Corgi Aviation Archive Series Diecast Model Set

Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress - “Ye Olde Pub”, 2nd Lt. Charlie Brown, USAAF

1:72 Scale.  Length: 12.4”.  Wingspan: 17.25”


Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 - Franz Stigler, JG 27, Luftwaffe

1:72 Scale.  Length: 5".  Wingspan: 5.4"


Limited Edition of 1700 Models Worldwide

On December 20 1943, 2nd Lt Charlie Brown flying a B-17 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. Flak smashed the Plexiglas nose, knocked out the number 2 engine and damaged engine number 4. Lt. Brown was forced to slow the bomber and drop out of formation, 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. Only the dorsal turret and one nose gun were still serviceable. Of the crew, most were injured, Lt. Brown had been shot in the shoulder and the tail gunner had been killed.

The final Luftwaffe fighter to intercept the B-17 was a Bf 109G flown by Franz Stigler who, upon seeing the damage to the aircraft, decided not to shoot it down. Instead he escorted the aircraft 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 Brown and Stigler survived the war and in the 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.


The Corgi Aviation Archive features a wide selection of high quality, ready-made, diecast model airplanes. Each model is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, using specifications of the original aircraft. Corgi models are built with diecast metal and some plastic components.

This model of a B-17 Flying Fortress and Bf 109 by Corgi features: