Well Vic, I've had a look at available engines, and the one I would choose, from Metallic Details (pic included below), is not yet available from Hannant's as a single-engine kit, although can be had as a complete kit of four engines, plus cowls and superchargers etc - at £50 GBP !!!!
I think that's a no from me !
Checking on what can be seen through the opened cowl panels, I think I can do enough to improve the look of the kit engine(s), so I'll stick with them, as explained below.
The B-24 - preview of required modifications.
As stated in the opening post of this thread, the subject aircraft is a B-24H-10-FO, so some changes need to be made to the Monogram B-24J kit, mainly around the nose area, and some moulded detail either blanked off, or opened up, as detailed below.
The model will be posed with mechanics working on the port outer engine, so this will entail cutting away some of the engine cowling panels, and replicating the hinged, folding panels, to expose at least the upper and lower central section of the cylinder heads. As mentioned above, I'll stick with the kit engines, modified as best I can, as only a small area will be visible, especially with the "mechanic" figures shielding at least some of the view.
The rear of each engine nacelle needs to be opened up, and holes drilled for the landing lamps on both wings, and the "passing" lamp between the engines on the port wing. These will be glazed with punched-out clear sheet and shaped, clear sprue respectively.
The rear of the wheel bays should really be opened and a new rear wall constructed, but as this area will be virtually impossible to see once the aircraft is on the diorama base, I'll skip that job !
Most of the raised panel lines will also be removed and re-engraved, on the upper wing surfaces at least.
Moving on to the fuselage, this again will have most of the upper and side panel lines removed and re-engraved.
The main area needing attention is around the front section of the nose. As the subject is a Ford-built aircraft, the distinctive "S" shaped panel needs to be engraved, and a curved recess cut into the vertical panel on each side where the gun turret sits.
The moulded detail on the extreme nose needs to be removed and, eventually, a slightly raised, blended curved panel fabricated around the lower line of the turret area.
The scanning window behind the Bombardier's window needs to be filled on the inside, using plastic card, and then filled with "Milliput" on the outside and sanded flush.
I have a vac-formed Bombardier's window section I thought I could use, but it's the wrong style, so I'll adapt the kit part, with added framework, which, although not 100% accurate, will not really be noticeable, and should pass muster.
Thankfully, among my references I have the excellent book by Alan Griffith, "Consolidated Mess", which has been of enormous help when researching this project, and thoroughly recommended.
Finally, for now at least, the rear fuselage lower viewing windows need to be cut open and glazed, and the ventral camera port opened. The upper escape hatch, immediately forward of the top turret, will also be cut open.
Some of the fuselage window surrounds will also be sanded down slightly, as they look a little too pronounced.
There will, of course, be further mods and additions, mainly internally, as the build progresses, although I don't intend to add extra detail where it can't be seen, only in those area where lack of some sort of detail may be noticeable on the finished model.
The pics below show those areas described, and I hope to commence work over the weekend.
Thanks again for the continued interest in this project, and I'll be back soon ................