure you can find something on here. I know someone posted a Revell B-17 model with pretty good weathering. He even put on the oil streaks on the wings. It looks pretty cool.
Brian usriflecal30m1garand been looking over the plastic model B-17 group on Facebook plus pouring over tons of photographs online in my books. Found the Ragged Irregulars on eBay, which is packed with pictures from the 91st BG. I have close to a dozen books on the B-17 to use for reference. Oil staining, exhaust, paint chipping and fading is all being closely reviewed.
Hi there, that's a great video you made and I really enjoyed watching it. You explain everything in a good easy to understand fashion and and I say to you well done. I have just ordered the same plane as yours and I should have it inside the next four days. The only difference in our planes is the colour. Your B17 is olive drab and mines is silver. Im so excited about getting this plane. Ive been flying RC PLANES since May 1986 and most of my fleet are engine planes. I just have the three electric planes, one of which is a Multiplex Twinstar. Ive never flown a plane with four motors and ive never flown a plane with retracts either. So I cant wait to get this flying fortress in the air and hear the sound of those four motors while I fly it scale and low. Many thanks for your great video again and all the useful information and tips you have supplied.
Thanks Aidan! Congrats on the B-17, you will love the plane! Here is my silver B-17 made to looks like Yankee Lady flic.kr/s/aHskMdMwR3 Check out RC Groups website as there is a great group of B-17 pilots with lots of tips on getting the B-17 ready for flight.
Thanks for your reply and I will definitely check out the RCGroups website on the B17. The plane actually arrived today and it looks great. I inspected every part for damage and it is in mint condition. I cant wait to get started on it. Your two B-17 Flying Fortresses look fantastic. I just love flying scale planes at scale speed. It gives me a buzz everytime.
thanks and the B-17 will give you chills when you see how real it looks in the air. It slows down nicely and looks like a big bomber in the air. Flying scale planes in a scale matter is my favorite thing to do. I don't fly anything aerobatic or 3D, everything I fly is scale. My planes are all detailed to look more realistic. If you like flying scale and big bombers, check out the Freewing B-24 from Motion RC. It is the same scale as the B-17 and has more scale details and a 3D printed kit available to further enhance it.
Yes I too love scale planes especially warbirds flying at scale pace. I have a p51 red tailed mustang with an engine on the front and I love flying it. But ive always wanted a large world war two bomber powered by electric and this flying fortress is just the ticket. I love the way you can weather your planes to look so realistic. Yes ive viewed the freewing B-24 and it looks great. If I go for it too at some stage I will definitely get the olive drab scheme.
I always wanted one too and was happy to get the B-17. It is one of my favorite planes and great to have a big RC one too. At some point I will get a B-24, probably in silver painted up as Cocktail Hour from the Pacific theater. The only bad thing about the bombers is that they are big, so they are hard to store and transport.
I need help, kinda... I just bought a HK B17. Where can I go to talk with others? I can't find a group on FB. Forums seem dead... Could you suggest something?
Thank you for the video. Would be helpful if you were to provide links to extra items. What scale for the graphics ? Isn't this model close to 1/17th scale ?
The model calculates around 1/19 or 1/20 scale using the wing span. Callie Graphics www.callie-graphics.com/airplanes.php can make just about any markings for the B-17 including custom work. I had her make the graphics for another B-17 (video expected early summer) and custom nose art for my PBY. She has done a number of 1875mm B-17s and you can email her to tell her what graphics you want for the B-17 and she will print them up. Here are the Freewing B-17 plastic parts www.motionrc.com/collections/multi-engine-airplanes/products/freewing-b-17-flying-fortress-green-pnp#spare-parts-tab and the retractable tail wheel www.motionrc.com/products/fms-1400mm-bf-109-retractable-rear-landing-gear . I am planning a follow-up video, hopefully within the next week, to go over weathering and detailing the fuselage and wings.
You can sign up on MotionRC for updates when they come back in stock. I did that for the plastic gun parts since they were out of stock when I wanted to order them. I got an email saying they were available and I ordered them that day.
As for the nose gun turret. I cut out all the slots except for the top 1/2 inch for the barrels to mount to, and painted the whole inside edges and inside flat black. also painted the 2 uncut areas flat black. This will allow air to still go through that front slot.
From the factory, the ball turret only moves 180 degrees along the long axis of the fuselage. It doesn't rotate side to side. I have seen people make a different mount for the ball and attach servos so it can tilt and rotate. I leave my ball turret facing rear, which is the standard position for take-off and landing.
Not sure and I can't get to them at the moment as both of my B-17's are in storage for the winter. There is a thread on RC Groups for the B-17 and I am sure they will have the screw size.
Freewing B-17 Plastic Parts Set - Green Brand: Freewing / Sku: FW304210813 www.motionrc.com/products/freewing-b-17-plastic-parts-set-green Freewing B-17 Scale Plastic Weapons Set Brand: Freewing / Sku: FW304110812 www.motionrc.com/products/freewing-b-17-scale-plastic-weapons-set It looks like the Freewing B-17 is now discontinued and there are a limited number of spare parts. I am guessing Freewing will be coming out with a newer B-17 that is more scale and inline with the quality and details of the B-24.
Thanks for providing the links. I had managed to track them down and found them not available on the motionrc site. I was not able to find any other sources. I still have lots of extra guns left from my pw-rc B-17 so maybe some will make it over to enhance the HK B-17 when I get it.
Motion had been out of stock before on those parts, so I set up a reminder to let me know when they were available. With the B-17 being discontinued, I don't think the spares will come back. Another option would be to get the Norden bombsight and guns from the B-24. The cheek blisters would be hard to replicate, but somebody on RCGroups made a set for his HK B-17 that look much better than the Freewing ones on mine. Here is a link to the build of my HK OD Green B-17 flic.kr/s/aHskQfZK2C and HK Silver B-17 flic.kr/s/aHskMdMwR3
A trick I used on my cheek blisters was to put a picture of the interior of the B-17 take through the cheek blisters. These show the interior section of the .50cals. I used a picture from the restoration of the Memphis Belle nose to replicate the interior behind the nose window. There is a guy in England who built a model quality interior for his B-17 and put a camera in there. The detail work some people do on these planes is amazing.
David R Lentz, Columbus, Ohio, USA (Wednesday, 17 July, 2024) (Updated) 1875 mm is 73.82 inches (almost 6 ft 2 in)! This B-17 model is in 1:17th-scale (well, 1:16.8656th-scale). I must ask: what is the best price (as if I would have room for it in my flat!! Or my budget! Had I ample means, I would acquire several, to build in different variants. I would super-detail them as static models, most in-flight, with figurines to man the crew stations. One aground, undergoing servicing, repair from battle-damage, etc. I:25th scale would be more manageable at 49.8 inches, or 4 ft 1.8 inches.
@@BRGT350 one could configure for RC a smaller sized replica. More to my point, I prefer a static replica (actually, several), highly detailed and historically accurate.
For a scale model B-17, the HK Models (not the same as Hobby King) 1/32 B-17 is considered the best on the market. It is complex to build, but the detail is best in class. I have a bunch of the old Revell/Monogram 1/48 B-17G models and I find those to be the best size for display. Avoid the Academy 1/72 B-17F. That kit is garbage. I almost threw it away during construction as it is so bad. Besides the Hobbyking 1875mm B-17, I am not aware of any other RC B-17's available. E-flite used to have a RC 1/48 B-17, but that is long gone. I have one that sits with my static models.
@@BRGT350 , I prefer by far a large, super-detailed, static model to something I could not recognise at 100 metres. I already caught the difference between "Hobby King" and "Hong Kong Models". I am good at spelling, writing, and reading, though poor at maths. Or seeing.
I don't have a review video on the flight, but I can give you one via the comments. The B-17 flies great and is very stable in the air. I fly with 2 2200 3S batteries and get about 5-6 minutes of flight time. It takes off very fast, even on grass. I dialed in a little throttle to elevator mix to help keep the plane flatter and more scale. I can't think of anything bad about the B-17 from a flying standpoint. The only bad thing is the retracts, which tend to have issues with the struts rotating in the trunnions. The struts also make the plane sit up too high and make nose-overs possible on grass. To fix that, I bent the struts forward about a 1/2 inch. To keep the struts from rotating, I drilled and tapped the trunnions for larger grub screws and use vibration resistant fasteners and then a jam nut to make sure the screws stay tight. It is also important to make sure the motor wires don't work their way out of the wings and rub on the motors. I had that issue after the maiden flight. The B-17 is a fantastic flying plane, but just needs a little TLC to fix a few minor issues with the landing gear. Nothing that can't be fixed easily.
The real ones tend to be pricey to buy and maintain, plus they are a pain to get into the garage. I need to get a follow-up video done now that the plane is fully detailed and assembled. I spent months detailing, weathering, and assembling the B-17. It really turned out nice! I just need a weekend to do some double checks before it is ready to go flying.
Yeah, it really is too bad it isn't available anymore. General Hobby www.generalhobby.com/flying-fortress-721875mm-brushless-warbird-with-worm-drive-retract-system-green-p-1608.html sometimes has them in stock. They are a hybrid model of the V1 and V2 Hobbyking planes. That is the only place I know of that sometimes still has the B-17's.
Hobbyking.com is where I got mine from, but it is sporadic if they are still available. General Hobby carries a similar model B-17 that is a hybrid of the V1 and V2 Hobbyking.
Boeing even refers to them as nacelles, so you are incorrect secure.boeingimages.com/archive/B-17G-Flying-Fortress-Right-Nacelles-with-Anti-Glare-Finish-2F3XC563R7C.html
Not too bad for the plane out of the box. I bought it on sale for $250 and added about another $100 in electronics, paint, decals, and upgrades. The price was pretty much inline with most of my foam RC planes. In comparison to RC jets that cost as much as a new car, the B-17 was pretty cheap!
You could easily get one into the air for under $300 by taking advantages of sales. The B-17 is a good value for a well flying, 4-engined, nicely detailed bomber.
The B-17 is only available from Hobbyking and a version of it from Grayson Hobby. The bad thing about the B-17 is the sporadic availability of spare parts in case something goes wrong.
That's really cool!! Can't wait to see it when it's finished
Brian usriflecal30m1garand thanks, it should be one hell of a bomber when done. She is going to need a lot of weathering to look accurate. Not sure how I am going to do that yet. Busy trying to research how olive drab fades and how best to recreate that on the plane.
BRGT350 I'm sure you can find something on here. I know someone posted a Revell B-17 model with pretty good weathering. He even put on the oil streaks on the wings. It looks pretty cool.
Brian usriflecal30m1garand been looking over the plastic model B-17 group on Facebook plus pouring over tons of photographs online in my books. Found the Ragged Irregulars on eBay, which is packed with pictures from the 91st BG. I have close to a dozen books on the B-17 to use for reference. Oil staining, exhaust, paint chipping and fading is all being closely reviewed.
BRGT350 Oh very cool!! I'm guessing you have to use acrylic paint because of the foam? Might be a dumb question but I'm not familiar with RC stuff.
Brian usriflecal30m1garand mostly acrylic, but light coats of enamel is ok. I may try artists chalks to fade the upper surfaces.
Hi there, that's a great video you made and I really enjoyed watching it. You explain everything in a good easy to understand fashion and and I say to you well done. I have just ordered the same plane as yours and I should have it inside the next four days. The only difference in our planes is the colour. Your B17 is olive drab and mines is silver. Im so excited about getting this plane. Ive been flying RC PLANES since May 1986 and most of my fleet are engine planes. I just have the three electric planes, one of which is a Multiplex Twinstar. Ive never flown a plane with four motors and ive never flown a plane with retracts either. So I cant wait to get this flying fortress in the air and hear the sound of those four motors while I fly it scale and low. Many thanks for your great video again and all the useful information and tips you have supplied.
Thanks Aidan! Congrats on the B-17, you will love the plane! Here is my silver B-17 made to looks like Yankee Lady flic.kr/s/aHskMdMwR3 Check out RC Groups website as there is a great group of B-17 pilots with lots of tips on getting the B-17 ready for flight.
Thanks for your reply and I will definitely check out the RCGroups website on the B17. The plane actually arrived today and it looks great. I inspected every part for damage and it is in mint condition. I cant wait to get started on it. Your two B-17 Flying Fortresses look fantastic. I just love flying scale planes at scale speed. It gives me a buzz everytime.
thanks and the B-17 will give you chills when you see how real it looks in the air. It slows down nicely and looks like a big bomber in the air. Flying scale planes in a scale matter is my favorite thing to do. I don't fly anything aerobatic or 3D, everything I fly is scale. My planes are all detailed to look more realistic. If you like flying scale and big bombers, check out the Freewing B-24 from Motion RC. It is the same scale as the B-17 and has more scale details and a 3D printed kit available to further enhance it.
Yes I too love scale planes especially warbirds flying at scale pace. I have a p51 red tailed mustang with an engine on the front and I love flying it. But ive always wanted a large world war two bomber powered by electric and this flying fortress is just the ticket. I love the way you can weather your planes to look so realistic. Yes ive viewed the freewing B-24 and it looks great. If I go for it too at some stage I will definitely get the olive drab scheme.
I always wanted one too and was happy to get the B-17. It is one of my favorite planes and great to have a big RC one too. At some point I will get a B-24, probably in silver painted up as Cocktail Hour from the Pacific theater. The only bad thing about the bombers is that they are big, so they are hard to store and transport.
I need help, kinda... I just bought a HK B17. Where can I go to talk with others? I can't find a group on FB. Forums seem dead... Could you suggest something?
The only group I know of is the thread on RC Groups. The B-17 is pretty old and not many people are still buying them.
Thank you for the video. Would be helpful if you were to provide links to extra items. What scale for the graphics ? Isn't this model close to 1/17th scale ?
The model calculates around 1/19 or 1/20 scale using the wing span. Callie Graphics www.callie-graphics.com/airplanes.php can make just about any markings for the B-17 including custom work. I had her make the graphics for another B-17 (video expected early summer) and custom nose art for my PBY. She has done a number of 1875mm B-17s and you can email her to tell her what graphics you want for the B-17 and she will print them up. Here are the Freewing B-17 plastic parts www.motionrc.com/collections/multi-engine-airplanes/products/freewing-b-17-flying-fortress-green-pnp#spare-parts-tab and the retractable tail wheel www.motionrc.com/products/fms-1400mm-bf-109-retractable-rear-landing-gear . I am planning a follow-up video, hopefully within the next week, to go over weathering and detailing the fuselage and wings.
Thank you. I did find the parts at MotionRC already. They are out of the gun parts at the moment. Looking forward to your update.
You can sign up on MotionRC for updates when they come back in stock. I did that for the plastic gun parts since they were out of stock when I wanted to order them. I got an email saying they were available and I ordered them that day.
Yep. already did that. thanks
As for the nose gun turret. I cut out all the slots except for the top 1/2 inch for the barrels to mount to, and painted the whole inside edges and inside flat black. also painted the 2 uncut areas flat black. This will allow air to still go through that front slot.
I’m thinking of buying the b17 so can you move the ball turret to move it into different positions
From the factory, the ball turret only moves 180 degrees along the long axis of the fuselage. It doesn't rotate side to side. I have seen people make a different mount for the ball and attach servos so it can tilt and rotate. I leave my ball turret facing rear, which is the standard position for take-off and landing.
@@BRGT350 thanks
hi, if its possible can you please tell me what size bolts hold the wings, I cant find mine lol and the manual doesn't list a size
Not sure and I can't get to them at the moment as both of my B-17's are in storage for the winter. There is a thread on RC Groups for the B-17 and I am sure they will have the screw size.
What are the part numbers for the freewing extra part kits you mentioned?
Freewing B-17 Plastic Parts Set - Green
Brand: Freewing / Sku: FW304210813 www.motionrc.com/products/freewing-b-17-plastic-parts-set-green
Freewing B-17 Scale Plastic Weapons Set
Brand: Freewing / Sku: FW304110812 www.motionrc.com/products/freewing-b-17-scale-plastic-weapons-set
It looks like the Freewing B-17 is now discontinued and there are a limited number of spare parts. I am guessing Freewing will be coming out with a newer B-17 that is more scale and inline with the quality and details of the B-24.
Thanks for providing the links. I had managed to track them down and found them not available on the motionrc site. I was not able to find any other sources. I still have lots of extra guns left from my pw-rc B-17 so maybe some will make it over to enhance the HK B-17 when I get it.
Motion had been out of stock before on those parts, so I set up a reminder to let me know when they were available. With the B-17 being discontinued, I don't think the spares will come back. Another option would be to get the Norden bombsight and guns from the B-24. The cheek blisters would be hard to replicate, but somebody on RCGroups made a set for his HK B-17 that look much better than the Freewing ones on mine. Here is a link to the build of my HK OD Green B-17 flic.kr/s/aHskQfZK2C and HK Silver B-17 flic.kr/s/aHskMdMwR3
Thanks for the links. Actually, the cheek blisters are not that hard to make. I fabricated a set for my pw-rc B-17 out of some clear sheet plastic.
A trick I used on my cheek blisters was to put a picture of the interior of the B-17 take through the cheek blisters. These show the interior section of the .50cals. I used a picture from the restoration of the Memphis Belle nose to replicate the interior behind the nose window. There is a guy in England who built a model quality interior for his B-17 and put a camera in there. The detail work some people do on these planes is amazing.
David R Lentz, Columbus, Ohio, USA (Wednesday, 17 July, 2024)
(Updated)
1875 mm is 73.82 inches (almost 6 ft 2 in)!
This B-17 model is in 1:17th-scale (well, 1:16.8656th-scale).
I must ask: what is the best price (as if I would have room for it in my flat!! Or my budget!
Had I ample means, I would acquire several, to build in different variants. I would super-detail them as static models, most in-flight, with figurines to man the crew stations. One aground, undergoing servicing, repair from battle-damage, etc.
I:25th scale would be more manageable at 49.8 inches, or 4 ft 1.8 inches.
Agree that would be a more manageable size, but if you want a RC B-17, this is pretty much the only option.
@@BRGT350 one could configure for RC a smaller sized replica. More to my point, I prefer a static replica (actually, several), highly detailed and historically accurate.
For a scale model B-17, the HK Models (not the same as Hobby King) 1/32 B-17 is considered the best on the market. It is complex to build, but the detail is best in class. I have a bunch of the old Revell/Monogram 1/48 B-17G models and I find those to be the best size for display. Avoid the Academy 1/72 B-17F. That kit is garbage. I almost threw it away during construction as it is so bad. Besides the Hobbyking 1875mm B-17, I am not aware of any other RC B-17's available. E-flite used to have a RC 1/48 B-17, but that is long gone. I have one that sits with my static models.
@@BRGT350 , I prefer by far a large, super-detailed, static model to something I could not recognise at 100 metres.
I already caught the difference between "Hobby King" and "Hong Kong Models". I am good at spelling, writing, and reading, though poor at maths. Or seeing.
Hi there do u have a flight review...of your Hobby king 1875mm V2 B-17 in Olive Drab
I don't have a review video on the flight, but I can give you one via the comments. The B-17 flies great and is very stable in the air. I fly with 2 2200 3S batteries and get about 5-6 minutes of flight time. It takes off very fast, even on grass. I dialed in a little throttle to elevator mix to help keep the plane flatter and more scale. I can't think of anything bad about the B-17 from a flying standpoint. The only bad thing is the retracts, which tend to have issues with the struts rotating in the trunnions. The struts also make the plane sit up too high and make nose-overs possible on grass. To fix that, I bent the struts forward about a 1/2 inch. To keep the struts from rotating, I drilled and tapped the trunnions for larger grub screws and use vibration resistant fasteners and then a jam nut to make sure the screws stay tight. It is also important to make sure the motor wires don't work their way out of the wings and rub on the motors. I had that issue after the maiden flight. The B-17 is a fantastic flying plane, but just needs a little TLC to fix a few minor issues with the landing gear. Nothing that can't be fixed easily.
@@BRGT350 Thank you So much for the info..that really helps..and hope too see more unboxing or builds from you....cheers
Why didn’t you just buy a real B-17? ;D
Great model
The real ones tend to be pricey to buy and maintain, plus they are a pain to get into the garage. I need to get a follow-up video done now that the plane is fully detailed and assembled. I spent months detailing, weathering, and assembling the B-17. It really turned out nice! I just need a weekend to do some double checks before it is ready to go flying.
nice
I love this plane. But as usual Hobby king isn't selling it anymore.
Yeah, it really is too bad it isn't available anymore. General Hobby www.generalhobby.com/flying-fortress-721875mm-brushless-warbird-with-worm-drive-retract-system-green-p-1608.html sometimes has them in stock. They are a hybrid model of the V1 and V2 Hobbyking planes. That is the only place I know of that sometimes still has the B-17's.
Can you put a link please
A link to what?
@@BRGT350 for the website
Hobbyking.com is where I got mine from, but it is sporadic if they are still available. General Hobby carries a similar model B-17 that is a hybrid of the V1 and V2 Hobbyking.
those are COWLINGS, not nacelles.
Nacelles are from the wing to the motor mount, cowls or cowlings cover the motor.
Boeing even refers to them as nacelles, so you are incorrect secure.boeingimages.com/archive/B-17G-Flying-Fortress-Right-Nacelles-with-Anti-Glare-Finish-2F3XC563R7C.html
Cool! I bet that cost a kidney, lol
Not too bad for the plane out of the box. I bought it on sale for $250 and added about another $100 in electronics, paint, decals, and upgrades. The price was pretty much inline with most of my foam RC planes. In comparison to RC jets that cost as much as a new car, the B-17 was pretty cheap!
@@BRGT350 not to bad!
You could easily get one into the air for under $300 by taking advantages of sales. The B-17 is a good value for a well flying, 4-engined, nicely detailed bomber.
@@BRGT350 my local hobby shop prices them way less then retal. So not to bad what they ask for
The B-17 is only available from Hobbyking and a version of it from Grayson Hobby. The bad thing about the B-17 is the sporadic availability of spare parts in case something goes wrong.