1/48 North American B25 Mitchell

[Lancaster630]

Hey folks just wondering with the Shuttleworth Spring airshow coming up and with it hopefully some model stalls, what is the best 1/48 B25 I can get for up to £30, I not very good with B25 varients but I deally I should like to do a glass nosed machine simmilar to 'Grumpy' which used to reside at Duxford (miss that thing a lot) but not vital for it to be RAF

Thanks in advance

 

[A4K]

Don't know which is the best, but they've got a Monogram at the LHS (I think it's the glass nosed version).
If you can't find one elsewhere let me know.

 

[Lancaster630]

nice thanks A4K I will definatly let you know there, do you know what decal options come with that kit?

 

[T Bolt]

I've heard that the Accurate Miniatures B-25 is very nice and can be had on eBay for $40-$50 It's available in a glass nosed version and I believe also the solid nose. It's an earlier version B-25 with the top turret behind the bomb-bay and no tail gun. Revelle use to make the came version but it dates from the 1960's and has heavy raised panel lines and rivets. The Monogram B-25J is a much better model although still an older molding with raised panel lines. I would guess from the 1970s. It's a later model with the turret behind the cockpit and a tail gun position. It has been boxed in both solid and clear nose and is reasonably priced, probably around $20. I've made both the Revelle and the Monogram and if you don't want to spend all that on the Accurate Miniature kit I would defiantly recommend the Monogram.

 

[Airframes]

Agree with Glenn. The AM kit is available as a Italeri kit, quite a bit cheaper, and is excellent. Makes a good RAF Mitchell II. The Monogram/Revell B25J is available in a number of boxings, from around £19 to £25, and makes a very nice RAF Mitchell III - got one I'm getting ready to start on soon(ish).
The old Revell B25C can look very good as a RAF Mitchell II, and doesn't take much to get rid of the raised detail if required.

 

[Lancaster630]

thankyou guys for all your help the show today was plagued by wind but the Polikarpov Po-2 was nice and wouldn't mind a An-2 I came away a happy lad clutching Revell's B25 J Mitchell

 

[Airframes]

Nice one ! You'll need to add a lot of weight in the nose wheel bay, an anywhere else you can hide it, to stop it being a tail dragger !

 

[Lancaster630]

ok it suggest using the stairs and little step thing to keep the tail up i'll take a pic of it...

 

[Airframes]

Yes, I have the kit, with the little steps. You can do that, but personally I think it looks false, as the rear entry hatch has a telescopic ladder attached, so steps wouldn't be used. There is plenty of room to get a decent amount of lead or similar in the nose wheel bay, as the doors are closed once the gear is down, so nothing shows.

 

[Lancaster630]

do you know where i could get suitible lead?

 

[Airframes]

I normally use strips cut from lead roof flashing, and also either lead shot fishing weights, or air rifle pellets. These are 'stuffed' in position, and held in place by a lump of 'Plasticine'. Once you've got as much as you can into the nose gear bay, either fit, or dry-fit the wings, and balance the model on your finger tips at each wing tip. If it doesn't look like there's enough weight up front (ie, the model doesn't dip nose down!), then you can probably get some weight as far forward in the engine nacelles as possible, without interfering with the engines themselves. As long as it's forward of the main gear legs, it should work.