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Airfix B-25 C/D 1/72 Released


sofiane1718

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On 1/4/2017 at 9:01 PM, Denford said:

What fascinates me is the flaps: these were not usually left extended while on the ground and Airfix don't usually make them separate.

Two years ago I tried to modify my Hasegawa B-25 to accept CMK resin control surfaces including flaps. The instructions were scant to say the least and a posting here on BM produced interesting feedback.  This included a link (alas now deleted) of how they operate.  As I recall, for Take Off they slide back and drop a little, for Landing back a bit more? but definitely dropped more.  From some angles, while landing, daylight can be seen between the wing and flap

The B-25 uses a simple slotted flap affair.  The hinge point is below the undersurface of the flap, so as it droops if in effect positions the flap more rearwards, and opens a gap between it and the wing rear edge.

On that sort of flap arrangement the hinges are housed in fairings that hang below the wing surface, it's probably the second most common flap type set up, but probably the most common on larger piston engined aircraft.

In addition some (or all?) B-25s have hinged narrow panels just ahead of the underside flap line, these open upwards (back into what is the wing rear face) to open up the slot during flap operation.

 

BTW, what is nose art below the cockpit on the second Mitchell illustration?

Edited by 71chally
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20 minutes ago, dalea said:

Still can't find any armour plate. OK, maybe it was not needed for sea-search or in the Med. Maybe it was not fitted on 2 group aircraft. I'd like to know.

Where was the armour plate fitted?

 

Is the armour plate consistent between users e.g. it was exactly the same shapes and fitted the same way, or was it done locally to suit local conditions?

 

How easy is it to replicate?

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Slight deviation from thread title, but North American related, I saw the test shots of the Airfix 48th P-51 on Saturday last. Looks very nice. Rivet lines are represented along some panel lines??? Also saw test shots of the Sea Fury!! JATO bottles are included as well as folding wing option.among other parts:  bombs, underwing tanks! This kit too looks very much the one to have.

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On 08/12/2016 at 11:22 AM, sofiane1718 said:

Didn't saw a topic for this:

 

A little teaser for you...

This chap helped us out immensely during a recent research visit - what could we have been measuring? Keep your eyes peeled, you never know when or where the next announcement will pop up!

Airfix teaser

 

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About time they replaced the old mold!😆

 

I'm looking forward to seeing this on the shelves - if airfix are keeping form, whatever the scale we're in for a treat.

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  • 1 month later...

Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/new-airfix-exclusives-for-telford-scale-model-world-show/

 

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North American’s Mitchell reveals its magnificence

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The stunning box artwork that will accompany the release of our new 1/72nd scale North American B-25C/D Mitchell

 

Although it is quite difficult to think of anyone who would not be impressed by the majesty of a Royal Navy Phantom, modellers with an interest in Second World War subject matter may be slightly more excited to hear that the new North American B-25C/D Mitchell will also be making its first appearance on the Airfix stand at this weekend’s Scale ModelWorld show. Known colloquially as the ‘Magnificent Medium’, the Mitchell proved to be one of the most versatile aircraft of WWII and saw service from patrolling the home waters of North America, to island hopping during the savage fighting in the Pacific Ocean. Announced in the first edition of Workbench published in 2017, the new Mitchell did not appear at Telford 2016 and this year’s show will be the first opportunity many modellers will have to cast their eyes over the impressive B-25.

 

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As one of the most effective strike aircraft of WWII, the Mitchell will be a popular addition to our 1/72nd scale range

 

Also scheduled for release during December, the new B-25C/D Mitchell will be making its Telford debut over the coming weekend and will be presented in the scheme of a US based aircraft which was tasked with patrolling vast areas of coastline to counter the threat of marauding enemy submarines. North American B-25D Mitchell 41-30409 ‘Lady Jane’ was assigned to the 23rd Anti-submarine Squadron, 26th Anti-submarine Wing, operating from Drew Field in Tampa, Florida. Flying lengthy protection patrols over the Gulf of Mexico in conjunction with single engined O-47 observation aircraft, this unit was part of the Army Air Forces Anti-submarine Command, who made great use of the extremely capable North American Mitchell, one of the most advanced aircraft available to them at that time. The unit also flew US coastal defensive patrols prior to the establishment of the AAFAC, in the wake of the infamous Pearl Harbor attack.

 

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Yet more exclusive build images for Workbench readers, this time the beautiful new B-25D Mitchell

 

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At the peak of their operating power, the Anti-submarine Command had around 25 squadrons at their disposal at bases around the US, until these patrols were taken over by US Navy units. B-25D Mitchell ‘Lady Jane’ wears the attractive and distinctive scheme adopted by many of the AAFAC aircraft, featuring white under-surfaces, with an olive drab and dark green upper-surface camouflage and will make a handsome scheme option for modellers. The magnificent build images featured above illustrate just how impressive this new kit is and underline why the B-25C/D Mitchell is destined to become a popular addition to our 1/72nd scale range of WWII aircraft kits. As is the case with the Phantom images shown earlier, these pictures are exclusive to Workbench readers, who will be viewing them before the actual models are examined by visitors to this year’s Telford show. As usual, full details of this impressive model and its latest release information can be found on the Airfix website, either on the individual product page, or within our Coming Soon section.

 

V.P.

Edited by Homebee
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From the built model it appears as if they narrowed the engine cowling fronts a bit, I mean compared to the  3D renderings. It's even worse in the cover art.

 

Anyways it certainly looks the part ...I'm happy to buy a few.

 

Edit:

Taking back my critics of the cowlings after seeing more photos pf the build, they just look perfect on the model.

Edited by occa
Corrected my critics
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  • 1 month later...

New boxing/variant expected in December 2018 - ref. A06018 - North American Mitchell Mk.II

  • Scheme 1: FL212 EV-W ‘Nulli Secundus’ 180 Squadron RAF Dunsfold 1943
  • Scheme 2: FV923 SM-E Lasham 1943

Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2018/north-american-mitchell-ii-1-72.html

 

A06018-1.jpg

 

A06018-2.jpg

 

V.P.

Edited by Homebee
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  • 3 weeks later...

The B-25 has just arrived at the Airfix warehouse and they're preparing pre-orders for despatch - woohoo!

 

Jeff

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  • 2 weeks later...

My kit arrived yesterday. :yahoo:

 

It's a lovely kit.  Although it is billed as a B-25C/D, it has parts for the smooth cowlings and original exhaust arrangement so it can also be built as a B-25B.

 

The destructions recommend 25g of nose ballast which is fitted into the nose undercarriage bay.  Don't worry, the gear doors were usually closed when the aircraft was parked so it won't present a problem.  What might present a problem is than I'm not sure I can fit 25g of ballast into that space.  I might have to put some into the crew tunnel as well.

 

Does anyone know a reliable supplier for neutronium? :D   Or maybe cavorite. There's plenty of room in the rear fuselage...

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17 minutes ago, Enzo Matrix said:

My kit arrived yesterday. :yahoo:

 

It's a lovely kit.  Although it is billed as a B-25C/D, it has parts for the smooth cowlings and original exhaust arrangement so it can also be built as a B-25B.

 

The destructions recommend 25g of nose ballast which is fitted into the nose undercarriage bay.  Don't worry, the gear doors were usually closed when the aircraft was parked so it won't present a problem.  What might present a problem is than I'm not sure I can fit 25g of ballast into that space.  I might have to put some into the crew tunnel as well.

 

Does anyone know a reliable supplier for neutronium? :D   Or maybe cavorite. There's plenty of room in the rear fuselage...

Have they sorted out the disparity between the two fuselage halves at the tailplane?  AMW reported one side was higher than the other.

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15 minutes ago, Wez said:

Have they sorted out the disparity between the two fuselage halves at the tailplane?  AMW reported one side was higher than the other.

I've just tried fitting the fuselage halves and tail together. I can see no problem.

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35 minutes ago, Enzo Matrix said:

I've just tried fitting the fuselage halves and tail together. I can see no problem.

Good man thanks :speak_cool:

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13 hours ago, Enzo Matrix said:

My kit arrived yesterday. :yahoo:

 

It's a lovely kit.  Although it is billed as a B-25C/D, it has parts for the smooth cowlings and original exhaust arrangement so it can also be built as a B-25B.

 

The destructions recommend 25g of nose ballast which is fitted into the nose undercarriage bay.  Don't worry, the gear doors were usually closed when the aircraft was parked so it won't present a problem.  What might present a problem is than I'm not sure I can fit 25g of ballast into that space.  I might have to put some into the crew tunnel as well.

 

Does anyone know a reliable supplier for neutronium? :D   Or maybe cavorite. There's plenty of room in the rear fuselage...

You might want to read this thread before thinking you can do a B from this kit, there are some subtleties that need to be considered beyond just the smooth cowlings.

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On 09/02/2018 at 5:10 PM, Enzo Matrix said:

My kit arrived yesterday. :yahoo:

 

It's a lovely kit.  Although it is billed as a B-25C/D, it has parts for the smooth cowlings and original exhaust arrangement so it can also be built as a B-25B.

 

 

Hi Enzo

 

Is it made from the new harder plastic, or the usual softer type?

 

Thanks

 

Ian

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9 hours ago, IanC said:

Is it made from the new harder plastic, or the usual softer type?

I assume it's the usual type.  It feels the same as the plastic used in the Grumman F4F and Nakajima B5N kits.

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  • 10 months later...

Back in the early 1980s I worked beside a former 180 Squadron ground crew member who joined the squadron before D-Day and later moved with them to Melsbroek. 

He claimed that one of the aircraft was named "Wee Jocky' after him - he certainly wasn't very tall. 

I couldn't find anything about that specific airframe but I did build him one of their other aircraft from the Italeri kit, which was fairly new at the time. It was based on a Michael Turner painting, if I remember correctly. 

I think one of these might join the stash as a possible future project. 

 

John 

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On 07/01/2019 at 17:00, Homebee said:

New variant in August 2019 - ref. A06020 - North American B-25B Mitchell

Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/new-for-2019/north-american-b25b-mitchell-doolittle-raid-1-72.html

3D renders+schemes

 

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a06020.jpg

a06020-north.jpg

 

V.P.

Not much of a fan of US bombers, but I'll try to get one of the Doolittle Raider's aircraft, it was an iconic moment in WW2, also the famous photo.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 5 months later...

Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/doolittle-raider-and-2nd-armoured-onslaught

 

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Doolittle Raider and 2nd armoured onslaught

Published 05/07/2019

 

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Welcome to this latest edition of Workbench and all the news, updates and exclusive announcements from the fascinating world of Airfix modelling. We are pleased to report that normal service has been resumed and in this latest blog, we will be including plenty of exclusive imagery from some of the most eagerly anticipated new models from the 2019 Airfix range, with aircraft and military vehicles being the main focus of our attentions for this edition. We begin by featuring new component frame and scheme details from the latest kit to be released from our popular new 1/72nd scale North American B-25 Mitchell tooling, a variant which can genuinely claim to be one of the most significant aircraft of the entire Second World War. We follow this with a stunning selection of built model images, scheme details and box artwork reveals from the second round of releases in our new 1/35th scale Military Vehicle range, which includes two classic WWII Panzers and one Allied Panzer hunter and end by announcing the results of a recent Airfix competition, launched to coincide with the anniversary of the first flight of the US Navy’s F6F Hellcat fighter. We have much to tell you about, so let’s make a start straight away.

 

An aviation statement of intent

 

The aircraft which took part in the aerial struggles of the Second World War continue to hold an enduring fascination for a great many people and even though most of these aircraft types will clearly be familiar to millions of modellers all over the world, some can also claim to be household names amongst the general population, even though their first flights took place more than eighty years ago. Names such as Spitfire, Messerschmitt and Mustang immediately conjure up images of classic fighting aeroplanes and in many cases, can even be more familiar to people than the aircraft which are currently patrolling our skies, however, the vast majority of WWII aircraft types still remain relatively anonymous to the majority of the world’s population. If you were to ask most people if they could name America’s most advanced twin engined bomber at the time of the Pearl Harbor raid, few would be able to name the North American B-25 Mitchell, yet this magnificent aircraft is without doubt one of the most important aircraft of the Second World War and one which has more historical significance than almost any other US aircraft of the period. As the strike aircraft which mounted one of the most audacious bombing raids of the war, the B-25 came to represent not only the awesome industrial capability of the American nation, but also the determination of its people to strive for nothing less than total victory – when 16 B-25B Mitchell bombers took off from the deck of USS Hornet on 18th April 1942, it could be argued that the outcome of the Second World War was already just about be decided.

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This evocative computer rendered 3D screenshot featuring a B-25B variant of the Mitchell is taken from an angle which must have been familiar to the commander of USS Hornet, as each of the 16 aircraft neared the end of their short take-off run

 

Originally developed in response to an Air Corps requirement for a high performance attack bomber, North American Aviation produced their NA-40, which first flew in January 1939, but failed to impress in trials. Losing out to the rival Douglas DB-7 (A-20 Havoc), North American designers continued to work on improving their aircraft, certain that it had all the qualities to succeed as a strike bomber and following the Air Corps issuing a further requirement for a medium bomber in March 1939, the revised NA-62 was ordered into production. Even though the aircraft was now destined for USAAF use, the aircraft was continually developed throughout production, as the North American engineers were convinced their aircraft could be even better. The most significant improvement came ten aircraft into the production run, when stability issues forced a redesign of the outer wing sections – rather than continuing with the constant dihedral of the earlier machines, designers incorporated a slight wing anhedral angle outboard of the engine nacelles, which gave the aircraft a distinctive gull-winged appearance. With a number of other improvements added to these early production aircraft, the B-25 soon began to show great potential as a highly effective medium bomber.

 

Given the name ‘Mitchell’, the B-25 was named in honour of Major General William ‘Billy’ Mitchell who was a great champion of air power and a significant figure in the history of the US Air Force. As an airman serving on the Western Front in WWI, Mitchell had witnessed the rise of aviation first hand and was convinced that the aeroplane would play a significant role in any future conflict. This conviction would bring him into conflict with senior officials in both the US Army and Navy, as he vociferously argued against continued spending on battleships, as the aeroplane had rendered them almost obsolete. He famously arranged demonstrations where bomber aircraft would attack ageing warships to prove the vulnerability of these floating leviathans and followed this by proclaiming that all investment that would have been spent on battleships should instead be diverted to aircraft carrier production and history proved that his vision for the importance of military air power was well founded.

 

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An exclusive first look for workbench readers at the additional parts which will allow the modeller to produce this famous variant of the B-25 Mitchell bomber

 

The latest release from our popular North American B-25 Mitchell tooling (A06020) includes additional parts to allow the early ‘B’ model of the aircraft to be modelled, a variant of the Mitchell which may not be amongst the most heavily produced versions of this famous medium bomber, but one which occupies a particularly important position in US Army Air Force history and indeed that of the entire Second World War. The aircraft which announced America’s offensive introduction to WWII and served to effectively demonstrate to the world that America would stop at nothing until they and their allies had emerged victorious from this conflict, the B-25B flew off the small, heaving deck of USS Hornet and into the pages of military history, making national heroes of the 80 brave men who volunteered for this perilous, yet hugely symbolic mission.

 

North American B-25B-NA Mitchell 40-2249 ‘Hari Kari-er’, 89th Bombardment Squadron (Light), USS Hornet, Doolittle Raid, Saturday 18th April 1942.

 

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Full details of the lead scheme option which will accompany the release of this latest version of our popular 1/72nd scale B-25 kit, which commemorates one of the sixteen aircraft which took part in the Doolittle Raid of April 1942

 

In the weeks which followed the devastating Japanese surprise attack against the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, American Military planners established the ‘Joint Army-Navy bombing project’, to explore the feasibility of mounting an effective bombing strike against targets on the Japanese mainland. Although such a strike could not hope to match the scale of the Pearl Harbor attack, the phycological impact of hitting Japanese home targets could have a profound impact on their enemy, whilst at the same time bolstering support for the war amongst the American population. With America now fully committed to war, the raid would also demonstrate their fighting resolve to their allies, particularly those who had already been waging war for over two years. The original plan called for a number of Army Air Force bombers to be flown from the deck of a US Navy carrier, recovering the aircraft to the same carrier on the completion of their mission. The most suitable aircraft for such an undertaking was the relatively new North American B-25B Mitchell bomber, but as plans began to take shape in earnest, the recovery of the bombers to the heaving deck of an aircraft carrier steaming somewhere in the Pacific Ocean was never going to be a viable option. The alternative was no less challenging for the crews, but at least gave them a fighting chance of making it back to solid ground – one of the bombers would serve as a pathfinder, dropping incendiaries to ‘light up’ the target area, with the rest of the force following on and guided by the resulting fires. Each aircraft would then make for landing sites in China, where they would hopefully make successful forced landings and attempt to avoid capture by Japanese troops. For plans such as these and the extremely hazardous nature of the mission, hero aviators are needed and America could count on such men as Jimmy Doolittle, a daredevil pilot and national celebrity, who intended to lead this important mission himself. All he needed to do now was to recruit around 80 of America’s finest young airmen and convince them to take part in a top secret mission, which had no guarantee of their survival. As he had anticipated, he had no shortage of volunteers.

 

Training for the Japan raid began in early March 1942, with Twenty four B-25B Mitchell bombers being drawn from the 17th Bombardment Group USAAF, each one stripped of unnecessary equipment and benefitting from the addition of extra fuel tanks. Crews embarked on an intensive period of training, where they practiced everything from low altitude cross-country flying, to perfecting evasive actions following the bombing of targets at these low altitudes. Eventually, sixteen aircraft were embarked on the carrier USS Hornet, as this was the maximum number the ship could accommodate – with the Mitchells lashed down on the deck of the ship, there was little room to spare and significantly, the first aircraft to leave the ship would be doing so with just a short length of deck to safely make their take-off run. The task force would attempt to take the bombers to within 400 miles of the Japanese coast, before turning into wind and launching the aircraft and this was only after Doolittle had managed to persuade the task force commander to take his men 200 miles closer to the target whilst the force was en route, to give the mission maximum success potential. Fearful of detection by one of the many Japanese radio equipped picket boats in the area, the plan also included the option to launch early, if the task force was discovered, to avoid possible attack by enemy land based attack aircraft.

 

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The historic scene aboard USS Hornet as she steamed towards her launch point off the coast of Japan and this significant raid which would send an important message to America’s enemies

 

As the USS Hornet task force steamed towards the Japanese coast and aircrews prepared for their historic mission, they were indeed spotted by an enemy ship and the decision to launch the Mitchells early was immediately was taken. Just after 8am on 18th April 1942, the first of sixteen B-25B Mitchell bombers lifted off the relatively short deck of USS Hornet and set course for Japan – this would be the first time that any of these airmen had taken off from the deck of an aircraft carrier at sea. Flying at extremely low level, the raiders had a six-hour flight ahead of them before reaching their targets, with the strong possibility that they would be intercepted by enemy fighters and subjected to heavy anti-aircraft fire once they reached the coast. If the crews managed to complete their mission, they would then have to set course for China, aware that from this point onwards, it was very much a case of every man for himself.

 

North American B-25B Mitchell 40-2249 ‘Hari Kari-er’ was the eleventh bomber to take off from the deck of USS Hornet at 08.56, with her crew assigned to bomb targets in the Yokohama area. Approaching the Japanese mainland north of their intended waypoint, the bomber inadvertently flew over an active enemy air base and almost immediately came under fighter attack. Whilst pilot Ross Greening lined the aircraft up for its bombing run, his gunner shot down one enemy fighter and damaged a second, before then turning his guns on any targets of opportunity he could see. With the bombs dropping on a large oil refinery and storage facility, the aircraft set course for China, all the time fearful of further enemy air attack. Unable to locate their assigned landing airfield, the crew bailed out of their aircraft some 200 miles inland of the coast and despite sustaining a few minor injuries, all five men landed safely – ‘Hari Kari-er’ flew on un-manned for a while, before crashing in the mountainous region between Zhejiang and Anhui provinces.

Although the ‘Doolittle Raid’ was undoubtedly a tremendous propaganda success for the Americans and galvanised national support for the struggles to come, Jimmy Doolittle actually regarded the operation as a failure. All sixteen Mitchell bombers had been destroyed and three of his men had been killed during these actions, whilst others had become prisoners of war. Tragically, three of these captured airmen were put on trial by their Japanese captors and executed for alleged war crimes. When news of this heinous act was delivered to the nation by President Franklin D Roosevelt, the people of America responded in the only way they could, by purchasing $11 Billon in war bonds, assisting the war effort and hoping to avenge their countrymen.

 

One relatively unknown story of the Doolittle Raid is the selfless and extremely courageous manner in which ordinary Chinese people helped the surviving raiders, giving them shelter and arranging their safe transportation across the country. Many of these people would pay a heavy price for the part they played in assisting the Americans, as Japanese troops exacted a vicious revenge.

 

On reaching safety, most of the Doolittle Raiders returned to active flying duties with the USAAF, with many going on to serve in the Far East, Mediterranean, European and North African theatres.

 

North American B-25B-NA Mitchell, 34th Bombardment Squadron, 17th Bombardment Group, Louisiana manoeuvres, USA, September 15th/28th 1941.

 

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This fascinating scheme option presents the modeller with a B-25B Mitchell which took part in the huge Louisiana Manoeuvres, prior to America’s entry into the Second World War. At the time, these were the largest battle simulations the world had ever seen

 

The 17th Bombardment Group of the US Army Air Force had the distinction of being the first group to receive the new North American B-25B Mitchell bomber, with the first aircraft arriving at McChord Field on 25th February 1941. Further aircraft would arrive over the next few months and by June, the entire group would be required to re-locate to a new home at the recently constructed Pendleton Field, in Oregon. During this time and even though war was already raging in Europe and the Japanese were expanding their empire in South-East Asia, life for the pilots of the 34th BS, 17th BG must have been rather pleasant. Although their flight training programme was intensive, duties would include practice bombing sorties, or cross-country flying to the North American facility at Inglewood, California, where they would pick up the latest Mitchell additions to their squadron’s numbers. Their growing experience in flying this capable new bomber would be required sooner than they thought.

 

During the second week in September 1941, the entire 17th Bombardment Group relocated to Jackson, Mississippi, where they were scheduled to take part in the largest war game exercise the world had ever seen. Following a root and branch assessment of America’s ability to wage war in 1940, serious shortages in men and equipment had been identified and plans were immediately put in place to rectify this situation. The 'Great Louisiana Manoeuvres' of September 1941 would test the effectiveness of these remedial actions and involve around 470,000 men spread over 3,400 square miles of Louisiana and Texas land, with two great armies acting out two different operational scenarios over the course of the two week exercise. These simulated battles were conducted in as near to actual combat situations as could be achieved, with American military commanders knowing that their men would be forced into this war in the very near future and they wanted to equip their troops with valuable experiences which would stand them in good stead on the battlefields to come. These mighty battles were fought without a single shot being fired, however some of the tactics used in securing military objectives in Louisiana would later be used on the battlefields of Europe and in the Pacific.

 

Following the end of the Louisiana Manoeuvres, the 17th Bombardment Group would spend the next few weeks conducting a series of further exercises, operating from several bases and all the time gaining more experience in operating their new Mitchell bombers. Crews were hoping that Christmas 1941 would allow them all a short period of relaxation and time away from training, however the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor would dash these hopes and ensure a busy period flying anti-submarine patrols along the Washington and Oregon coastline. They would quickly gain more experience flying the B-25 Mitchell than any other group in the USAAF, experience which would stand them in good stead for a significant operation which would take place in the spring of 1942. Moving base yet again in February 1942, this time to Columbia Army Airfield in South Carolina, the group began practising short take-off and landings, along with low-level cross country flight operations, in preparation for the ‘Doolittle Raid’ and America’s strike at the heart of their Japanese enemy.

 

Destined to be an incredibly popular addition to the Airfix range, this latest release from the B-25 Mitchell tooling includes new parts to allow either a ‘Doolittle Raider’ or an aircraft which took part in the pre-raid ‘Louisiana Manoeuvres’ to be modelled, both of which mark this important early variant of America’s Magnificent Medium. A06020 is scheduled for an Autumn release.

 

V.P.

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