Boeing B-17G

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress    42-3524    ‘Vonnie Gal’
527th B.S. 379th B.G. Kimbolton, June 1944.

Althoughbuilt at Boeing’s Denver plant as a Boeing B-17F-75, this aircraft was fitted with the G-model’s chin turret and longer faired nose, but retained the F model’s upper gun turret and open waist gun positions! Redesignated a Boeing B-17G-5, it arrived at Kimbolton for service with the 379th BG on the 3rd of October. Initially issued to the 526th BS, the bomber was soon passed on to the 527th BS, where it was christened Vonnie Gal. A ‘regular’ with the squadron well into 1944, the aircraft completed 27 or 28 of its 50 missions manned by 1st Lt Jack Lamont’s crew. By July 1944 42-3524 was the oldest operational Fortress within the 379th, but its lengthy career with the group came to an end on the 20th of that month. The bomber was struck by flak just after its crew, led by 2nd Lt William F Moore, had released its bombs during a raid on Leipzig. Running low on fuel, Moore chose to land at Payerne airfield, in Switzerland, where both his crew and his bomber were interned. Vonnie Gal was finally flown back from Switzerland to Burtonwood, in Lancashire, on the 25th of September 1945, where it was subsequently scrapped just weeks later.
Source: Osprey Aviation Books, Combat Aircraft Vol 18. ISBN 1-84176-021-8

Scale 1:144     Wingspan 8.64″ (220 mm)
Base size 12.28″ x 8.8″ (312mm x 225mm) (No. 14)
Weight not including base 13.25 ozs (373 grams)
Limited edition of 100 only  Total number of models produced 100