Warbird Information Exchange

Did anything special happen with the B-17 "Chow Hound" during the war? It has been recreated on several models.

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"Keep 'em Flying!"

http://www.91stbombgroup.com/chowhound.html

Here's an interesting link from the 91st Bomb Group website with a cool photo of the crew and plane. Not much information though, but if memory serves me correct I believe the plane was eventually lost.

John

Chow-hound flew over 50 missions before being blown in half by flak in August '44 with all nine crew KIA.
Probably the attention to her comes from the cool nose art by the great Tony Starcer.
Just another hard-working B-17 that came to a sad end along with her crew.

Dave

I was 12 or 13 when Monogram first released their 1:48 scale B-17G with decals for Chow Hound, and I still get a thrill when I think about it.

B-17's were my favorite aircraft, and that kit was the biggest and best model of it to date. 1978 (?).

I got a kick out of the following factoid which was listed on the website I posted earlier.

John

"Chow-hound Factoid - Sometime after the 15th mission, a flak splinter or machine gun bullet penetrated the nose, right where the dog's (Pluto) stomach had been painted. Starcer (Who chose Pluto riding the bomb motif) painted a Purple Heart medal beside the shiny new flak patch."

All of my informations are here: http://www.b-17-flying-fortress.fr/engu ... Hound.html

Best regards

Cédric

Chow Hound was the first 1/48 model I built. I was three and I did it with my dad. I never knew the background on the aircraft. Thanks for the info!

Taylor

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Taylor Stevenson

Ah yes, that old Monogram 1/48 B-17G . . . what a classic.

That and the Monogram 1/48 P-51D - I still remember Jordan Ross' build of that plane in a late 70s era issue of Scale Modeler. I recall very distinctly that it originally retailed for $1.50. I know because I bought more than my share!

Those two kits in the hands of a skilled builder could still hold their own 25 years later, I'll bet.

And Shep Paine's Monogram diorama sheets of that era were the inspiration for many thousands of us. I liked his artistic approach to the craft. I still have my copy of his book, How to Build Dioramas, well-worn to be sure. I actually did a few dioramas that showed promise, I thought, but I was eventually led away from my beloved scale modeling and into something I was better at, drawing. Painting came much later, after I had mastered tonal application.

So yes, "Chow Hound", especially, will always hold special memories for many of us.

Wade

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Website: http://www.wademeyersart.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Wade.Meyers.Studios

Man, I couldn't tell you how many 'Detroit Misses' and 'Chow Hounds' I built as a kid..still have some stashed away somewhere.

Dante

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-Dante Cosentino

You guys aren't old enough apparently.

Best kit for the buck ever built was the Monogram 1/48 P51B Mustang "Ding Hao".

Don't know how many of those I built, but for a classic that stands the test of time, that's the best kit ever

I had never built the "chow hound" version. though my cousin did get the Clear half which I thought was really neat!!!!!!!!

I did build the Monogram B-17 in the 457th BG markings. Built 4 of them when I was 14 for the 457th Reunion that was held here in VT. My father was invited but could not attend so I went in his place. I built the 4 airplanes and painted them in markings representing each Squadron. Doing research from the book Flak Dodger.

Built my share of p-51's but the best kit I ever built had to be the 1/24th scale MPC P-51D ridge runner..............what a detailed kit!!!! even had rubber tires!

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Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

For those interested a great history of the Revell and Monogram 1/48 B-17s can be seen here:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/B17G.html

Chow Hound is included.


I have built a 1/48 Memphis Belle. It is pictured at the bottom of the page.

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I wish someone would put a restored example of a B-17 in the markings of Chowhound.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager

I was thinking the same and I was kinda hoping that Collings may have been planning a suprise after all the added publicity the got when the B-24 became Witchcraft .....

But as Jim Harley rightly said on a previous thread ~ their concentrating on the Me262 project right now.

However I snuck over onto American Aero Services website just to have a look !

The damaged tail section of the B-17 has been rebuild and repainted to match the rest of the exisiting color scheme.

So nice maintenance shots though .....
http://www.americanaeroservices.com/Bombers%202006.htm

Maybe we need to start a campaign to persuade Rob Collings its about due for a new look this winter ?

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Blue Skies .....

Peter

Consolidated by US state ~ see if there's a heavy bomber tour stop coming to an airport near you ...... http://www.bomberflight.info

Warbirdapps on facebook ~ every day a new image from my personal journey thru the world of warbirds ..... https://www.facebook.com/Warbirdapps

Yeah, or even one of the others that are still under restoration. IT would be great to see this paint scheme.

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Chris Henry
EAA Aviation Museum Manager