1/48 Accurate Miniatures B-25B

[Wolfman_63]

Last night I was trying to decide the next build. With yesterday being December 7th, TCM was showing some of the old war movies. They were showing the classic "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo". So I decided to build the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B "Doolittle Raiders". This should be a nice build with lots of details being added. I will be doing the "Ruptured Duck" which was the aircraft followed in the film.
The "Ruptured Duck" was the 7th aircraft to take off of the USS Hornet. It was piloted by 1st Lt. Ted Lawson. He survived the raid and wrote the book on which the movie was based on. I will be adding the Eduard photo etch detail kit which details the complete interior. Starting on the cockpit now.

You can follow this build on my blog at 1/48 B-25B "Doolittle Raider"

 

[fubar57]

Big difference there. Good start

 

[Wurger]

Agree. Nice.

 

[Crimea_River]

I have this kit unbuilt and will watch with interest.

 

[Airframes]

Good start.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[JKim]

Off to a good start! The PE seats are nice and crisp!

 

[Wolfman_63]

For this week's update on the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B Doolittle Raider, I am working on the interior. The rear upper turret is together and detailed. I added a piece of clear acetate for the safety glass on the turret. The cockpit and bomb bay bulkheads have been installed. I then finished the starboard side of the fuselage and added weights so the aircraft won't sit on its tail when finished. Still lots more details to add and finish the port side.

You can see more build photos at 1/48 B-25B "Doolittle Raider"

 

[Wurger]

Nicely done.

 

[Crimea_River]

Nicely done.

 

[fubar57]

Agreed

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far!

 

[Wolfman_63]

A special update before the holidays on the 1/48 Accurate Miniatures B-25B. The Doolittle Raiders carried three 500lbs bombs and a 100lbs incendiary bomb for their load out. After some research the incendiary bomb was an OP-1664 spec bomb. It consisted of 32 individual bomblets. Each bomblet was packed with a thermite package in a steel tube and an aluminum hollow tail. The rods were strapped together with canvas straps and aluminum end caps. When released, the canvass straps were released allowing the rods to separate during the fall and spread out over the area. On impact the explosive charge ignited the thermite and dispersed it similar to a roman candle spreading burning thermite in a 50 foot radius.
The kit does not include this bomb. So I took 32 1mm styrene rods and cut the 1" long and arranged them in a section cut from a drinking straw. This was then glued to a styrene base. I removed the straw section and then added the rest of the rods to the bomb. I used a strip of styrene and some 32awg wire on the top and found some photo etch straps to wrap them. Finally I removed one of the rack mounts from one of the 1000lbs bombs in the kit and attached it to the top. I painted it the colors I could find for OP-1664's that were used in the pacific. Steel nose where the thermite sits, steel center section where the explosive and trigger is and aluminum where the tail is. The incendiary bomb was then mounted in the # 4 position in the bomb bay.
The fuselage was then put together. This required minor putty on some of the seams. I added some weights to the nose behind the dash and installed the detailed nose bulkhead. I am now working on the nose section. For the Doolittle raiders the Norton Bombsights were removed so the design would not fall into enemy hands and a basic bombsight was made. This bombsight was nicknamed the "Mark Twian" bombsight. Using photos of the actual bombsight, I scratch built mine using a piece of styrene and a strip of photo etch for the guide. Still working on detailing the side of the nose.

You can see all the photos on my build log at 1/48 B-25B "Doolittle Raider"

 

[fubar57]

Very nice and good info

 

[MIflyer]

Excellent! My High School teacher built that replica of the bombsight that is on display.

 

[Crimea_River]

Looking very good.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wolfman_63]

Continuing the buildup of the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B "Doolittle Raider" now that the fuselage is together, I worked on the engines and some more details. I assembled the bombardier section to the front. I added a "Field Upgrade" they did to the B-25. This added an armor plate to the top of the fuselage just aft of the upper turret. The kit engine cowls have too small of an opening for the B-25B. I used a round dowel and some 400 grit sandpaper to open them up by .05". The engines did not have the pushrods molded on them (and no parts in the kit to add them) so I used some 32 awg wire and made my own. Once the cylinders were cleaned up, painted and weathered I added the photo etch wire harness and installed the front engine cover. Next I will be working on the wings.

See my build log for all the photos of this build at 1/48 B-25B "Doolittle Raider"

 

[T Bolt]

Vert nice work!

 

[Wurger]