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B-25B "Ruptured Duck", Airfix 1/72


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Hello all,

This model was built by my dad, it represents one of the B-25s that took part in the Doolittle Raid on April 18th 1942, 80 years ago this year. The model was painted with AK real colors, Gunze and Tamiya acrilycs. Dk decals were used along with the kit's own decals and PE was used for the interior. The kit was weathered with Tamiya enamel washes and a fine silver pencil for chipping effects. Numerous scratch-built improvements were added to the model.

Hope you enjoy, Comments welcome!

 

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I love the new Airfix kits and you've put together a really great model here. If I wasn't so lazy I'd already have done a lot more, but that's how they're all stored on the shelf. I hope to see more of you, really great model.

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Very nicely done.

One question; I was under the impression on the Doolittle Raid that all the guns were replaced with broom handles to save weight. Not so sure where I got that from and if I am wrong (which I probably am)please forgive and old idiot.

Regards

Pete

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2 hours ago, Pete Robin said:

Very nicely done.

One question; I was under the impression on the Doolittle Raid that all the guns were replaced with broom handles to save weight. Not so sure where I got that from and if I am wrong (which I probably am)please forgive and old idiot.

Regards

Pete

In the movie "30 Seconds over Tokyo" they replace all but the top turret guns with broom handles painted black, I think they reference it in Pearl Harbour as well. Not sure how accurate this is though, I don;t know if they removed some or all of the guns in reality.

 

Rich

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On 4/30/2022 at 6:00 PM, SAT69 said:

Wonderful. The polished brilliance of the clear pieces is noteworthy.

The model looks fantastic! They are.. I noted that also. I thought my B-25 was okay, but compared to your model it's rubbish. 

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Thank you all for your kind words and I am sorry for the poor photography (we need to improve our lighting).

 

On 4/30/2022 at 6:00 PM, SAT69 said:

Wonderful. The polished brilliance of the clear pieces is noteworthy.

 

On 5/2/2022 at 8:46 PM, TallBlondJohn said:

 

Yes - was that Airfix or just hard work?

 

The Airfix kit is a good kit, with some very nice features and shapes but not without some annoyances: as the vinyl-ish soft plastic, the ill-fitting of the nose clear parts and specially the appalling fitting of the wing leading edge light clear covers.

 

The top clear hatch behind the pilot’s canopy (bad fitting) was replaced by clear plastic, sanded and polished.

 

The B-25Bs used on the raid were relatively new machines.

 

I used future on the clear parts and some polishing. Aircraft windows were constantly cleaned and polished, doesn’t matter the state of weathering of the airframe (with rare exceptions, as always), especially on WW II warplanes (visual combat), where spotting the enemy first could be difference between life and death.  

 

On 5/2/2022 at 7:59 PM, Pete Robin said:

Very nicely done.

One question; I was under the impression on the Doolittle Raid that all the guns were replaced with broom handles to save weight. Not so sure where I got that from and if I am wrong (which I probably am)please forgive and old idiot.

Regards

Pete

 

 

23 hours ago, Rich G said:

In the movie "30 Seconds over Tokyo" they replace all but the top turret guns with broom handles painted black, I think they reference it in Pearl Harbour as well. Not sure how accurate this is though, I don;t know if they removed some or all of the guns in reality.

 

Rich

 

2 hours ago, ErikT said:

It was also my understanding that they replaced all the guns but the upper turret guns.

 

 

To save weight, the B-25B armament and ammunition for the Doolittle raid was reduced drastically, leaving only 3 guns on board: the top turret .50 guns (2x) and the 0.30 flexible (1) mount nose gun (stowed on the right side of the bombardier station for take-off). The tail cone Perspex had painted ".50" broomsticks and painted gun channels to look like tail defence guns.

 

I scratch built a .30 machine gun and its stowing harness on the nose compartment. (I will try to take a detail photo of it). The simpler bomb sight “Mark Twain” used on the raid was scratch built as well.

 

The thread on the original kit tires were made smooth to replicate the ones used on the raid.

 

Pitot tube, tail skid, antenna masts and all guns were replaced.

 

There is a lot of subtle weather done but our lighting doesn't help.

 

If you need any other information or I can be of any help, please let me know.

 

 

 

 

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