USAAF 12th BG B-25 Mitchells

[Tiger331]

 

Hi Folks,

 

I'm looking to do a 1:72 B-25 Mitchell from the 12th BG in North Africa using the new Airfix kit. I want to do one of the well worn examples in the Desert Pink/Azure Blue scheme, such as 'Pink Petunia'. The problem I face is understanding which cowlings to use. The Airfix kit includes both the smooth version fitted to the B-25B and early -C model but there are variances between photos and colour side profiles of 12th BG aircraft. Decal references don't help either so I'm faced with not knowing whether the aircraft operated with the smooth cowlings or the ones with the fairings (or were the latter retrofitted at some point in their service ?). 

 

Grateful for any advice.    

[Graham Boak]

There's a hint in that it is one of the well-worn examples, suggesting an early delivery and thus the smooth cowling.  I'd ignore the profiles and decal references as not being primary sources.  I think that retrofitting the later cowlings would be unlikely, though not impossible.  I don't know whether they would imply re-engining, but if so then the longer an aircraft remained in service the likelier it would be to have been re-engined anyway.  For re-reengining, also read a new set of exhausts.  On balance I think there's unlikely to have been any significant supply of spare cowlings into the theatre, but clearly there will have been some, if only from scrapped aircraft.  Using this argument, of course, suggests a number of spare old-style cowlings from the same route!

 

One other hint will be the serial, hence the block-number, hence the build standard.  I don't know at what block number the change occurred, but someone will.

 

Sorry I don't have THE answer, but hopefully have suggested a few areas to search.

[Toryu]

Wolf ‘B-25 Mitchell - The ultimate look‘ reveals (p.165): The Clayton S-type flame-dampening stacks were introduced on the C-15 production bloc with 42-32383.

Pink Petunia was 41-30344, a D-10 model from the Kansas plant. Its earlier serial and bloc numbers would indeed hint at exhaust collector rings.

[Dana Bell]

Hi Tiger,

 

A word before you get too far - those 12th BG Mitchells were Sand (desert pink) over Neutral Gray (not Azure Blue).  This was a US scheme and didn't use the British color.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

[Tiger331]

5 minutes ago, Dana Bell said:

Hi Tiger,

 

A word before you get too far - those 12th BG Mitchells were Sand (desert pink) over Neutral Gray (not Azure Blue).  This was a US scheme and didn't use the British color.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

Dana,

 

Thanks....your reputation in these areas precedes you and I was suspicious anyway since I have never heard of USAAF aircraft sporting Azure Blue.

[Graham Boak]

Try P-40s in RAF Desert scheme colours.  There have also been stories, not fully confirmed to my knowledge, of B-25s in a maritime role in the Eastern(?) Mediterranean in Light Mediterranean Blue, which may also imply Azure Blue undersides.