B-17F, 8th Air Force, 41-24577, 303rd Bomber Group, 'Hell's Angels', Molesworth, England, 1943

Boeing B17F serial number 41-24577, better known as ‘Hell’s Angels’, was the first US 8th Air Force B17 to complete 25 missions on May 13th 1943.  The following day, Captain Irl E.Baldwin the legendary pilot of ‘Hell’s Angels’, became the first officer from the 303rd BG (H) to complete a combat tour of 25 missions after a raid on Kiel, Germany.

Taking its name from a 1930 Howard Hughes movie, ‘Hell’s Angels’ was assigned to the 358th Bomb Squadron, part of the 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) based at Molesworth in Huntingdonshire, England from 1942-45.

In January 1944 the 303rd BG(H) adopted the name of ‘Hell’s Angels’ in tribute to one of its most famous planes.

After successfully completing 48 missions, Boeing B17F ‘Hell’s Angels’ returned to the United States on January 20th 1944 to embark on a morale boosting tour of war production factories. When the tour finished in May 1944, ‘Hell’s Angels’ was transferred to the USAAF for use as an aircrew training aircraft before being scrapped in August 1945.

This limited edition model from Corgi is part of the highly collectable Aviation Archive range of die-cast model aircraft.  Scales include 1:48, 1:72 and 1:144 and features aeroplanes from World War I, World War II and the modern era.  Most models in the Aviation Archive range are limited editions.

Click here to browse the entire Corgi Aviation Archive range.

A detailed die-cast scale model for the adult collector. Not suitable for children under 14 years.

Limited Edition

Age Suitability

14+

Scale

1:72

Wingspan

435mm