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I am extremely happy to be rolling out the latest build from the Ridgerunner work bench. As you can see, she is a RB-26P and depicts the last Invader in use within the French armed and experimental Services, specifically the CEAM. She was finally retired to the ranges at Cazeaux, in South Western France, in the late 1960s and was un-ceremonially wasted as a target some while later. Prior to that she was a RB-26C GB.1/91, ERP1/32, CIB.328. The only photo I have located is below and is taken from Dan Hagerdorn’s excellent “must have” book “Foreign Invaders”. Even Dan couldn’t offer anything more when asked. So, my references have been quite scant. I have, though, used the many online references and some excellent images from French historian Pierre Jarrige. At the end Earler times The camera nose on another RB-26P The RB-29P was one of a number of French variations produced from the rugged Invader while in their services, including the B-26APQ13, B-26TMR and B-26N. As far as I can ascertain only twelve were converted from Armee de l’ Air stocks of the RB-26C. Upon retirement some were simply scrapped or used as targets while a few were sold on via Belgian agents for work in Biafra. https://lae.blogg.se/category/biafra.html. The model is built from the ill-fitting Italeri kit. It was a marked step forward in quality terms in comparison to the Airfix boxing of the early 1970s, but nevertheless needs. some updating here and there, particularly around the power plants and cowlings. I had spent cash on both the Quickboost and CMK resin upgrade kits but both suffer from incorrect dimensions and poor fitting. I therefore opted my own solution. This was to remove the kit cooling vanes, which are far too thick and to replace them with thin card in the form of a strip that went around the circumference of the cowl. This was appropriately scored with a panel line engraver. I have tried to get close to her condition shown in her “final journey” photo. I have used a huge amount of French Invader information that I have received. Wez @Wez has also guided my gallic wanderings too. Like other Fench Invaders, she was a dirty and scruffy machine and this is something that I wanted to convey through my build. My Work In Progress thread is here: The modifications required for the specific aircraft variant – a large camera window on the port nose, and enlarged window for the rear cabin and an under nose window – were all fashioned from a mix of card and Plastruct rods. For the glazing I used resin aftermarket packaging 😊. More of the work I did follows: What did I do/use? 1. Kit – Italeri B-26C Invader kit (1259) 2. Aftermarket – Airwaves cockpit PE set (partially), Res-Im wheels, paint masks 3. Decals – some from the kit, Berna Decals set and others (code and serial numbers) drawn and printed for me by Mika at Arctic Decals. 4. Paints – Colourcoats Matt Black and Aluminium , Humbrol Matt White (H34) and various other paints from these producers for other detail. Finished with Vallejo acrylic Satin varnish. 5. Weathering – a combination of Flory Washes (Dark Dirt, Light, and Sand), Tamiya Weathering Powders and a Prismacolor Silver pencil. I hope you like her

Hi all, As promised, I hope to commence this soon. She was the last Invader in French service and is pictured below while being ferried to Cazaux, France where she was destroyed as a target on the ranges. Her last tour of duty was with the CEAM. What a waste! The base kit will be the Italeri A-26C kit (No. 1259). The modifications for getting her to be an RB-26P will be stratch built. I have the decals drawn and printed now. Credit: "Foreign Invaders" by Dan Hagerdorn, which I own. Back soon! Martin