GB-42 1/48 B-25J - MTO II

[Wurger]

I'm very sorry to hear that Don. Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family

 

[Crimea_River]

Same here. Very sorry Don.

 

[Micdrow]

Dam Don, really sorry to hear this, prayers to you and your family

 

[Wayne Little]

Damn Don, condolences to you and your family.....

 

[N4521U]

Same from me,
it's never good to see a family member go this way.
A half brother died in a T-Bone accident in So. America.
Driving a co-worker to the AP to fly home to the States.

 

[Donivanp]

Thanks guys, just plugging along, no seriously, plugging wing necell gaps. The detail is very nice though raised and I have to be gentle not to lose to much in clean up. You'll notice that I had to take to the file to round down the nechells but that's not bad as it is gear doors and the are deeply recessed.

 

[Donivanp]

Same from me,
it's never good to see a family member go this way.
A half brother died in a T-Bone accident in So. America.
Driving a co-worker to the AP to fly home to the States.

That's a shame Bill. I'm really concerned about my niece as she was driving. There were five in the Dodge Durango and I guess it stalled out on I-20, while moving down the interstate she tried to put in Neutral to restart and thinks she hit reverse. Vehicle went out of control and went head over heels though a field.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

Really sorry to hear the terrible news Don - my sincere condolences to you and the family.

 

[Mainly28s]

I'd like to add my condolences.

 

[CATCH 22]

As the B-25J arrived, they came in natural metal finish. The 340th BG painted the upper surface in an OD but left the lower surface NMF. As the J models came from the factory with four the side mounted .50 guns and there was still and issue of fuselage stress from the muzzle flashes, and the 340th was not flying strafing missions, the guns were removed but in many cases not before the OD paint was applied. Thus the NMF cut out of the gun fairings. .

Don, be careful with this a/c and all depictions of it. "Bottoms Up II" on your photos shows an original OD/NG paint scheme. This a/c has a s/n 43-4082 and is a B-25J-1-NC. See the factory applied wave between the OD and NG camo. The field painted planes (e.g. Corsica) don't show such wave. This also explains the bare metal where the side pack guns were removed - they have been factory installed, but not used in the theatre.

This was NOT a NMF a/c. I wrote about NM and OD/NG camos in the Bill's thread and his B-25J. "Bottoms Up II" was lost in an accident (crash landing) on 3/18/45 on Corsica.

The replacement 6V was a B-25J-5-NC, had the s/n 43-27900, was a NMF a/c and survived until the end of the war. I'm not sure if it was given the name "Bottoms Up" at all.
The decal sheet mixes up the 2 a/cs. If you build the first one (OD/NG) it should have a different s/n (43-4082).
If you build the 43-27900 it has no OD on top, but zinc chromate on the empennage and nacelles. The tails are blue, because this was a former 319BG. a/c.

Above photo is from "B-25 Mitchel units in the MTO".
You might find several stories how the above 2 photos are of the same a/c and the factory paint was stripped down and zinc chromate has been used in some areas, because of corrosion. I think these are 2 different planes.
BTW the first "Bottoms Up" was a C-model if somebody wonders, B-25C-5, s/n 42-53471:

To make the things even more complicated the above a/c (the C-model) is sometimes connected with s/n 43-4082 (as the first "Bottoms Up II") which is not the case.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Micdrow]

Don, be careful with this a/c and all depictions of it. "Bottoms Up II" on your photos shows an original OD/NG paint scheme. This a/c has a s/n 43-4082 and is a B-25J-1-NC. See the factory applied wave between the OD and NG camo. The field painted planes (e.g. Corsica) don't show such wave. This also explains the bare metal where the side pack guns were removed - they have been factory installed, but not used in the theatre.

This was NOT a NMF a/c. I wrote about NM and OD/NG camos in the thread of Bill and his B-25J. "Bottoms Up II" was lost in an accident (crash landing) on 3/18/45 on Corsica.

The replacement 6V was a B-25J-5-NC, had the s/n 43-27900, was a NMF a/c and survived until the end of the war. I'm not sure if it was given the name "Bottoms Up" at all.
The decal sheet mixes up the 2 a/cs. If you build the first one (OD/NG) it should have a different s/n (43-4082).
If you build the 43-27900 it has no OD on top, but zinc chromate on the empennage and nacelles. The tails are blue, because this was a former 319BG. a/c.
View attachment 538087
Above photo is from "B-25 Mitchel units in the MTO".
You might find several stories how the above 2 photos are of the same a/c and the factory paint was stripped down and zinc chromate has been used in some areas, because of corrosion. I think these are 2 different planes.
BTW the first "Bottoms Up" was a C-model if somebody wonders, B-25C-5, s/n 42-53471:
View attachment 538088
To make the things even more complicated the above a/c (the C-model) is sometimes connected with s/n 43-4082 (as the first "Bottoms Up II") which is not the case.

Great job on the serial numbers and info.

 

[Donivanp]

Don, be careful with this a/c and all depictions of it. "Bottoms Up II" on your photos shows an original OD/NG paint scheme. This a/c has a s/n 43-4082 and is a B-25J-1-NC. See the factory applied wave between the OD and NG camo. The field painted planes (e.g. Corsica) don't show such wave. This also explains the bare metal where the side pack guns were removed - they have been factory installed, but not used in the theatre.

This was NOT a NMF a/c. I wrote about NM and OD/NG camos in the Bill's thread and his B-25J. "Bottoms Up II" was lost in an accident (crash landing) on 3/18/45 on Corsica.

The replacement 6V was a B-25J-5-NC, had the s/n 43-27900, was a NMF a/c and survived until the end of the war. I'm not sure if it was given the name "Bottoms Up" at all.
The decal sheet mixes up the 2 a/cs. If you build the first one (OD/NG) it should have a different s/n (43-4082).
If you build the 43-27900 it has no OD on top, but zinc chromate on the empennage and nacelles. The tails are blue, because this was a former 319BG. a/c.
View attachment 538087
Above photo is from "B-25 Mitchel units in the MTO".
You might find several stories how the above 2 photos are of the same a/c and the factory paint was stripped down and zinc chromate has been used in some areas, because of corrosion. I think these are 2 different planes.
BTW the first "Bottoms Up" was a C-model if somebody wonders, B-25C-5, s/n 42-53471:
View attachment 538088
To make the things even more complicated the above a/c (the C-model) is sometimes connected with s/n 43-4082 (as the first "Bottoms Up II") which is not the case.

Super Info, THen the markings I have are OD over NG with the bare metal removed gun packs, but the wrong serial number, guess I have to find some serial numbers to swap around. I never trust the decal companies. Any info on the alternate 43-27653 Ruthie tail code 9C 489th BS 340th BG?

 

[CATCH 22]

Super Info, THen the markings I have are OD over NG with the bare metal removed gun packs, but the wrong serial number, guess I have to find some serial numbers to swap around. I never trust the decal companies. Any info on the alternate 43-27653 Ruthie tail code 9C 489th BS 340th BG?

Ruthie is a B-25J-1-NC. This a/c is one of the later Block-1 planes and was in NMF. Check the photo above - it shows all the characteristics of a non camouflaged a/c: no wave on the bottom of OD, darker OD (earlier shade) on the nose than the anti-glare panel, frames of green-house nose and canopy over pilot's area are not in OD, NMF area behind the green painted nose. In the decals description it's called "squarish bare metal area where side guns have been removed", but it is not - compare with original photo of "Bottoms UP II" (or with the photo below) - the top gun is in a line with the armoured plate and higher than the bare metal area in the above photo. It's just not painted area. The nose hatch is also bare metal, not NG etc. I think the "football antenna" on the NMF planes has this black appearing special coating - I have a detail photo of it. On camouflaged planes it was in NG:

Refer to the thread I mentioned above - Bill and I spoke about the field applied OD over NMF.
If you want OD/NG go with the first a/c - you can make stencils for the s/n in 1:48.
If you want OD over NMF go with the second.
Hope this helps.
Yves

 

[fubar57]

Great info Yves. Don you might be interested in this, due in Julyish.........
1/48 USAAF B-25D Mitchell Pacific Theatre Model Kit
North American B-25D, Academy 12328 (2019)

 

[Donivanp]

Great info Yves. Don you might be interested in this, due in Julyish.........
1/48 USAAF B-25D Mitchell Pacific Theatre Model Kit
North American B-25D, Academy 12328 (2019)

Can't, it weighs too much, near 34 lbs

 

[Micdrow]

Great info Yves.

 

[Donivanp]

Well there I have it, decisions, decisions, decisions. Thanks Yevs, look what you've gone and done now. That's another fine mess you've gotten us into Olly!

 

[Gnomey]

Very sad to hear Don. Thoughts with you and yours.

Models is coming along nicely though.