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Code: CG-AA39915

Status: Sold out - Discontinued
We regret this item is no longer available for sale. Please see the product description for links to similar items we still have available.

Corgi Aviation Archive Collector Series AA39915
Diecast Model
December 20th 1943, 2-Piece Set

Limited Edition
1700
Pieces Worldwide

Rare and Collectible

1:72 Scale     Length     Width
Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress     12.25"     17.25"
Messerschmitt Bf 109G     5"     5.5"

On 20th December 1943 2nd Lt. Charlie Brown embarked upon his first mission over enemy territory, the bombing of the Focke-Wulf factory at Bremen. While the route to the target was relatively routine, once over it the mission ran into problems. Accurate flak smashed the Plexiglas nose, knocked out the number 2 engine and damaged engine number 4. Brown was forced to slow the bomber, dropping out of formation and becoming a straggler, a very vulnerable position for the aircraft.

The bomber then came under sustained enemy fighter attacks, number 3 engine was damaged along with the internal oxygen, hydraulic and electrical systems and only the dorsal turret and one nose gun were still serviceable. Of the crew, most were injured, Brown had been shot in the shoulder and the tail gunner had been killed.

The final fighter to intercept the plane was flown by Franz Stigler, who, upon seeing the damage to the B17 and the wounded crew visible inside through the holes, decided not to shoot them down. Instead, after failing to persuade them to land, he escorted them to the coast, at which point Stigler saluted and flew home. Brown landed safely but was told to tell no one of the German’s actions. Both Stigler and Brown survived the war and in the late 1980s Brown tracked down Stigler discovering that he lived just a few hundred miles from him, having moved to Vancouver after the war. They met in late 1990 and remained friends until their deaths just a few months apart in 1998.

Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress

Designed to meet a US Army Air Corps requirement for a multi-engined bomber to replace the B-10, the B-17 first flew on July 18, 1935. Best known for its role in the US Army Air Forces' daylight strategic bombing campaign during World War II, the B-17 could fly high and had a long range, and was capable of defending itself from enemy fighters. It was also tough, withstanding extensive battle damage, and was capable of carrying a 6,000 lb bombload. The B-17 became one of the symbols of Allied air power, equipping 32 overseas combat groups and dropping a total of 580,631 metric tons of bombs on European targets.

Messerschmitt Bf 109G

Designed to meet a Luftwaffe need for a single-seat fighter/interceptor, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 was first flown on May 28th, 1935. Its all-metal construction, closed canopy and retractable gear made the Bf 109 one of the first true modern fighters of WWII. This versatile aircraft served in many roles and was the most produced aircraft of the war and the backbone of the Luftwaffe, and was flown by Germany's top three aces, who claimed a total of 928 victories between them. Armed with two cannons and two machine guns, the Bf 109's design underwent constant revisions, which allowed it to remain competitive until the end of the war.