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RAF Mitchell Question.


stevej60

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Hi folk,s are there decals available for RAF Mitchell's for the D-day period in stripes,I notice Hannant,s have Techmod decals

for earlier period machines but nothing else out there that I can see.

Cheers Steve.

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Hi folk,s are there decals available for RAF Mitchell's for the D-day period in stripes,I notice Hannant,s have Techmod decals

for earlier period machines but nothing else out there that I can see.

Cheers Steve.

Dutch Decals did 320 sqn Mitchell decals Not strictly RAF I know, but from that time period.

http://www.hyperscale.com/2014/reviews/decals/dutchdecals72072reviewmd_1.htm

Selwyn

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Didn`t Hannants do a D-Day sheet in the Xtradecal range which included an RAF Mitchell? Might be wrong,...but it rings a bell.

Eagle Strike did a brilliant Dutch 320 Sqn Mitchell sheet too,

Cheers

Tony

Edit;

Here is the Xtradecal sheet from a Hannants search

Xtradecal X72195

;

X72195.jpg

And this is a very nice sheet too with some good Mitchells from 320 Sqn;

DD72072.jpg

Cheers,

Tony

Edited by tonyot
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Is the Italeri B-25C/D in 1/72 correct for an RAF Mitchell? I had in mind seeing something once that suggested some bit of it was in the wrong place (dorsal turret?) but can't recall what!!!

Think there was a Kits at War sheet that had an RAF Mitchell on it as well, as distinct from a Dutch 320 sqn one. Ironically, I'm pretty sure Kits at War are a Dutch company.

Pat

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Is the Italeri B-25C/D in 1/72 correct for an RAF Mitchell? I had in mind seeing something once that suggested some bit of it was in the wrong place (dorsal turret?) but can't recall what!!!

The basic configuration of the Italeri B/C kit is indeed correct for an RAF mk I/II Mitchell. The turret is in the correct position for the early variant. The kit has raised panels and the shape of the nose has been criticized. The Hasegawa B-25J would be best for building a mk III, but I don't know of any mk IIIs with invasion stripes.

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The Italeri kit is correct for a RAF Mitchell II, the RAF ran the Mitchell pretty stock, single nose flex .50, no fixed .50 on right of nose, , no side gun packs, mid upper and the RAF persisted with the Ventral turret which most other users removed, many RAF Mitchell II's also had the later multi pot exhaust engine cowls.

Some late B-25D's delivered to the RAF had the single .50 gun position in the tail and waist gun positions with single .50's with no ventral turret, I read stories of old Mitchell gunners with 2nd TAF who said the tail gun position on the late B-25D (Mitchell II's) and B-25J's (Mitchell III's) were rarely manned, most gunners hated the position sitting on a bike like seat with your legs under you, almost kneeling.

Only Mitchell II's had invasion stripes as the Mitchell III's were delivered after D-Day, but Mitchell III's did run ID stripes (black and white invasion like stripes) on the fuselage only not the wings, these were applied in Oct 44 till Jan 45 as the increases of friendly fire attack's on 2 TAF Boston and Mitchell units by US fighters who thought they were German Bombers (JU88-Boston, DO217- Mitchell).

Edited by Sydhuey
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If accuracy is of primary concern, the Italeri kit's rear fuselage is not right for either the Mitchell II (B-25D) and Mitchell III. (B-25J) It is too deep for a Mitchell II and too shallow for a Mitchell III. Look for the accurately shaped but rather basic in detail Monogram Snap-Tite kit of the B-25. But it also lacks the ventral turret and the dorsal turret is too small. It was made for kids just starting out in modeling so the kit is very simplified. But the overall finish of the fuselage and wings is pretty good. You can improve it by adding parts from either the Italeri or much better and much more expensive Hasegawa kit. Were Hasegawa to swallow their pride and produce a Doolittle Raider B-25B, much anguish would be avoided by modelers.

Grant

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  • 1 year later...

I have recently built the Italeri B-25D (raised panel lines and too deep rear fuse be d*mned) as a Mitchell Mk II.  It went together nicely.  

 

I also used the Xtradecal sheet that Tony linked.  Bizarrely, national markings and squadron codes were all too large and looked wrong; this was particularly noticeable on the tail flashes and upper wing Type Bs. 

 

I eventually cobbled together generic markings from the spares box.  The markings for other types look fine.   Anyone else notice this?

 

Regards

 

Martin

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