1/48th B-24 Liberator Mk.VI, 223 squadron (Heavy RCM), RAF Bomber Command

[general melchett]

Hi all, this is one I finished recently for our Bomber Command table in time for the Telford SMW show. It's the venerable Monogram B-24J Liberator from way back when finished as an RAF Heavy RCM (Radio Counter Measures) Mk VI of 223 (Bomber Support) squadron RAF Oulton Norfolk. I really like these old Monogram kits, they have so much potential  to become great representations of the real deal being generally accurate in shape and easy to work with, in some instances putting modern manufacturers to shame. The model was completely rescribed, the canopy replaced with the far more accurate Squadron offering, interior fully detailed, engines detailed and engine cowl flaps removed replaced with card and fitted in the open position.The model was extremely back heavy even with a lot of lead in the front so a small wooden plinth was made up from scrap resin. Apparently the real thing was also tail heavy when unloaded and needed shoring up with said block so it's not really an issue as seen here....

 

223 squadron RCM Liberator  

 

The excellent Special Ops Liberators book by Steve Bond and Richard Forder was an invaluable source of information on this clandestine side of Bomber Command ops....

 

 

 

Quick History

The perceived threat from the Luftwaffe of ground controlled intercept HF and VHF frequencies and the possible connection with the V2 program led to Bomber Command requiring specially configured aircraft capable of early detection and jamming of these signals. After much debate it was decided to opt for the B-24 aircraft which were duly supplied as surplus from the US 8th USAAF,  28 aircraft in all, a mix of B-24 J' and H's all war weary veterans with more hours on the clock than was healthy. The aircraft had a raft of specialist equipment fitted including the massive Jostle IV  transmitter/receiver used for spot/barrage jamming, (which required the removal of the ball turret), Airborne Cigar (ABC) an R/T jammer and Monica an active radar which gave rearward facing active warning of approaching night fighters. As far as long range nav/bombing aids the aircraft were fitted with GEE, Oboe (extension of GEE upgraded for pathfinder missions), G-H a combined GEE/Oboe variant and standard H2S as a ground mapping radar, which unfortunately being an active radar had the nasty habit of attracting unwanted attention from marauding night fighters. 'Window' and 'Tinsel' were also carried, Tinsel being a very basic jamming device, in fact a microphone carried on one engine which picked up the sound and transmitted it through to the frequencies carried by the German night-fighter controllers, quite deafening I should imagine !.

The aircraft were modified in other ways most noticeably the front turret guns and equipment were removed and the whole thing sealed and doped over before being painted Night Black as forward defence  was deemed unnecessary with frontal attacks becoming increasingly rare at this time. As an added bonus it also totally eliminated the freezing draughts caused by the airflow at altitude. Also on most aircraft the nav's astrodome was removed along with the large side windows which were plated over to reduce light from entering the compartment. The bomb bays were retained but all bombing equipment except the racks was removed.

The aircraft were either finished in conventional Dark Earth/Dark Green and Night Black or overall Night Black. 

The aircraft served well in the role until being replaced by the B-17 Fortress at the end of the war...

 

The model features,

Eduard cockpit set with scratch-built flooring and bulkheads, scratched bomb-aimers station, plumbed and wired, fuselage ribbing added, Squadron vac canopy

Eduard surface detail PE set

Upper turret scratch built details, all ancillary equipment and plumbing, full turret interior and gunners seat.

Special operators positions in the upper fuselage over the wings and one behind the upper gunners position. 

Engines, kit supplied bases, scratch-built wiring looms, push rods scratch built crank cases, props from the kit but reshaped, cowl flaps opened

Rear turret scratch-built interior, QuickBoost barrels, Monica aerial added to the lower section.

Bomb bays, scratch-built interiors, bulkheads & roof,  heating pipework and ducting

Little-Cars lenses passing light in left wing

Undercarriages brass reinforced, ribbing added, retraction struts moved inboard as they are too far out as provided, lead wiring for hydraulic lines

Waist gunners positions fully detailed interior, oxy bottles, all side wall ribbing, floor and Jostle equipment scratch-built, all gun barrels replaced with QB items

Jostle, ABC and Monica aerials added from scrap.

 

Decals 1/48th 100 Group RAF, DK Decals, for TS530  'Gremlin Heaven' of 223 squadron, based at RAF Oulton, Norfolk circa 1945....(the aircraft was a B-24H). The set includes markings for many other 100 group aircraft including a Halifax Mk III !

 

Finished using Mr Hobby Aqueous acrylics, various artists pastel powders, oil paint washes and blown over Tamiya Smoke....Alclad Klear Kote Matte top coat. 

 

This was great fun to build and adds something a bit more unusual to our display table.....next will probably be a 100 group Fortress III.

 

Cheers all 

 

Melchie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2016 by general melchett

[Edge]

Beautiful work General and a surprisingly handsome, if brutal looking aeroplane to boot.

 

[Andy Dyck]

Absolute Perfect! This Is museums quality! Whoooooooooow!

 

all the best

Andy 

[jean]

Not much can be said, and it is all good!!!

Disgustingly perfect!

 

JR

[Viking]

Beautiful work again, General!

Got to agree with you on these old Monogram kits, they remain great fun to build. I've got a 1/48 Marauder somwhere waiting to be built. One day....

 

Cheers

 

John

[polo1112]

Fantastic !!!

And it is always amazing to see a new Liberator model.

A really great job.

Congratulations. Polo.

[John_W]

Lovely.

Proper bomber colours, none of that flashy NMF with naked women on the nose.

[Reini78]

wow! a lot of extra work and the endresult justifies it, top job and a absolutely rare model

[RidgeRunner]

Lovely

[spitfire]

Great work, really jealous as I always wanted to build an RAF B-24, I had a kit, the Paragon 100 Group conversion and some decals but realised that I would not have any where to put it when finished so I sold it.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[barak1]

Really a great job. I like it very much.

[Ian]

Yeah, s'pose it's OK, if you like that sort of thing... Another 'museum piece' Andy, superb model my friend.

 

 

Ian.

[mcdonnell]

Hello,Andy - Viewing this magnificent 'Liberator' build I see your hallmark excellence and perfection.Truly inspirational.

Very best wishes to you for the forthcoming Festive Season and New Year.

 🍻👍 Paul.

[general melchett]

Thanks chaps, always appreciated. I think a lot of us like the old Monogram stuff....what's not to like, great subjects, good shapes, nice detail, OK, a bit of work but that's what the hobby is all about.

 

Must admit I always liked the Liberator even, dare I say it... over the B-17  just a personal thing as I like big chunky, awkward looking aircraft...

 

Quote

 I've got a 1/48 Marauder somewhere waiting to be built. One day....

 

John, another favourite of mine, great looking aircraft and another candidate for a super detailing project.....

 

Dennis, agreed it's a big kit but thoughtfully Monogram allow the wings to be slid on and off, so the whole thing fits neatly into my carry case for the shows.....fitting it into the cabinet is another matter  

 

 Thanks, Ian my old Antipodean Pharlap...choice bro !, (Strewth, I think I need to brush up on me strine !)

 

Thanks Paul, same here, hope you have a good one too.

 

 

[HOUSTON]

GM..

 

STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS  build.

 

Thank you for sharing it and the interesting  history too.

[BerndM]

Awesome build !

[keefr22]

That's another stunner Andy, really beautiful work - well up to the expected standard!

 

Don't know how, but I managed to miss it (& your good self) at Telford- I'm getting ever more convinced I wander around the place with my eyes shut! (and I even had a good look at the BC table after Debs showed me her cracking Wimpey - must need new  !!)

 

Keith

[Habu12]

I almost bought the D kit yesterday 😝 Now you make me want to again. Yes this is an oldie and it's nostalgic for me. Reminds me of high school when I went buck wild building the mono warbirds. The only ones I didn't do were the B-17 and B-29. Dig!

[woody37]

Great to see it in the flesh at Telford, a stunning build in every respect. Makes me want to pick one up, although do like the 8th AF options too

[general melchett]

Thanks again everyone, very kind of you all..... 

 

Houston, thanks for wading through the narrative. By it's very nature it's a relatively unknown part of Bomber Command's history, but one that needed telling. Thanks to the ingenuity of the A&AEE boffins these extremely accomplished hand picked crews flew their missions alone, unescorted over areas of heavy flak concentrations in all weathers jamming the enemy's defences and misdirecting night fighter controllers so that their 'regular' BC comrades could get to their targets and return with a higher degree of safely, true pathfinders..

 

Keefy, don't know how I missed you either as we always seem to meet up at some point, hey, I always walk around with my eyes wide shut, busy this time meeting folks and sorting things out I missed just about everyone and everything else...maybe next year we can miss each other again !

 

Habu...you really should get one, good for the modelling mojo, everyone expects a TamiHaseZoukijima to fall together and look uber cool when done but it takes a bit more effort with these old beasts, but ultimately well worth the effort expended...I think I have most of the century series now as well as the B-58 and obligatory 1/72nd B-36 and B-52...always good for a blast as long as you have somewhere to put 'em.

 

Cheers Neil, it was great to get all the 1/48th RCM aircraft together in one place. You really should get hold of one....totally agree about the 8th AF stuff...the assembly ships are something else ! but I couldn't let this one go...I feel a 1/48th Washington coming on.

 

[MartinSK]

Oh that is fantastic Liberator, for shape accuracy and quite simple build I prefer this old Monogram kits to today's many pieces hi-tech specials. I have this old Monogram Liberator in the stash..hmmm after seeing this I have a temptation to build it I just repeat, great model with excellent finish.

[pacificmustang]

lovely job Andy.  Im surprised none of the new manufacturers have redone these classic bombers.  The monogram kit is indeed a great build.  I wish someone would do corrected one piece turrets for it though .  The koster ones, although nice are very tricky to assemble

 

Lovely job

 

Bruce

[general melchett]

Thanks guys,

 

Bruce, I agree, the kit turrets are a let down and difficult to correct, limitations of the moulding process back then possibly, luckily this one didn't need the front Emerson or ball, the framing is also wrong so careful masking and a bit of surgery took care of that.  223 squadrons Libbys used both front turrets, the Emerson A and Consolidated A6B so the choice is there depending on which airframe you choose. I couldn't track down a Koster A6B rear but have heard they're a bit of a faff to put together. The canopy is another matter as it's totaaly wrong, too flat and undersized, the Squadron vac is definitely the way to go though you have to be a bit careful fitting it. I fitted tabs behind all sides then butted them to the fuselage with Gators Grip 'Thin Blend' PVA so they're not going anywhere !!

 

M

[Knight_Flyer]

An excellent build and finish.  Looks great in 1/48

[Thud4444]

That's the prettiest ugly plane I've seen in a while.  

 

 

She just looks right in those colors don't she.