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HobbyBoss is to release a 1/48th Consolidated B-24J Liberator kit - ref. 81774 Source: https://tieba.baidu.com/p/8249037080 V.P.

B-24H Wheels (672380 for Airfix) 1:72 Eduard Brassin We’ve recently reviewed the new Airfix Consolidated B-24H Liberator here recently, and it’s a fine kit. The Kit wheels are in two halves with two more parts for the hubs, which means you have the resultant joins around the circumference to deal with, and limitation to detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seam-line and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are typically a drop-in replacement. As usual with Eduard's smaller Brassin sets, it arrives in a flat resealable package similar to their PE sets but with different branding, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. This set includes four resin wheels on their own casting blocks, a small fret of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a set of pre-cut masks on kabuki-style paper washi tape material. The attachment points are on the contact patch of the tyres where they are flattened out due to the weight of the airframe, so it should be straight-forward to cut them free with a razor saw, filing the remainder flush. The detail is exceptional, including diamond tread on the rolling surfaces of the tyres, and hub details are upgraded, although the option of fitting flat PE hub caps will hide the hubs away, but for accuracy’s sake it must be done, unless you don’t want to, of course! There are two nose-wheels, with a choice of eight or nine spoked hubs for you to use after checking your references. Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks provide you with a full set of masks for hubs/tyres, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-24J Engines PRINT (6481029 for Hobby Boss) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Hobby Boss followed their 1:32 Liberator last year with a new tooling in 1:48, which was the first in this scale (my preferred scale) since Monogram’s excellent but dated kit from the 1970s, which although it had raised panel lines could be built into a decent replica with help. This new one from Hobby Boss is crying out for super-detailing, and Eduard are making that a possibility. As is usual with Eduard's larger resin sets, they arrive in a Brassin-themed black-and-yellow cardboard box, with the resin parts safely cocooned in bags between two layers of grey foam, and the instructions folded around acting as additional padding. There are two segmented bases containing eight parts in 3D printed resin, four engines and four adapters to ensure a snug fit of the parts on the kit nacelle bulkheads. The engines are attached to their bases via fine support tendrils, which can easily be removed, but take care not to accidentally remove the wiring loom that is engineered into the front face, as they are also fine and could easily be mistaken for more supports. There is a useful scrap diagram in the top-left of the instructions that shows the various wires and push-rods along with painting call-outs in Gunze Sangyo codes, which is Eduard’s preferred brand. Once cut from their supports, the engines should be painted and weathered, followed by fitting the adapter-plate to the rear, and inserting a 6.8mm length of 0.3mm rod from your own stocks into the bell-housing at the front of the motor to act as prop-shaft. That will allow you to hang the kit propellers from the front, but improving the detail a thousand-fold. There are also smaller scrap diagrams that show the removal of a tab from the bottom of the nacelle housings, with the part numbers called out, and the remainder of the tab thinned down to 0.7mm for easy fitting of the new engines. Detail is stunning, and the inclusion of a wiring loom on a twin-row radial will save hours of modelling time trying to get lengths of lead wire to stick somewhere near where they should be without covering the parts and yourself with superglue. VERY highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Expected in Spring (May ?) 2024 - ref. A09010 - Consolidated B-24H Liberator https://uk.airfix.com/products/consolidated-b-24h-liberator-a09010 V.P.

B-24H Upgrade Sets (for Airfix) 1:72 Eduard Airfix released their newly tooled B-24H Liberator in 1:72 recently, and if you haven’t seen it, we reviewed it recently here, as it’s a nice kit. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Cockpit & Engines (73829) Two frets are included, one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panel sections that run across the width of the cockpit, the substantial centre console with throttle quadrants are given the same treatment that includes a forest of levers pushed through the quadrant surface; the footwells have a detailed skin applied to the floor; four-point seatbelts are included for the two flight-crew; another instrument box in front of the centre console is provided, applying a new surface to the larger box below it, and detailing the sides, top and adding control levers before gluing the two components together; both cockpit sidewalls are festooned with equipment boxes with pre-painted faces and dials, some based upon kit parts, but others new; the overhead console that is missing from the kit is built up on a PE base, gluing the completed assembly to the underside of the canopy between the crew. The four Pratt & Whitney R-1830-35 Twin Wasp engines are upgraded with a wiring loom that wraps around the bell-housing, with a scrap diagram showing where the wires should end, and extra detail is added to the magnetos on the bell-housings. The kit superchargers have flapper covers fitted to the exhausts, removing the tip to keep its length standard. The aft end of the engine nacelle cowlings near the wing trailing-edge is thinned to a more realistic thickness, removing some details on the wings within the confines of the inner nacelles and are filled, creating four flat boxes with mesh fronts that are supported by a pair of brackets that glue into place. There are four of these, and one is fitted into the footprint of each nacelle. The four cooling gill parts are thinned by 0.2mm along the outer surfaces to accommodate replacement skins with the individual gills etched in that can be wrapped around them, two per engine, top and bottom. Nose & Radio Compartment (73830) Two frets are included, one nickel-plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of detail parts for the Norden bomb sight, and new box in the front of the bomb aimer’s compartment, and a huge quantity of other equipment boxes dotted around the nose compartment are included, some using kit parts as the base for a new pre-painted front, but many on the sidewalls are missing from the kit, and are folded up from PE then faced with a pre-painted front to increase the detail. The ammo feeds leading from the boxes are given a skin that represents the ammo feed in more detail, adding more detailed surfaces to the ammo cans at the same time, and making the missing bomb-aimer’s seat from a length of 1mm rod from your own supplies, putting a PE seat on top and adding lap-belts over the top. The rear of the compartment is also upgraded with a large VW logo-shaped framework that carries several new equipment boxes, fitting it onto the short bulkhead in the front of the cockpit floor, after skinning the front with a new PE part. Moving into the centre fuselage section, control panels on the bulkhead are upgraded with pre-painted PE parts, and fitting a regulator to two nearby oxygen bottles. The radio compartment is substantially upgraded with a new PE floor that also includes a short wall with corrugations etched-in, and installing a framework for the toilet, which is represented by a length of 1.8mm rod from your own supplies again. A large vertical equipment rack is made from PE with painted fronts, installing it under a pre-existing box on the starboard side of the hatch, adding more boxes top the opposite bulkhead. A table is fitted with painted fronts to the moulded-in radio gear, folding up an oscilloscope on a tapered support to the side before fixing it in place over the new floor. The floor hatchway is extended with folded sections of the skin applied to the floor, adding lap-belts to the seat nearby, and two more regulators to O2 bottles in the compartment, and two more in the waist gunner’s position, applying a detail insert to a step in the floor, plus tops to the ammo boxes. The ammo box on the waist guns have their chunky triangular supports removed that are replaced by a separate PE shelf, additional PE around to top and outer surfaces, and a length of ammo link that is strung between the box and the breech, which also has a new PE top-surface fitted to the top. The final part returns to the bomb aimer’s position, adding a windscreen wiper to it on the outside. Undercarriage (72739) This larger bare brass set contains some important enhancements, requiring removal of the ribbing in the upper wings, and the latticework in the bay wall parts. The remaining structure of the bay inserts are skinned with ribbed surfaces, a new roof part, an inner structure of one of the wing formers, folded into two layers to give it extra relief, adding small sections of wall around the edges, then installing new latticework in two steps. The first step brings back the three complete ribs and stringers, creating the fourth partial rib from two parts that are folded double before installation, taking note of the scrap diagrams nearby. The smaller ribbing sections are skinned on both sides near the socket for the main gear legs, which have a new PE bay door fitted to the lower section, removing the chunky scissor-links from the separate retraction jack, replacing it with a new PE unit, adding another scissor-link to the nose gear in a similar manner. The nose gear bay has its two doors replaced by folded PE parts that have a lip to improve adhesion of the hinges, with retraction eyes at the rear ends of each one. US National Insignia (CX668) Masking off the main markings of models removes any pitfalls associated with using larger decals, such as thickness of the carrier film, unintended decal movement before setting, and the perennial scourge of decaling – silvering - where microscopic air bubbles become trapped under the carrier film, reflecting light and giving the completed decal a silvered look. Using masks, it’s possible to paint several colours in very thin layers with an airbrush, leading to a set of markings that are more harmonious with the overall paint finish, and later appear to have been sprayed on along with the main colours. It also makes weathering or chipping the markings as simple as it is with paint. This set is tailored for the Airfix kit, and arrives in a flat-pack resealable package, backed by a small instruction sheet held within along with a sheet of vinyl masks. Why vinyl rather than kabuki tape? Vinyl is more robust and requires more tension to deform it, lending the material to letters, digits and shapes that require precision of size and shape to look correct. The masks include parts for the national markings of the aircraft so you can paint the stars-and-bars on the model, which could be an introduction to using masks and an airbrush to create more realistic markings on future models. Positioning the masks should be straight-forward, but if you have placement issues you could place the positive masks as a guide, then lower the negative masks into position over them, weeding out the positive masks once you are happy with their location. Depending on what colours you are spraying, and the shades you are using, it may take multiple steps and some element of adding and removal of masks, which you can keep together by adding a separate piece of tape across the group of shapes to keep them aligned in between uses. It would also help keeping the groups apart from each other during use, so you don’t get the individual mask sets mixed up. A perfect opportunity to try something new with your modelling, helping to increase the realism of your work by removing the carrier film and associated issues from the equation, at least for the major markings. Conclusion Superb sets that improve the detail in spades, from which you can choose which you want or need. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

When Airfix’s new 1/72 B-24H was announced this year, it was far and away the 2024 release I was most excited for. Since childhood, the Liberator has been my favourite of the USAAF heavies. The B-17 is objectively more conventionally attractive, with finer proportions. However there’s just something about the B-24 with its innovative high aspect ratio Davis wing, particularly when contrasted with that capacious fuselage which only starts to taper well aft of the trailing edge. That said it’s still a type I don’t know terribly much about, so I’ll enjoy an education as I build this. I’d initially considered building the B-24 with roundels, as I’ve been working on an RAAF Mustang III and RAF Mitchell lately. There are some very nice schemes that operated out of West Bengal. However after some cursory research it appears that most of the RAF Liberator Mk. VIs were B-24Js. I’d like to retain the specific features of the B-24H that Airfix has tooled, so I’m going to stay with one of the provided schemes. The box art is incredibly compelling, partly for the brilliantly saturated colour palette, and partly for the vivid type on the nose of the B-24. The graphic design and rendition of this scheme on the decal sheet is very well done- it has to be ‘Corky’ Burgundy Bombers. S/N 42-52234 was a B-24H-10-FO, manufactured at Ford’s Willow Run plant. The following historical images are the property of The Imperial War Museum, and posted under their non-commercial licence for primarily information-led, research-oriented purposes. This B-24 was handed over to the USAAF on 29 October 1943, then transferred to the Birmingham, Alabama, Modification Center. At Hamilton Field, San Francisco, the aircraft was issued to Crew 25 on 18 December. Finally on 30 January 1944 Corky arrived at Station 144, Old Buckenham Airfield, where the aircraft served with the 733rd Bomb Squadron, 453rd Bomb Group, USAAF Eighth Air Force. The kit arrives in a box of the same dimensions as Airfix’s B-17G. However it is absolutely crammed with sprues- after taking the bags out to inspect them I couldn’t work out a good order to return them without squashing. Not a problem, as this is going directly to the build bench. Detail is really nice, with fine part lines and a lot of delicate features. On that note, I’m considering adding more… I have quite a number of builds on the go at the moment, but all have reached the paint booth bottleneck. My workspace is the family dining table, and due to a number of factors it has been difficult to find the time to set up for airbrushing lately. My thinking is that I would like to spend more time on this kit before the usual modelling phase, and add some rivet detail. I have a riveting tool I haven’t used before, so I’ll need to practice first, but the weathering on Corky as evident in reference shows up the riveting pattern quite well. Creating rivet detail should be something I can do without much in the way of setup. I’ve found detailed schematics online that I can work from, they’re from a B-24J but I have some good reference images showing the pattern on the H nose too. The vertical stabilisers are already festooned with rivets, I’ll attempt to repeat the size and spacing from those. By the time I’ve painted the other models, I will then be ready to start the B-24 in earnest. This build will be very much from the perspective of a beginner-intermediate modeller. I’ve nearly finished a few larger types in 1/72 and while I try and work methodically, I do often make quite frustrating mistakes, so this will be a longer term build. If I finish by this time next year I’ll be happy. Don’t expect a coherent, precise or sensible masterclass that will quickly compel anyone to rush out and pick up this kit!

I offer this for RFI ...Another 'Lockdown' project i completed. This is the old tooled Airfix 'Sharkmouth' which i dedided to do OOB as the 445th BG from Tibbenham in Norfolk.. Hope you like it? The photos are not the best and probably hide a multitude of 'sins' lol and i took them at my WFH station.( Apologies ) Hand painted with Humbrol Enamels . I love the Lib as a plane wish there was a new Airfix 1:48 tooling for this! I did post these pics on another recent Liberator thread but actually this is where i should have put them..

I've put the finishing touches to this 1/32nd scale B-24 over the Bank Holiday weekend and took advantage of some spring sunshine to take some pictures of the completed model outside in natural light. I've been working on this on and off for a year or so, and it has been the ideal project to pick up and do a bit to as and when I felt like it. This model doesn't get the best press but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. You can spend a fortune on after-market improvements if you wish, but other than some seat belts, resin wheels and gun barrels, this is how it comes in the box. The interior is crammed with detail and took a long time to complete - excellent value for your money when you compare it to the price of the other 1/32nd 'heavies' on the market. Fit was excellent throughout and the only filler used was to deal with a small gap along the underside of the nose where, I believe, I hadn't got the interior aligned as perfectly as I could. The turrets, however, are a weak point of the kit. It's been well documented that the rear turret (and forward turret on the J-version) have a very visible seam right down the middle. Aftermarket replacements are currently sold out so instead I used the kit rear turret and painted the mating surfaces black before gluing and this has made the unsightly join a little less conspicuous. For some reason Hobby Boss put heavy framing on the upper turret which doesn't exist on any B-24 turret I've seen, so this was sanded off and the dome given a good polish so it now better represents the Martin turret fitted to this model of Liberator. I didn't want to risk putting the colossal amount of nose weight into this as I was using the kit's plastic landing gear (which is perfectly strong enough to cope with the weight of the 'un-weighted' model) so I made a tail strut as was so often put in place when B-24s are parked on the ground. The kit doesn't come with the most inspiring of schemes for an olive drab B-24, so I did a bit of research on 'Satan's Angels' and painted the model to represent this aircraft as it would have looked in the autumn of 1943 with the group insignia on the tail and the short-lived red surround to the stars and bars. This aircraft was actually written off in a landing accident at Lympne in Kent, when the nose wheel collapsed and it ended up in a ditch on 13th November of that year. I used Kits World national insignia as well as the Profimodeller stencil set. All in all a very enjoyable build, and if you want a large 1/32nd bomber that doesn't break the bank but still gives you plenty of detail, I thoroughly recommend this kit. All the best, Tom Consolidated B-24D Liberator, 'Satan's Angels' of the 328th Squadron of the 93rd Bomb Group, based at Hardwick, Suffolk, Autumn 1943.

Another finished model for your critical eyes as always. This one I'll admit is not my best nor my worst. The 1980s boxing of the 1960s Airfix B-24J. Here depicted as B24J 2110037 of 445th bombardment group of the 2nd air division of the 8th air force based at RAF Tibenham 1944. Decided on this scheme as having read the excellent (and I highly recommend) book on Jimmy Stewart, I found this aircraft was based at the same group and station of Tibenham as Stewart so it seemed fitting. A few issues with the build all down to its age really:- yellowed decals (did manage to lighten them a bit in the sun), big gaps around the turrets and cockpit glazing, ball turret is completly wrong so hid that away.

Hobby Boss is to release in 2018-2019 two 1/32nd B-24 kits - ref. 83211 - Consolidated B-24J Liberator - ref. 83212 - Consolidated B-24D Liberator Source: https://www.facebook.com/TrumpeterModel/photos/ms.c.eJxFkdGRRTEIQjvaUVGj~;Te2czHmfTJROJhWQVhLnOo~_8tefdtVWg5Zdbfm9F3w0kOaR0Xr1Eeo4d16KWnu0VY~;~;zjfol3cewjzrmwcbHpfV~;vmlYPMP5yN3nzxp6w8M3~;I6~_Vt9~_3Bf8~_5bkz~_xPDH5uvk6~;rr~_ciZv74Wk3~_vv8b37735GHom9j7P~;4y~;6xet7gv20lof3anl8xXdcPyTvW~_8~;qumHWp7J0~;wHK7NkWQ~-~-.bps.a.910352652456662.1073742118.103526326472636/910353465789914/?type=3&theater V.P.

Hello all! I'm pleased to present my latest model, a 1/72 Coastal Command Liberator completed as BZ755 flown by F/O A. Cirko, No 10. Squadron RCAF around Autumn 1943. This is Eduard's "Riders in the Sky" reboxing of the Hasegawa kit with lots of extras including resin wheels and exhausts, etch cockpit and bomb bay and some scratch made details throughout the interior. The painting was done with airbrushed Mr Color and Tamiya paints weathered with oils and ground up pastel pigments. Overall I'm really happy with how it turned out: I enjoyed detailing the interior and I'm glad that the removable forward fuselage, held in place with magnets, allows some of this to be seen. I managed to stop it being a tail sitter by stashing away tungsten shot and weighted putty in every nook and cranny I could find, it weighs a tonne now but the undercarriage just about seems to be up to it... I was a bit worried about painting the white undersides but this turned out ok and I think I was able to stay on just the right side of the line with the weathering. Thanks to everyone who followed along for the last ten months on the WIP thread; your tips, encouragement and patience are really appreciated and I hope some useful bits and pieces were logged along the way, the link is here: Please enjoy the photos and let me know any thoughts, comments or questions and I'll get back to you below. Thanks for taking a look and Happy Christmas! Sam

Hello! My next build is the fantastic looking Eduard "Riders in the Sky" Coastal Command Liberator. There are 13 (!) options for different schemes and I've decided to model the Mk. V, BZ755 as I like its clean lines and the two-tone camouflage on the uppers: First impression of the kit when you open the box is that there is a lot of plastic! As I'm sure lots of you know, Eduard have re-boxed a Hasegawa kit and added in some extra sprues to build up a GR Mk. III or V. The exterior detail of the kit is lovely with subtle, recessed panel lines and rivets all over. Inside is a bit varied, the bomb-bay detail looks good but cockpit and front gunner / bomb aimer position are pretty bare, there's also no detail in the front wheel bay. After checking out some previous builds on here and watching some walkarounds on youtube (of US B-24s admittedly) I've come up with an initial plan of action which will address the main areas which I think will make a difference: - Add detail to the cockpit and bomb aimer position, e.g. framework on the walls, some cabling, scratchbuilt bits and bobs basically. I might pose it with the cockpit windows open so a bit more can be seen - Do something about the front wheelbay, probably scratch built from plasticard - Add Eduard photoetch to the bomb bay, along with new resin bomb bay doors - Improve the rear crew compartment with framing on the walls, resin oxygen bottles and scratch made ammo boxes, etc - I'll display it with the hatches open so we can see a bit of what is going on inside - Resin wheels, engines and turbochargers Extra goodies arrived yesterday along with some paints so I can get started on the interior: I've started with the cockpit, taking off the blocks for the seats to sit on (I'll replace these with something later) and adding some plausible looking detail with aluminium tape. I've also removed a load of plastic from the panel which goes in front of the cockpit as this appears to have a bin a frame rather than a bulkhead. Thanks for taking a look, any hints or warnings greatly appreciated, and yep, I know I've got to find somewhere to stash a load of weight so it isn't a tail sitter: tungsten shot from my father in law's shotgun cartridge usually does the trick! I'm afraid my builds usually take ages so relax and put your feet up if you want to follow along. Cheers, Sam

US B-24 Heavy Bomber (mPLANE-006) Meng Kids via Creative Models The B-24 was a major player in the US bombing offensive during WWII, and although it had its flaws, it was both well-loved by its crews and although it is overshadowed by the Lancaster and its compatriot B-17, it is well-liked in the modelling community with a special place in my heart for no apparent reason. The Kit This is a new tool from the appealing and fun Meng Kids range, which are scale-free and rather out-of-proportion, enough to send someone who holds dimensional accuracy above all else into an apoplectic rage. Those of us with a bit more balanced perspective find them a bit cute and silly, and whether they appeal to you, your kids or your sense of fun, they're pretty cool. I'm one of those that only like some of them such as the Lanc and the He.177 Greif we reviewed some years back, but this one is right in my wheel-house. They're dead simple to build quickly and should appeal to anyone over the suggested age of 14, requiring no glue or paint unless you want to go a bit semi-serious and build them to last with a realistic paint-job that enhances their silly shape. They arrive in a chunky end-opening box with all the parts in a single bag and the clear parts wrapped in a self-cling film. The five upper parts are moulded in olive green, the two underside parts are in grey and the rest of the parts are held on one black sprue. The clear parts are clear of course, and there is a small sheet of decals included in their own bag. The instructions are printed on the underside of the box, and the painting/decaling guide is found on the side. All the parts fit together using friction-fit towers and pins, or by being held in place by other parts, and you can leave it self-coloured just by removing the sprue gates from the parts and making good. Construction begins with the fuselage lower that is in two parts and before you clamp them down you need to put the clear lower nose and rear turret glazing in place in the grey underside, and add the green bombs then the black waist and rear guns. The upper fuselage has the tops of the wings moulded in and it has the cockpit glazing, the upper turret and guns plus the D/F loop added before it is placed on the grey lower wings, trapping the props and their tapering bosses inside the engine cowlings. Before the two assemblies can be joined the front turret and guns are fitted and at the rear the H-tail slots in place over the rear turret. The final parts include the main gear with separate legs and wheels, the single piece nose wheel and the belly turret with its guns, and that's everything! You may have noticed from the pictures that the bomb bay is moulded open with the tambour doors rolled up the side of the fuselage exposing the stubby little bombs you fitted earlier. Markings Taking the easiest route to complete the model just needs a dash of water to apply the decals. If you're going to paint any or all of the model though, there are paint names on the diagrams as well as numbers for each of the decals. You can also go the whole hog and paint the fuselage and wings olive green and grey with a wavy demarcation between top and bottom as shown on the diagrams below. That's totally optional of course, so just make sure you're having fun whichever route you choose. Conclusion I'm one of those folks that is only interested in a cartoonish kit if it's a subject I'm fond of, so this one hits my spot. I can see the broader appeal of collecting them, and they all seem a lot of fun. I can guarantee that they're not in scale, the wing and fuselage lengths are all wrong, and there's a lot of simplified detail… but then that's the whole point. Catch one while you can, as they're selling fast! Scroll down a few posts to see my quick build of this little kit Very highly recommended with fun in mind. Review sample courtesy of

My build of the Airfix 1/72 Consolidated B-24J Liberator (05006-3) "The Dragon and His Tail" decals for B24J Liberator 44-40973, 64th Bomb Squadron, 43rd Bomb Group, August 1945 came from Xtradecal Set X72082. It was built for the ATF 15th Anniversary GB. Not my finest ever build but an enjoyable one nevertheless as it was more of an exercise in nostalgia than hyper-modelling. Apart from some added detail in the wheel wells and aftermarket decals it was an OOB build. BTW, the wings, cowlings, tailplanes, front and rear turrets are not fixed in place as the plane is going into storage, probably never to be seen again! Dave

Hi mates! I've finally finished a project that I originally started as part of the Obsolete Kit Group Build. The kit I chose is the old (and very obsolete) kit from Revell USA of the PB4Y-1 Liberator in glorious 1:72 scale. This kit first saw light of day in 1965, and I can remember my brothers and I building this (and blowing it up) several times in my errant youth. To pay for such past injustice, I was sentenced in my adulthood to think this would be an easy, quick project. Yikes! Project: Consolidated PB4Y-1 (B-24D) Liberator Kit: Revell Kit H-205 (1965) Scale: 1:72 (The Only Scale That Matters) Decals: Iliad Design Sub-Hunting Liberators No. 72001 Decals: Aviaeology B-24/PB4Y-1 Stencils No. AOD72S01 Resin: CMK B-24D Cockpit Set No. 7234 Resin: Quickboost Liberator Antisubmarine Radar No. 72170 Resin: Quickboost B-24 Propellers No. 72329 Resin: Quickboost B-24 Oxygen Cylinders No. 72319 Resin: CMK B-17 Waist Gunners Detail Set No. 7205 (used for the 0.50 Brownings) Resin: True Details B-24/PB4Y Wheel Set No. 72016 Photoetch: Eduard Big Ed B-24D Set No. 7252 Paint: Tamiya XF-2 Flat White, Gunze H54 Non-specular Sea Blue, Gunze H56 Intermediate Blue, Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black, Gunze H95 Smoke Grey, Alclad Klear Kote Flat Weathering: Pastel chalks Swearing: Loud and often Improvements/Corrections Removed all rivets; re-scribed all panel lines (they were already engraved, but inconsistent - not sure I improved it!) Replaced kit flight deck and nose gunner/bombardier station with CMK resin set and details from Eduard PE set Added all guns (resin stock and PE cooling jackets) and equipped with PE ammo belts Eduard PE colour seat belts in all stations Added port cheek window (not in kit) Scratchbuilt front landing gear structure from plastic rod and PE Main landing gear wells made from Eduard PE Scratchbuilt entire waist gunners area including fuselage structural members, floor, and gun supports Waist gunners area detailed with PE and resin oxygen cylinders PE ammo belts realistically draped from overhead ammo box into waist guns Added relief tube to port waist gun area (really!) All guns have PE gunsight (and I no longer have any eyesight!) 83 grams added up front to prevent tail-sitter! Waist gunners window panels made from film sandwiched in PE pieces Modified engine housings so propeller would be in correct position; replaced kit props with Quickboost resin Replaced wheels and tyres with True Details set (had to make the resin tyres not look flat) Added main landing gear retraction strut; detailed all landing gear with PE brake lines and oleo scissors Added radome in place of belly turret Scratchbuilt interior of top and tail turrets; replace kit clear parts with vacuform Replaced kit canopy with vacuform; added bulged side windows; added vacuform astrodome Replaced Fowler flap actuators and posed flaps in landing position Lowered elevators slightly; posed ailerons in off-neutral position Added PE deflectors forward of waist gunner windows Used decals to represent tunnel gun windows (because I forgot to put holes in the fuselage!) Added radial panel lines on both sides of each vertical tail with pencil Weathering by post-shading with paint and pastels; chipping on props with silver pencil Gear doors from Eduard PE Scratchbuilt forward pitot probes from styrene stock and hypo needles Added all antennae: Marker Beacon (underside of bomb bay catwalk), Command, Liaison, ADF, Sense, and one more that I have no idea what it is! 0.005" Nitinol wire used for aerials. Elapsed time: Approximately five months (too freaking long!) You can find all the details in two WIP threads, Part One in the Group Build, and Part Two in the normal WIP section. On with the pictures! I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed this crazy obsolete kit build! A few in-progress shots: Cheers, Bill

B-24 Wheel (632145 & 632149 for Hobby Boss) 1:32 Eduard Brassin Hobby Boss’s big-scale B-24 is a massive kit, and with massive kits come massive wheels with massive seams round them. Not any more! Eduard have created two sets of replacement resin wheels for the Big Liberator, substituting those annoying seams for a small contact patch pour stub and some exceptional detail. There are two sets as mentioned, one in a thin Brassin cardboard box, the other in a fat one for no reason that I can divine, but not to worry – it’s all recyclable and a lot better for the environment than the old clamshell boxes, and easier to stack too. B-24 Wheels – 8-spoke Front Wheel (632145) This set contains three wheels and a separate hub with eight spokes to it as you’d expect. There is also a mudguard for the nose wheel with a ribbed framework and a small flat-spot where it fits to the nose leg, and a full set of masks (not pictured) for painting the hubs with a perfect demarcation. The main wheels are handed monolithic parts with moulded-in hubs, while the nose wheel has a separate cap, which you will need to remove the flash from the interstices between the spokes before you glue things together. B-24 Wheels – 9-spoke Front Wheel (632149) This is ostensibly the same set as above, but with a 9-spoke hub cap instead, which will be useful if your chosen decal subject flew with a higher spoke-count. Construction is the same, just one extra gap between the spokes to clear flash from. Conclusion Take care with the correct handing of the wheels, and other than that they are a drop-in replacement that adds a huge amount of detail as well as a very slight sag to the tyres, inferring weight to the model. The masks are always welcome to ease painting. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

B-24 Photo-Etch Update Sets (for Hobby Boss) 1:32 Eduard If you didn't see the release of the massive 1:32 Consolidated B-24J Liberator from Hobby Boss earlier this year, where were you? We reviewed it here, and we'll wait for you while you go and have a look. Eduard's new range of sets are now here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's larger Photo-Etch (PE) sets, they arrive in a flat resealable ziplok package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Bomb Bay (32440) This is a big kit, so get used to the fact that the frets are big too. This set comes on one large fret dedicated to structure that is missed out from the kit, and will probably be used in conjunction with the bomb bay racks below. Each end of the bay is heavily modified with new skins to the bulkheads, additional stiffening beams along the floor, plus a host of other small parts, pulleys, even some equipment boxes. Bomb Racks (32441) This set contains a single large fret with additional details for the kit bombs, and of course the large ladder-shaped racks that hold those bombs ready for deployment. These are highly detailed and will be a much better replacement to the simplified kit parts. Undercarriage (32437) The big bays of the Liberator are quite visible due to their size and the shoulder-mounted wing, so any detail is easily seen. This set is based on two frets, and includes mirror-image parts to detail the bays with many skins to replace the chunkier moulded-in kit detail, plus the visible portions of the wing's structure itself. Large ribs are added in addition to the kit ribs, which give the bays much more visual interest. The gear legs don't escape, with small tie-down lugs added at the base of each leg, and an optional hub cap that fits over the detailed wheel hubs that were often worn in service by these chunky warriors. Engines (32438) The Liberator was powered by four P&W Twin Wasp engines, with the kit portraying them as back and front banks either side of a bulkhead to prevent a see-through cowling. Detail is adequate for a brief glimpse, but a little more detail is provided in this set, especially at the rear of the nacelles where there are missing details, including a splitter panel and a boxed-in screen that protrudes at an angle from the hollow rear of each nacelle. You'll need to remove the moulded-in version of this beforehand, but the resulting difference is substantial. Small flaps on the sides of the plate allow easy attachment of the assembly to the nacelle halves. Around the supercharger part there are some additional detail parts added around the recess, plus a protective flip-open cover for the exhausts and more wiring harnesses for the rear piston bank. Big Ed Set (BIG33103) The Bomb Bay, Bomb Racks and Undercarriage sets are also available in the Big Ed set with a discount that will assist anyone vacillating over whether to get all three or not. Review sample courtesy of

Hello All, My interpretation of a 354 Sqn RAF Liberator that carried an all Australian crew. OOB. Interesting to note the different colour saturation between indoor under Fluoro lighting and late evening light. Happy to take questions. Ian

Didn't see this one coming: https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/data/8wm201jteuwrebynljq7.html

B-24 Instrument Panel Upgrade (PE32 LIB for Hobby Boss) 1:32 Airscale You'll probably all have heard of Airscale and their product range to help modellers that like to detail their cockpits in the shape of instrument dial decals, Photo-Etch (PE) parts and so forth, and if you've ever seen Peter's work, you'll also know that he's a perfectionist who always seems to be happy, which is a nice combination. The set arrives in a ziplok bag with a card insert in the front, instructions on the back, a fret of thick gauge Photo-Etch (PE) brass with a nickel plating, a sheet of instrument decals on a black background covered in a sheet of translucent protective paper. There is also a small sheet of transparent acetate for you to add actual lenses if you're so minded. Each decal is printed with an individual carrier film, but cutting them closely is recommended to remove as much of the clear overhang as possible in order to ease fitting the decal onto its backing. The main panel is built up in order (back to front) from the featureless backing piece, the decal sheet the optional clear acetate glazing, then the front heavily etched panel, which has bezels, fasteners and recesses etched in for realism. On top of this are placed the steering column panels, and the Direction Finding, Throttle Quadrant and Oxygen sub-panels are all built up in the same way. You will need to trim the acetate (if using it) to accept the kit knobs and levers, and of course the throttle quadrant won't need any acetate, but it will require your attention due to the forest of levers sprouting from the grooves. The decals are printed by our friends at Fantasy Printshop, so quality, registration, colour density and sharpness are all good. Conclusion I've used Peter's decals a number of times over the years, and they're brilliant. Although it's a drop-in replacement for the kit panel, the set will take some effort to put together, and careful painting is a must, with a completed example shown on the rear of the instructions to prove that Peter uses his own products. You'll also find painting guidance notes under that picture, which is great news. Is the effort worth it? Absolutely and unequivocally yes! Extremely highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Peter at

Liberator GR Mk.VI Update Set & Wheels 1:72 Eduard for Eduard Kit Eduard now bring us a couple of updates for the new Liberator Mk.IV kit, Update Set (73647) This package includes pre-painted details for the crew compartment and fills in some of the details on the flight deck that were not covered by the etch provided with the kit. Details are provided for radio and other electronic equipment, as well as rudder pedals, ammunition hoppers and belts for the machine guns, as well as cooling sleeves for the gun barrels. Wheels Set This contains a full set of replacement set of wheels and the mud guard on the front gear leg. Masks are included for painting (not shown). Review samples courtesy of

Eduard is to rebox in 2017 with the appropriate add-ons the Hasegawa's 1/72nd B-24 liberator kit as Coastal Command GR.Mk.V. The Coastal Command's Liberators are iconic symbol for the Czech Units fightings alongside RAF. As for the recent Eduard's Mil Mi-24, this kit will be provided with a book on the type. Sources: http://www.72news.eu/2016/09/eduard-consolidated-b24-liberator-gr-v.html http://pwm.org.pl/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=78501&sid=2fed11272508b70cc053fe34bdf286c4&start=645 V.P.

Resin and Photo Etch Detail Sets for Eduard/Hasegawa B-24 Liberator 1:72 Eduard Hasegawa's Liberator is easily the best kit of the type available in 1:72 scale. It is more modern and more precisely engineered than the ageing Minicraft/Academy kit and streets ahead of Airfix's venerable offering. It's selection by Eduard as the basis for their recent 'Riders in the Sky' limited edition Coastal Command release was very welcome indeed, particularly so given than Eduard's previous Liberator releases were based on the aforementioned Minicraft kit. Alongside the kit, Eduard have released a predictably comprehensive range of resin and photo etched goodies to further enhance the superlative kit. B-24 Engines (672171) This set includes four Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp turbo-supercharged radial engines. Despite the imposingly large box, the engines themselves are very simple. Each unit comprises the 14 cylinder engine, plus a separately cast magneto, as well as photo etched details for the ignition wiring. The casting is up to the usual Eduard standard and the end result will be superior to anything that could be achieved with injection moulded plastic. B-24 Bomb Bay Rocket Projector (672177) This impressive set provides the 3 inch rockets used with some Coastal Command Liberators, as well as the associated projector racks. The structural parts, as well as the rockets themselves, are cast from resin while photo etched brass provides a supporting role in the form of additional details for the rocket exhausts, ignition wiring, cross-braces etc. The set isn't as complex as it first seems, but the rockets are very fragile and particular care will need to be taken when removing them from their casting blocks. B-24 Bomb Bay Doors (672183) This simple set includes replacement bomb bay doors, as well as cogs for the door open/close mechanism. The parts are well cast and will offer a modest upgrade over the plastic parts provided with the kit. This set makes a good companion to the rocket set detailed above, but would clearly be of no interest if you intend to finish your model with the bomb bay doors closed! British 250lb Depth Charges (672172) Another simple set, this one provides six Mark VIII 250lb depth charges of the type used by Coastal Command on the Liberator. Each depth charge is a solid resin part, which must simply be painted Dark Green and have the included decals applied. Once complete, they will add a nice finishing touch to your Coastal Command Liberator. B-24 Wheels (672170) This set is intended as a like-for-like swap for the kit wheels. A choice of two different nose wheels are provided, as well as main wheels with optional resin and photo etched wheel hubs. As is the norm for a set of this type from Eduard, pre-cut masks are also provided to aid painting. These wheels, with their realistic tyre treads, offer a significant upgrade over the kit parts. B-24 Turbochargers (672178) The Twin Wasp used in the Liberator employed a turbocharger to supply compressed air to a mechanical supercharger. These turbochargers are one-piece items that offer a simple enhancement to the kit parts. They are well cast and nicely detailed, but you will need to carve away the plastic equivalents, which in the case of the Hasegawa kit, are partly moulded into the middle section of the engine cowling. The end result should be worth it, however. Liberator GR Mk.V upgrade set(73627) The only non-resin set on offer, this package includes pre-painted details for the crew compartment and fills in some of the details on the flight deck that were not covered by the etch provided with the kit. Details are provided for radio and other electronic equipment, as well as rudder pedals, ammunition hoppers and belts for the machine guns, as well as cooling sleeves for the gun barrels. Conclusion Eduard can hardly be accused of shyness when it comes to providing aftermarket for one of their marquee releases of the past 12 months. While some might think the banquet of resin on offer to be rather over the top, one is not obliged to use the whole lot. Instead, one is free to pick and choose according to taste and the perceived value of each addition. Personally I would start with the excellent resin wheels and go from there. What cannot be denied is the quality of the items on offer, with each offering considerable enhancement over the plastic equivalents (where relevant). Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Liberator GR Mk.V BIGSIN SET (SIN67213) 1:72 Eduard BIGSIN for Eduard Kit Eduard now bring us a BIGSIN Set for the 1/72 B-24. These sets work out better for the wallet than buying all the sets as separates. Engine Set This set gives us complete one part engine castings with a PE wiring harness and other PE details Supercharger Set This is a set of drop in superchargers which are prominent on the aircraft. Some minor surgery is needed on the kit parts. Wheels Set This contains a full set of replacement set of wheels and the mud guard on the front gear leg. Masks are included for painting (not shown). Bomb Bay Doors This contains a full set of open bomb bay doors. These were unique on the B-24 the way they slid up the fuselage. Depth Charges This is a set of 6 British 250lb depth charges, complete with a small sheet of decals. Bomb Bay Rocket Projector Unique to the Coastal Command Liberators was a set if 16 60lb rockets mounted in a projector which fitted into the bomb bay. This is a comprehensive set in resin & PE which includes all 16 rockets. This BIGSIN Set is recommended if you want to goto town on your Liberator. Review samples courtesy of

B-24 Liberator BIGSIN SET (SIN67212) 1:72 Eduard BIGED for Eduard/Hasegawa Kit Eduard now bring us a BIGSIN Set for the 1/72 B-24. These sets work out better for the wallet than buying all the sets as separates. Engine Set This set gives us complete one part engine castings with a PE wiring harness and other PE details Supercharger Set This is a set of drop in superchargers which are prominent on the aircraft. Some minor surgery is needed on the kit parts. Wheels Set This contains a full set of replacement set of wheels and the mud guard on the front leg. Masks are included for painting (not shown). Bomb Bay Doors This contains a full set of open bomb bay doors. These were unique on the B-24 the way they slid up the fuselage. This BIGSIN Set is recommended if you want to goto town on your Liberator Review samples courtesy of