I have been digging for literal decades to try to find out more about my granddad's plane. You just reminded me
p51. It was made in 1943. He got over to Polebrook in late '44. So it already had had a bit of a career and several flight crews before he got it. He's very clear on the details, but they are confusing to me. It still had its camo paint job, was ostensibly a -G because it had the chin turret... But it didn't have the cheek blisters or .50 cals in the nose. I don't know if they were never there, or if they'd been removed as redundant before he got it (what with the chin turret and pilot/copilot taking over that arc so the bombardier could focus on the target). I have never been able to find any pictures of it to see if it looks factory-intentional or field-modded. Not shocking -- there were thousands of these aircraft, after all. Just... disappointing.
An alternate aircrew took it up on his day off, and even though he told them to ignore the usual startup sequence because this one had a temperamental #1, and to follow the sequence he'd been handed by the crew chief... They didn't listen and started it by the book, the engine caught fire, and it burned on the hardstand. Total loss. Nothing to put in a museum.
I have an old Revell B-17G model kit that I've wanted to turn into his ship forever, but I don't know the color or style of her nose art (as far as I know, just the name, no cheesecake). I don't know the particulars of her nose. I can only go so far with preassembly until I know what to do about those cheek blisters. I've scoured many books and web sites and online forums relating to the B-17 and I haven't been able to confirm or deny this was a thing. Any WWII geeks on here know?