The B-17 is one of the favorites, if not the favorite WWII aircraft model to build. It’s hard to find a military aviation buff who hasn’t built at least one.

Jack Bally decided to build a 1:3 scale replica of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress in 1999. It finally took its first flight 17 years later.

But in 1999, he would take on his greatest challenge yet, spending 17 years and 40,000 man hours building a near-perfect replica of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress in 1:3 scale.