B25 Mitchell type C 1/72nd by Italeri

[woljags]

After a few German Aircraft built for the group build coming to a end,just small detailing left to do, plus the same for my He219 owl,i thought i'd do an allied aircraft for a change this time a B25 type C as used by the RAF 226 sqad in 1944.The kit comes with a tail stand of which hopefully i won't need to use as i plan to change the plastic floors in the cockpit to lead to hold the aircraft onto its undercart properly,i was lucky enough to get to sit in one of these at North Weald after i had taken a new glazed nose section there to replace the original as it was being used as a camara ship with an unglazed nose,pics of kit to follow shortly and if i can find them pics of the aircraft i sat in with me in the cockpit,thanks for looking

 

[Airframes]

Nice one Bob. Somewhere in Aviation Pictures, I posted exterior and interior shots of an ex-RAF Mitchell II, which became the well-known 'Grumpy', just after she arrived at Duxford in 1987. (pics posted I think in late 2008). She's now in the USA of course.

 

[woljags]

Thanks Terry i will look it up,i don't know what they finished the North Weald aircraft as once it was painted but it was used in the filming of Hanover Street and Memphis Belle,at one point it was sitting with the rest of the Hanover Street aircraft at Blackbush,5 x B25 plus 1 Lysander plus 1 Casa [spanish built he111] at the time an exciting spot for a aircraft mad 19 year old

 

[woljags]

a couple of evenings progress showing the main fuselage and wings going together plus the replacement cockpit floor made of lead to weight the nose,the last pics show it sitting on its wheels for the 1st time,i'm planning to add detail to the cockpit next using my new toy to see what i'm doing and some new tweesers ,thanks for looking

 

[Wurger]

Looking good, Bob.

 

[woljags]

Thanks Wojtek

 

[vikingBerserker]

Off to a great start Bob.

 

[Airframes]

Good start Bob. Note that the camouflage scheme shown in the instructions for the RAF bird is incorrect. This was based on a couple of photographs from one particular squadron where the tones appeared to show the disruptive Day Bomber scheme, but was in fact just variations in light reflectance. The B25 in RAF service was finished in factory-applied Olive drab on the upper surfaces, and a U.S. 'Equivalent Colour' to Medium Sea Grey, which was actually between this colour and US Neutral Gray.

 

[woljags]

thanks for that Terry,is this the same for a B26 as i'm looking at restoring one of my old built kits built when i was a teenager

 

[Airframes]

The B26 in USAAF service would be OD and NG, or bare metal, or bare metal with OD, depending on unit, date, location etc.
With the RAF and SAAF, they only served in the Middle east, so in 'desert' camouflage.

 

[woljags]

thanks Terry

 

[brucejscott]

Looking Great! Keep up the good work and post more pictures. I can't wait to see more.

 

[woljags]

progress so far showing some cockpit detailing plus what you can see with the canopy fitted,middle pics show the aircraft in camo before Terry [airframes] pointed out it should be in olive drab,the last pics show her in the correct colours,i think it would be interesting to get a modern version of this kit of a later model with the side blisters and raised rear gunner position,thanks for looking

 

[Airframes]

Not bad Bob. Funny you should mention the later model (B25J, Mitchell III), as it's going to be one of the next builds I do, in 1/48th scale. Another good one would be the 'in between' Mitchell II (B25D), which looks like yours, with the top turret in the mid position, but also with the side blister windows and rear gunners position. Far as I remember, this one didn't have the ventral, retractable turret.

 

[Wurger]

Not bad Bob. Oops Terry has posted the same opinion here at the same moment .

 

[woljags]

thanks chaps very kind,this kit has a small belly gun station underneath[i will pop some pics on showing this in the next set],looking forward to your build Terry a big bird in 1/48, these aircraft changed so much through the model types i'm thinking of building 2 more to show all the differences if i can find the kits to build from

 

[A4K]

Nice work Bob, looking forward to progress!

 

[Andy70]

Looking good!

 

[woljags]

thanks chaps

i've now painted her in clear gloss varnish ready for transfer fitting and she will need to dry overnight before anymore progress although i might put together the engines ready for fitting later

 

[Wurger]

Not bad.