Kit Cutters Completion Guide

Uncle Willie Giant-Scale Short Kit

78" B-17G Flying Fortress

The legendary four-engine heavy bomber of WWII — in giant scale.

Buy the Kit — $408.00 See Everything You Need

Wingspan

78 in

Engines

4 (one per nacelle)

Type

B-17G Bomber

Power

4x .20 glow / electric

Gear

Tricycle

Skill

Advanced

A Legend, Faithfully Cut

The Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress was the backbone of the USAAF's daylight bombing campaign over Europe — 15,000 aircraft built, famous for its ability to bring crews home despite devastating damage. This Uncle Willie design captures the unmistakable silhouette of the four-engine heavy bomber at a flyable 78" wingspan.

Kit Cutters supplies the precision laser-cut wood. This guide covers the rest: the honest, model-specific list of what you'll buy to complete it, with real sources for every part.

78-inch Uncle Willie B-17G Flying Fortress four-engine RC bomber in flight

What's in the Box?

Included in the Short Kit

Precision laser-cut wood parts only — ribs, formers, shaped parts
All four nacelle structures
Fuselage formers and wing panel parts

⬇ Download Pack List (PDF)

Required Separately

Plans (free download from AeroFred.com)
Stock balsa sticks and sheet (spars, sheeting, stringers)
4 engines or motors (one per nacelle)
Cowls, nacelle covers, and turrets (builder-sourced or scratch-built per plan)
Canopy, landing gear, covering, radio gear, hardware

Everything Else You Need to Complete This Kit

Model-specific, with real sources. Where Willie sells a part directly, that's noted; where there's a choice (like gas vs. electric power), both paths are laid out.

Power System

The B-17 requires FOUR engines — one per nacelle. The plan calls for .20 cu in glow engines. Electric conversions using four matched brushless motors are also popular.

GLOW — plan spec

Engines (x4)	.20 cu in glow, one per nacelle (plan spec). Four identical engines strongly recommended.	Builder preference
Fuel tanks (x4)	Small tanks, one per nacelle — sized to engine	Dubro / specialty
Props (x4)	Matched set; counter-rotating inner pair recommended for scale accuracy and torque cancellation	Specialty RC retailer

ELECTRIC — widely used modern alternative

Motors (x4)	4x matched brushless outrunners. ~1000–1300 KV suited to the .20-class nacelles. A matched set from one manufacturer is critical.	Horizon Hobby / specialty
ESCs (x4)	4x matched ESCs, one per motor; program all four identically. 30–40A each.	Specialty RC retailer
Battery	3S–4S LiPo — one pack or a Y-harness split to all four ESCs; plan battery position carefully for CG	Specialty RC retailer
Props (x4)	Matched set; counter-rotating inner pair for torque cancellation and scale appearance	Specialty RC retailer

Heads up — Four-engine coordination is the key challenge. All four ESCs must be programmed identically and their throttle curves matched — asymmetric thrust on a four-engine bomber makes it very difficult to control. Use a single throttle channel with a Y-harness, or a mixer that drives all four from one input. Test-run all four motors on the bench before the first flight.

Cowls & Nacelles

Builder sourced

Engine cowls (x4)

No ready-made fiberglass cowls currently in production for this Uncle Willie plan at 78". Build per plan templates or check the secondary R/C market.

Secondary R/C Market / per plan

Canopy & Turrets

Builder sourced

Pilot canopy	No ready-made canopy in production for this plan. Vacuum-form from plan templates or check the secondary R/C market.	Secondary R/C Market / per plan
Turret fairings	Top turret, ball turret, tail turret — all scratch-built or vacuum-formed per plan for this scale.	Per plan / builder sourced

Landing Gear

Tricycle

Main retracts	Two main gear in the inner nacelle wells. Robart or equivalent; sized to the model weight.	Robart / specialty
Nose retract	Separate nose-gear retract for the forward fuselage.	Robart / specialty
Wheels	Scale wheels to suit the gear; check plan for sizing	Robart / specialty

The B-17's main gear retracts inward into the inner engine nacelles — confirm the retract mechanism and nacelle clearance from your plan before purchasing gear.

Servos & Radio

6+ channels

Ailerons	2x 65+ oz-in, ball bearing (one per wing panel)	Builder preference
Elevators	2x 65+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Rudder	1x 90+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Throttle	1 channel via Y-harness to all four ESCs/engines for synchronized power	Builder preference
Gear	1x 50 oz-in for retract servo	Builder preference

Covering & Finishing

Covering	Iron-on film or lightweight fiberglass cloth; natural metal, olive drab, or USAAF schemes are all popular	Chief Aircraft / specialty
Paint	Natural aluminum (silver), olive drab/grey USAAF European scheme, or Pacific natural metal scheme	Builder preference

Hardware

Wing joining	Per plan — multi-panel wing joins at the fuselage; confirm tube/dowel spec from the plan before ordering	Per plan
Control horns & linkages	Sized per plan; four-engine installation requires careful routing of throttle linkages	Specialty RC retailer
Hinges	Flat hinges or Robart hinge points	Robart / specialty

Detailed Specifications

Wingspan	78 in
Type	B-17G Flying Fortress (4-engine heavy bomber)
Engines	4 — one per nacelle; plan calls for .20 cu in glow (electric widely used)
Gear	Tricycle — nose wheel + main gear
Plans	4-sheet B-17G plan — free download from AeroFred.com

Detailed spec sheet (length, wing area, weight, scale) is not published for this Uncle Willie plan. Specs above are confirmed from the plan listing. Refer to your plan set for all building dimensions.

Uncle Willie

"Uncle Willie" is the plan designer behind this B-17G. The plans are distributed through the RC model community and are available as a free download from AeroFred. No model-specific accessories are sold by the designer — cowls, nacelles, turrets, and scale details require independent sourcing.

The B-17G plan is a community plan available as a free download from AeroFred.com.

Get Willie Plans

The Build Journey

The B-17 is the most complex build in this catalog — four engines, multiple wing panels, turrets, tricycle gear, and a long fuselage. Build time will be substantial.

Where a short kit saves you time

The Uncle Willie plan includes full-size templates for every part. On a four-engine bomber that's a substantial cutting job — four nacelle structures, multiple wing panels, fuselage formers. A Kit Cutters short kit removes that entire stage.

Plans only (hand-cut)

You trace and cut every rib, former, nacelle part, and wing panel from raw stock using the plan templates.

more time, lower part cost

Short kit (laser-cut)

All nacelle structures, wing panels, and fuselage parts arrive laser-cut. Skip straight to assembly.

less time, cleaner fit

The four stages of assembly

Stage 1: Fuselage Assembly

The long B-17 fuselage with its gun positions and crew stations.

Align and pin main fuselage formers
Build the bomb bay structure
Install nose section and cockpit area
Fit nose-gear retract bay

Stage 2: Wing & Nacelle Assembly

The most complex stage — multi-panel wing with four engine nacelles.

Build the center wing section
Build port and starboard outer panels
Build all four engine nacelles
Install main gear retract bays in inner nacelles

Stage 3: Tail Assembly

Distinctive twin tail fins and large horizontal stab.

Build the horizontal stabilizer
Build elevator surfaces
Build the twin vertical fins
Build the twin rudders and install

Stage 4: Systems & Final Assembly

Putting together the most complex system in the lineup.

Install all four engines/motors
Plumb tricycle gear system
Install turret fairings and canopy
Test all four motors before first flight

Frequently Asked Questions

The short kit is laser-cut wood parts only. You'll also need the plans (free download from AeroFred), stock balsa sticks and sheet, four matched engines or motors, cowls (builder-sourced or scratch-built), a canopy, tricycle landing gear, covering, and radio gear.

Four — one per nacelle. The plan calls for .20 cu in glow engines, but most modern builders use four matched brushless motors. All four must be precisely synchronized — use identical components and a single throttle channel via Y-harness.

No. The B-17 is the most complex kit in this catalog — four engines, multiple wing panels, tricycle gear, turrets, and a long fuselage. It rewards builders who have completed several giant-scale models.

The Uncle Willie B-17G plan is available as a free download from AeroFred.com. There is no paid plan source or designer storefront for this design.

Not currently. No fiberglass cowls, nacelle covers, or turret fairings are in production for this specific Uncle Willie plan at 78". Builders vacuum-form these from card stock templates, scratch-build them, or source from the secondary R/C market.

The main gear retracts inward into the inner engine nacelles — a signature feature of the real B-17. You'll need three retract circuits (two mains + nose) and should confirm the nacelle clearance from your plan before purchasing the retract mechanism.

Yes, and most modern builders choose electric. Four matched brushless outrunners (~1000–1300 KV) on 3S–4S LiPo, all driven by a single throttle channel via Y-harness. The key is using identical components programmed identically.

78" wingspan. Length, wing area, and finished weight are not published in the plan listing — refer to your plan set for all building dimensions. The kit targets a .20 cu in engine class, suggesting a finished weight in the 8–12 lb range.

Ready to Build Your B-17G Flying Fortress?

Buy the 78" B-17G Flying Fortress Kit — $408.00

Prices and availability are subject to change — verify on each vendor's site before ordering. Kit Cutters supplies laser-cut wood parts only; plans and accessories are sold by their respective vendors.

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