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B-26K Counter Invader (48279) USAF Vietnam War Attack Aircraft 1:48 ICM via Hannants The A-26 was built by Douglas back in WWII as their successor to the A-20 Havoc. Two types were designed, The C with a glass bomber nose and the B with a full metal nose filled with either 6 or 8 .50cal machine guns, which coupled with the three in each wing gave it quite a punch, deserving of the Strafer title. It also had a pair of turrets on the fuselage mid-upper and dorsal positions, which were both operated by a single gunner using a complex remote mechanism that flipped between the upper and lower turrets depending on where the gunner was looking through his binocular sights. This trained the guns accordingly and also calculated the correct offset for parallax and lead, but was very complex and caused some delays to it entering service, and even more issues with maintenance in the field. Then in 1948 it was re-designated as the B-26 by the US Air Force to confuse us, and later on back to the A-26 just to complete that process of confusion. It was developed a little after the Marauder and despite using the same engines it was designed totally separately from its tubular colleague. It was initially less than popular in the Pacific theatre where its poor cockpit visibility due to the canopy and engine position rendered it unloved by the first users. It was more popular in the European theatre and was accepted as replacement for the Havoc fairly quickly. After the war it served in Korea, early Vietnam engagements and other conflicts, ending its days in US service with the Air National Guard in the early 70s. In the mid 1950s some Aircraft were converted to the Drone controller role with the DC prefix to launch Ryan Firebee drones in support of combat training. In a late twist the B-26 would be brought back in the 60s for the Vietnam War. The aircraft externally still looked like the WWII aircraft. The turrets were removed in favour of the fixed forward firing guns and four hard points were fitted to each wing allowing the carriage of 8000lbs of ordnance. The wings of these aircraft were rebuilt and strengthened. The rudder was enlarged and permanent tip tanks (65 US Gal) were added. Anti icing was added to the airframe and new a new anti-skid braking system was added. In the cockpit the dials and displays were updated and a secondary control yoke was added to allow flight from either seat. New 2500 HP engines were added along with cuffed broad chord props. The USAF ordered 40 of the "new" aircraft which were know as Nimrods to their crew. As well as combat operations in South east Asia some aircraft flew with the CIA in the Congo. The aircraft were retired by 1969 with AC-130 gunships taking over their night interdiction role. Only 6 aircraft survive with "Special Kay" having been restored to Flight as a memorial to crews who fought the secret missions in South East Asia. The Kit This is a brand new tooling from ICM, when the new Invader family was announced many of hoped for day we would get a new tool Counter Invader. While you get many parts of the original Invader boxings they are for the common parts . The B-26K boxing features a new fuselage sprue, new wing sprues, a new rudder, new engine nacelles, a pylon sprue; and weapons sprures ICM previously released as a stand alone set. It arrives in the familiar top opening box with a captive inner lid on the lower tray. A quick look over the sprues reveals that panel lines are very crisp, narrow and restrained, the surface is matt and very neat-looking, with plenty of engraved and raised details on the parts, plus subtly indented flying surfaces mimicking their fabric covering. Construction begins with the aft compartment is built up, the rear bulkhead is installed, then a pair of bombs on their racks, the reason for which will become clear in a moment. The port fuselage half is detailed with some side console and panel parts and then has the bomb racks, nose gear bay sides being added. The rear compartment with radio/equipment racks is then built with the seat being added to the floor. This is then fitted to the port fuselage along with the wing spars, and at the front the port nose interior parts which holds the nose gear bay door. Next up we build the cockpit. The centre console is built up and added to the floor, rudder pedals are added to the right hand seat where as for the left hand seat they are part of the instrument panel. The panel goes in as well as both control columns. Here ICM have not got it right. The controls supplied are those of the standard B-26 not the new ones for the K. The modeller will have to make, or source these. The last items to be added to the cockpit are the seats. The completed cockpit can now be added to the fuselage half. After this the starboard fuselage side is prepped, with its own bomb racks and forward nose bay parts being added. The fuselage can then be closed up. The tailplanes and their separate control surfaces can now be built up, and added to the model. At the front the solid nose is made assembled and added to the fuselage. ICM recommend adding 40g of weight to the nose. An additional intake is added to the right side of the nose. The wings are next, and they are new tool parts for this kit featuring the heavy strengthening added to the wing for the carrying of external loads. The lower wing parts also have the recesses for the four pylons per wing. All of the control surfaces for the wings are separate. At the ends of the wings are the tip fuel tanks for the B-26K. These are a butt fit with no mounting tab which would have been a stronger join. The wings once assembled can then fit on over the wing spares protruding from the fuselage. Next up the two engine nacelles and these build up pretty much identically. These are on the sprues from the original kit They are split vertically, and each half has internal structure moulded-in, with bulkheads added fore and aft of the gear bays, coupled with bay lip inserts that bulk out the edges and also hold captive their bay door. This may require some clever masking and a little care during handling, but it shouldn't hold you back too much, as the hinge-points are relatively robust. The two halves are joined together, the prominent intake on the top of the nacelle is made up from two parts, then is added to the nacelle front which is in turn glued to the rest of the nacelle, with the completed assemblies attached to the wings from the underside, as yet without their engine cowlings or props. The engines are added later in the build, and the Twin Wasps are depicted in their entirety with both banks of pistons, push-rods, ancillaries and reduction housing at the front, plus the collector ring and exhausts at the rear, the latter made up from eight parts each. So that they are fitted correctly and mesh properly with the nacelles, they are attached using a jig that is discarded later, so remember not to glue it in! Again the engines are identical and interchangeable with each other, and they fit to the nacelles with a teardrop-shaped tab, after which the new engine cowling is slotted over them. The cooling flaps are last to be added in four sets around the rear of the cowling. The top of the fuselage is still open at this point with both the front and rear canopies going on. A hole needs to be drilled in the front canopy and ICM give detailed dimensions for where this is. Each of the three tyres are made from two halves with separate hubs applied from either side, then hung on their respective legs, which have retraction jacks and scissor links added along the way, these are new wheels for the B-26K. The main airframe is now essentially complete save for a host of antennae and the new props. Next up all of the pylons are made up and added from the new sprue. Weapons ICM previously released this set as a stand alone boxing. It arrives on 4 sprues, it gives the modeller the following stores, 2 x LAU-10A Pods of 5" Rockets. 2 x LAU-69 Pods of 2.75" Rockets. 2 x LAU-68 Pods of 2.75" Rockets. 2 x BLU-23 500LB Fire bombs. (Can be made with or without the fins) 2 x BLU-27 750LB Fire Bombs. (Can be made with or without the fins) 2 x Mk.77 750LB Incendiary Bombs. 2 x SUU-14 Dispensers. 2 x Mk.81 Snakeye Bombs. 2 x MK.81 Low Drag Bombs. 2 x Mk.82 Snakeye Bombs. 2 x Mk.82 Low Drag Bombs. All of the above bombs can be fitted with Fuse extenders) In addition there are 2 MERs all with Sway braces. There are also what look to be 12 Flares to load on the MERs. All of the parts are well moulded and there are enough parts to give some additional detail to the weapons. An included decal sheet gives markings for the weapons. Markings In this boxing there are four options included on the decal sheet, all in SEA topside with back undersides (ICM have released their own Acrylic paint set for this aircraft). From the box you can build one of the following: 64-17651, 56th Special Operations Wing, 609th Special Operations Sqn Nakhon Phanom 1969, "Mighty Mouse" name and artwork. 64.17649, Davis-Monthan AFB, 1970 "Sweet Therese" name. 64-17645, 56th Special Operations Wing, 609th Special Operations Sqn Nakhon Phanom 1969 64-17679, 1st Special Operations Wing, USAF Late 1960s "Special Kay" name. This aircraft has been restored and is the only B-26K flying. The decals are printed anonymously, although they look like DecoGraph's output to my eye. They have good registration, colour density and sharpness. In reality these aircraft did not carry a large number of markings. Conclusion This model should make a fair few people happy, me included. Detail is excellent and made so much nicer by the matt surface, and there's a good interior included for what is bound to be a popular kit. Following on from other kits it was highly anticipated the Counter Invader would arrive and it has! Keep 'em coming ICM! Very Very highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of

This is my Italeri B-26K AKA A-26A Counter Invader. Before I started this kit I had read several reviews that either praised it to the highest or poo-pooed it faults. I can only conclude that these reviewers were either on drugs, or Italeri's payroll. I would put this at the bottom of the heap of Italeri's efforts. The fit was awful, and the accuracy questionable at best. I won't bore you with the details, but you can check out this site for more info http://www.usaf-sig.org/index.php/references/reference/113-kit-corrections-detailing/79-italeri-b-26k-invader-kit-corrections. The one high point was the decals which to even the vortex generators on the tail with only the minimum of Micro-Sol. One of the inaccuracies of this kit is the cockpit which might be accurate for a WW II or Korean War A-26 but is not for the K. There is at least 1 after market interior, but it would have taken too long to arrive so I skipped it. It turns out that was a good decision since I had one of the worst cases of dust infiltration into the cockpit I have had in a long time and you can't see much trough the dust anyway . Anyway I guess it came out alright, so here it is: Did I mention dust in the cockpit? But now fixed I am not sure what is next but it will either be the Italeri (spit) AC-130H or the Roden AC-123K. Enjoy