External Bomb Racks--B-17F

I am beginning to assemble a 1/48 scale model B-17F made by Monogram/Revell.  The kit was made in 1998 and the featured aircraft is the "Memphis Belle."  I do not intend to mark the aircraft as the Belle, but I am curious as to the external bomb racks supplied in the kit.
 
I was not aware that bomb groups deployed to England in 1942-43 had external bomb racks.  My father flew an "F" for the 381st BG in the summer of 1943, and it certainly did not have the racks shown in the Monogram kit.
 
Were external racks installed in the early 8th Bomber Command groups in England?

Warren B. Carah

B-17F :

" A number of other modifications were made, including re-integrating external bomb racks, but because of its negative impact on both rate-of-climb and high altitude flight the configuration was rarely used and the racks were removed. "

Sounds like the racks were original equipment of the F models that were removed very quickly in combat flying.

Model manufacturers normally go by factory drawings and blueprints where available to produce a kit, so sometimes stuff gets included in a model that just got tossed during real use of the aircraft.   My bet would be a stateside plane about to ship out for overseas would have the racks, but one in a combat squadron would have lost them pretty quickly.

SHAEF1944 American Veterans Museum

According to Roger Freeman and David Osbourne's The Flying Fortress Story, the external bomb rack provisisons were installed on B-17F-20-VE 42-5765 to 41-24539 :B-17F-20-DL 42-3049 to 42-3073 ; and B-17F-BO 20-BO 42-5050 to 42-5078..and all subsequent models including the G series.
Note..the "Provisions" were installed .

On the front cover of The Flying Fortress Story, three aircraft of the Square A bomb group are shown in flight with external racks with it appears 1000 lb bombs attached. (possible 2000 lb ).
On page 51 there are two photos of B-17s with the external racks installed.

Jim :-)

James S. Peters Sr. T/Sgt
B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions
99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF
Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy
My Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45
M/Sgt USAF (Retired)

Well, you learn something new every day.  There sure must have been a big pile of those things laying around somewhere.  Did the groups fly to England with these things still attached ?  My father told me that B-17's did everything at 150 mph, but it might have been slower with bombs slung under the wing.
 
Regards,

Warren B. Carah

I think you must have missed my point...the PROVISIONS were there for the underwing bomb racks, and there were only a few missions flown with the actual bombs loaded.
 
The B-17 could take a a maximum  bomb load of some 17,000 lbs for a short distance...the normal bomb load for both the B-17 and B-24 from Italy was the same for both aircraft...either 12 500 lb bombs or 6 1000 lb bombs...the bomb load was the same.
 
In the Pacific theater, the object was RANGE, and the B-24 shone there, as the missions were flown wtih 2 extra bomb bay tanks in the forward bomb bay and the bomb load in the aft bomb bay.
 
The early B-17s did not have the Tokio tanks which added another 1080 gals to the original 1700 gals
..that was a later developement, so there were B-17fF's that had been modified with an extra fuel tank installed in the radio room and another fuel tank in the nose, to extend the range, with the fuel tanks being fabricated in Australia.
 
When the B-17s with the tokio tanks were developed, the range on the B-17 and B-24 were close to equal, with the B-24 carrying only about 100 gals more. The normal cunsumption of one engine was 50 gals'hour, times 4 = 200 gals/hour. An additional 100 gals over the B-17 meant that only about 25 gals more per engine, which related to not very much additonal range.
 
While climbing to bombing altitude, the consumption of gasoline in the B-17 was 400 gals /hour, and the CHT's (Cylinder Head Temps) were on the redline. or maximum.
 
Jim :-)

James S. Peters Sr. T/Sgt
B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions
99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF
Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy
My Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45
M/Sgt USAF (Retired)

wcarah
Well, you learn something new every day.  There sure must have been a big pile of those things laying around somewhere.  Did the groups fly to England with these things still attached ?  My father told me that B-17's did everything at 150 mph, but it might have been slower with bombs slung under the wing.
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lol, Warren.
 
speaking of piles of the things lying around.... i have 3 sets of them lying around in 1/48 scale if anyone wants any.  
 you cant order any replacement stuff for those old "F" revell kits anymore....but i have a few loose items leftover from several builds.

  just for the heck of it, here's a shot of 'the old standby' 42-2178 of the 91st BG (322nd Squadron)
      on 9-16-43 taking off with a pair of bombs on the racks underneath.  happened to run across this in my files after seeing your post the other day.     not sure how this photo thing works yet....but if it doesnt come out on the post, here's a temporary link to it : http://wastedtimeandmoney.blogspot.com/    will be at the top of that page for at least a week or two, or until i can figure out a better way to copy it and post it here.
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well, it didnt show up on the post...   obviously i'm still doing something wrong !
 
 

Thanks for sharing the under wing bombs photo!

Bill Runnels
Bombardier(B-17)
HELL'S ANGELS
303RDBG, 360THBS
www.geocities.com/billrunnels

Glad you liked it Bill,  I have another of the 94th BG. a whole formation with what looks like 1000-pounders under the wings.   can email it or post on my blog...whichever you prefer. 

Jim

I have a very high-resolution digital scan of the photo you mention.  looks like the 410th BS of the 94th BG....  Virgin's Delight (42-3352) is the prominent a/c in the photo.  all six appear to be carrying what look to be (at least) 1000-pounders.  I can post it on my blog and provide a link... or email it to you in full-resolution so that you can post it in a way of your choosing.  just let me know,

cheers,
Jim

Please send it to: billrunnels@yahoo.com.   Thanks..........

Bill Runnels
Bombardier(B-17)
HELL'S ANGELS
303RDBG, 360THBS
www.geocities.com/billrunnels

I cropped this from part of one of my reference files showing how the external rack was used:



All the best,
Paul

Paul Bellamy 

401st BG Association
401st BG Historical Society (UK)
RAF Twinwood Farm Museum