rose of york Hong Kong Model 1:32 B-17 G “Rose of York” Limited Edition

[Fran]

 

 

Hong Kong Model

1:32 B-17 G

“Rose of York”

Limited Edition

 

Price tag – 368$

To buy, click here

  

The Hong Kong Model B-17G has been in the market for quite some time now, more precisely, 10 years.

 So there`s nothing I can or could tell our readers about the 1:32 Hong Kong B-17G that has not been said.

So I will stick to the new items that are in this new limited edition release.

 

Starting for that, this is a 500 limited edition. So if you want this one, you got to be quite agile on our fingers and order one.

 

This release is a homage that Hong Kong Model wants to make to Queen Elizabeth after her deceased.

 

And let me tell that is a fantastic way to homage the Queen.

So, Hong Kong Models just pick up a historical moment and is cover on several historical sites over the internet but I will share here a short history about it and leave some links to other sites:

 

“6 July 1944: In honor of Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth, a United States Army Air Forces heavy bomber, Boeing B-17G-55-BO Flying Fortress 42-102547, was christened Rose of York. The ceremony took place at R.A.F. Thurleigh (U.S.A.A.F. Station 111), 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of Bedford, Bedfordshire, England.

Named for Princess Elizabeth Windsor (now, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II), 42-102547 was originally named Princess Elizabeth but that did not meet with any official approval. (There were concerns about the propaganda value to the enemy, and the effect on civilian morale, should the bomber named for a member of the Royal Family be lost in combat.) The aircraft was renamed Rose of York instead and was christened by the Princess on her royal visit to the airfield.

 

 

 

42-102547 was built by the Boeing Airplane Company at its Plant 2, south of Seattle, Washington, in early 1944. The new bomber was not camouflaged, but left in its natural metal finish. It was flown to the Cheyenne Modification Center, Cheyenne, Wyoming, on 12 March 1944, for installation of the latest combat modifications. It was then taken to the B-17 training base at Grand Island Army Air Field in central Nebraska. From there, it flew to Dow Army Air Field, Bangor Maine, arriving 3 April 1944, and then ferried across the North Atlantic Ocean to England.

The Flying Fortress arrived in England, and on 2 May 1944, was  assigned to the 401st Bombardment Group, Heavy, at R.A.F. Deenethorpe (A.A.F. Station 128). Three days later, though, 42-102547 was transferred to the 306th Bombardment Group, Heavy, at R.A.F. Thurleigh. It was assigned to Captain Perry E. Raster of the 367th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy. The group’s identification code, “Triangle H”—a white capital “H” centered on a black triangle—was painted on the vertical fin above the serial number. A black capital “F” was painted below, identifying the individual airplane within its squadron.

42-102547 had completed 13 combat missions by 6 July 1944.

On Saturday, 3 February 1945, the Eighth Air Force, under the command of Lieutenant General James Harold (“Jimmy”) Doolittle, executed Mission No. 817. 1,003 B-17 Flying Fortresses, 434 B-24 Liberators and 948 P-47 and P-51 fighters were sent to attack Berlin, the capital of the Third Reich. The B-17s’ primary target was the city’s railroad marshaling yards, while the B-24s attacked the Braunkohle Benzine A.G. synthetic oil refinery at Rothensee.

23 B-17s, 2 B-24s, 7 P-51s and 1 P-47 were lost. 6 B-17s and 2 P-51s were damaged beyond repair, and another 339 B-17s and 58 B-24s were damaged.

18 airmen were killed in action, with 11 wounded and 216 missing.

 

 

Rose of York was one of the B-17s on that 1,000-bomber mission to Berlin. On its sixty-third combat mission, and with a different crew, 42-102547 was hit by heavy and accurate anti-aircraft fire. The last contact indicated that one engine was out of operation and another was streaming gasoline. The Flying Fortress went down in the English Channel with all nine crew members and a civilian news reporter.¹

 

 

 

 

The crew of Rose of York, 6 July 1944.  Front row, left to right: Engineer and Top Turret Gunner, Sergeant Eugene E. Kelley; Radio Operator and Top Gunner, Technical Sergeant George G. Roberts; Ball Turret Gunner, Sergeant Donald F. Urban; Waist Gunner, Sergeant Herman Shore; Ball Turret Gunner Sergeant William E. Landrum; and Tail Gunner, Sergeant Watson R. Vaughn. Standing, left to right: Unknown, possibly Master Sergeant Edward S.  Gregory, maintenance crew chief; Aircraft Commander, Captain Perry E. Raster; Co-Pilot, Lieutenant Talmadge E. McDonough; Navigator, Captain William E. Pleasant; Bombardier, Lieutenant Marion J. Northway; the crew’s previous bombardier, Captain Steven Tanella; and unknown, possibly assistant crew chief Mark Madsen.

 

 

The box art is beautiful done, capturing the historical moment quite well.

 

So cracking the box, you got the ten-years old, beautiful B-17G and all the parts to make it.

 

This limited edition brings a A3 sheet that you can frame it.

 

There are the new items.

 

A resin figure, a new decal sheet and a “new” instruction booklet.

 

Lets start for the main item on this release.

 

A full figure in 1:32 of Princess Elisabeth.

 

The sculping work was in 3D but the figure is tradicional resin.

 However, the sculping and the quality of the figure is just outstading.

 

 

The face is quite similar (at least for me) and has very good expression.

 

 

 

 

The dress and the hat are just equal to the one that Queen Elisabeth II wore that day in 6^th July of 1944.

 

 

 

The bouquet of flowers has an amazing detail. Its fantastic.

 

 

It really caption the historical moment, of which we do have some pictures and comparing with those pictures, the Queen Elizabeth (back then Princess) perfect in 1:32.

  

 

Next is a full new instruction booklet that is almost equal of the original B-17G.

 

 

 So, is given a full A4 color guide of the princess Elizabeth with AK references.

 

 

 

Finally the decals. These, as usual of Hong Kong Models are printed by Cartograf so quality is guaranteed.

 

 

The nose art, the Rose of York. Comparing to the real pictures, the art work is very well achieved.

 

Conclusion

Hong Kong Models paid a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to the Queen Elizabeth II. It`s a original tribute from modelling company to one of the most significant characters of the 20th century, capturing all his charisma, sense of state and monarchy.

I`m really impressed with this tribute and hands down to HK Models for this. I really hope that the Limited series sells all the 500 models and I hope to see several ones full builds.

I know I will be building mine!!

 

VERY VERY Highly RECOMMEND

 

My Thanks to Neil and Hong Kong Models for the review sample

[nmayhew]

Apologies if I have missed the obvious, but the review fails to mention perhaps the crucial differences that this release has compared to the original G??

If I am not mistaken, this kit allows one to model - to use a non-technical term - an “early G” yes? 

In other words, whilst it has the chin turret, it has the early tail gunner position and - crucially - waist gunner windows which are in line and not staggered as in later models.

So for the first time, you can model “A Bit O’ Lace” right??

I have not reviewed the sprues, nor am I a B-17 expert, so would appreciate those more knowledgeable than myself confirming / refuting the above.

Cheers

Nick

[Fran]

On 11/7/2023 at 9:56 PM, nmayhew said:

Apologies if I have missed the obvious, but the review fails to mention perhaps the crucial differences that this release has compared to the original G??

If I am not mistaken, this kit allows one to model - to use a non-technical term - an “early G” yes? 

In other words, whilst it has the chin turret, it has the early tail gunner position and - crucially - waist gunner windows which are in line and not staggered as in later models.

So for the first time, you can model “A Bit O’ Lace” right??

I have not reviewed the sprues, nor am I a B-17 expert, so would appreciate those more knowledgeable than myself confirming / refuting the above.

Cheers

Nick

Hi Nick. 

Thanks for your post.

I didn`t received the full kit but only the new parts, so the plastic parts are the same of the HK Models B-17G already release. So I assume that the model kit is just the same with no new parts to make the details and differences that you mention.

Cheers

Fran

 

[ThomasProbert]

On 11/7/2023 at 9:56 PM, nmayhew said:

Apologies if I have missed the obvious, but the review fails to mention perhaps the crucial differences that this release has compared to the original G??

If I am not mistaken, this kit allows one to model - to use a non-technical term - an “early G” yes? 

In other words, whilst it has the chin turret, it has the early tail gunner position and - crucially - waist gunner windows which are in line and not staggered as in later models.

So for the first time, you can model “A Bit O’ Lace” right??

I have not reviewed the sprues, nor am I a B-17 expert, so would appreciate those more knowledgeable than myself confirming / refuting the above.

Cheers

Nick

Waist guns are still staggered - therefore not strictly correct of BoL. You'd also need the earlier 3-pane windows. 

Tom

[PanzerWomble]

Can we please spell our late Queen's name correctly as well ?

 

Elizabeth                 no S in her name .  

 

Thanks you 

[Clunkmeister]

On 11/19/2023 at 8:48 AM, PanzerWomble said:

Can we please spell our late Queen's name correctly as well ?

 

Elizabeth                 no S in her name .  

 

Thanks you 

I understand Fran is a busy man, so I took it upon myself to do the spellcheck. I found several areas, and all that I found, I fixed. If I have missed any, please advise.  Sometimes, the language barrier catches us all.  I don’t speak Portuguese, just some Spanish and German, but I can relate.

I am 100% certain that no offense was meant or implied.   I grew up under our Late Queen’s Rule, and for me, she was the only Monarch I Served under. Something in me died with her.  God Bless the Queen! 

[PanzerWomble]

9 hours ago, Clunkmeister said:

I understand Fran is a busy man, so I took it upon myself to do the spellcheck. I found several areas, and all that I found, I fixed. If I have missed any, please advise.  Sometimes, the language barrier catches us all.  I don’t speak Portuguese, just some Spanish and German, but I can relate.

I am 100% certain that no offense was meant or implied.   I grew up under our Late Queen’s Rule, and for me, she was the only Monarch I Served under. Something in me died with her.  God Bless the Queen! 

I wasn't offended, understood it was a mistake -  just asking for correction .

 

You can call Charles... "Chuck III" if you must 😄. 

 

I'll be polite about Thanksgiving on Thursday . ...

[Clunkmeister]

1 hour ago, PanzerWomble said:

I wasn't offended, understood it was a mistake -  just asking for correction .

 

You can call Charles... "Chuck III" if you must 😄. 

 

I'll be polite about Thanksgiving on Thursday . ...

Hahahahaha. I hear you on Thanksgiving. To me it’s more about giving thanks to God. 
Dont get me going on Chuckie. To me, Elizabeth ll was the last great Monarch. I might not be big on the Royal Family, but I had a huge amount of respect for her. 

[Fran]

Thank you for the warning and Ernie to crrect it.

 

Was probably the auto-correct as in Portuguese, Elizabeth is with a S... Sorry once again.