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Hasegawa 1/72 B-25J


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A representation of a 489th BS, 340th BG B-25J Mitchell. Conflicting references to 57th BW Mitchells in the MTO give rise to varieties of schemes. Tom Cleaver's The Bridgebusters infers that 340th BG aircraft were hastily overpainted with any available RAF greens or Olive Drab that could be found after a Luftwaffe night raid saw many NMF Mitchells at Alesan / Alesani destroyed and damaged. The Kitsworld decal sheet used here for 'That's All Brother' includes an NMF version with OD vertical tail surfaces with an RAF-style fin flash. A different interpretation is found in Watkin's 'Battle Colours'  vol.IV. It is difficult to find any evidence that the RAF flash was employed after their use in North Africa, so that bit was omitted. The only photographs of this particular aeroplane are found on p.27 of Katarzynski's 'B-25J 'Mitchell' in Combat over Europe (MTO). They show this aeroplane as all NMF with dark tail codes.

 

I only have four Hasegawa B-25J kits left and along with my Airfix backorder, will build more Mitchells from that rather overlooked theatre and take fuzzy images to hide as many shortcomings as possible.

 

 

Michael

 

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Edited by Michael51
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Sober paint scheme, but nonetheless eye-catching and beautifully done.

Congratulations!

 

JR

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13 hours ago, Jackson Duvalier said:

Like that nose art! Did you have any trouble finding space for weight?

 

I've got one of these in the stash, might get to it if I ever figure out how to deal with the spurious starboard nose escape hatch.

Yes, lots of challenges getting the weight right. Quite a lot of fishing sinkers hammered into flat pieces and cut to fit spaces here and there. The top turret is barely more than what the photographs show. That area is full of weights, as are the engine cowls.

 

Michael

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16 hours ago, IanC said:

Nice one Yossarian!

 

Love the understated scheme.

True, true, I do identify with Heller's character. I first read Catch-22 in 1970. Very reassuring to identify with a character who had trouble accepting insane management and malicious forms of authority.

 

Yo   Michael

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5 hours ago, Michael51 said:

Very reassuring to identify with a character who had trouble accepting insane management and malicious forms of authority.

 

Yo   Michael

 

Ha ha, me too.

 

The film version wasn't great, but I loved the B-25 sequences.

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7 hours ago, IanC said:

 

Ha ha, me too.

 

The film version wasn't great, but I loved the B-25 sequences.

Ian,

 

Yes, the b-25 sequences are great. I can watch this over and over again.

 

The book Catch-22  gets a different take in The True Story of Catch-22. Whilst I find it difficult to accept everything in this book, the attempts to identify the real people Heller was writing about are intriguing.

 

Michael

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  • 2 weeks later...
1 hour ago, Captain Wintintin said:

Really really nice. B-25 is one of my favourite aircraft.

Thanks,

 

There is something about tricycle undercarriages and twin fins that gets me in. Hence another B-24D in progress at the moment. Then another B-25.

 

Michael

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