Modifying a B-26 in 1/72

[flyinghorse]

I noticed that there is a lack of early B-26 Marauder variants in 1/72. The immediate difference I see in them is the tail gun position. Most if not all B-26 model kits in the market are latter variants with a glazed tail position instead of a handheld exposed tail gun opening. I know Valom sells a few early Marauders in 1/72 but they are very expensive. Is there a way to modify let's say an Airfix B-26, into an early variant? Any resin modifications in the market today? I am looking to build a Pacific War B-26 Marauder if possible. Any hints or suggestions?

[Chuck1945]

Years ago Monogram did a B-26 as a Snap-Tite kit, it is a reasonably accurate early B-26, assuming of course one can be found today.
 

The early model not only had a different rear gun position, but also a shorter tail fin and shorter wing span. I don’t have the Valom kit, but from what I’ve read it has some serious shape issues such as a fuselage that is more oval than round.

[Ed Russell]

My comment in this thread is relevant, as is the whole thread. I posted the couple of pictures from the HS article that I saved.

 

[busnproplinerfan]

Found one on evilbay https://www.ebay.ca/itm/175454076355?hash=item28d9e0bdc3:g:iB4AAOSwB51jThKJ&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4KMdIA%2BVvIoKzymCaJcizLRfIB%2BcBD3L7AXTuGqG%2BelahFA74SdhF%2FFU4gIvkNs0Ff3W27p0Ole1fJiexEsyBp8Avdmx%2BmOBvTW7jZl3k%2FsHyynWLmI%2FMfFa0TIk12hKeLBrWO%2BtTVX4dXek2cdPKv9WaDnjkajyLL6%2F6RVQUWI2wN3kpNKpsuRzZQIHM0FdEUEcimE%2BAjDzph8g6HD4Uq%2FFGURL54OLkpLU3ZfRGiNw2SEUGw%2FmC7uM4xHERfigw%2BUnZ4enf2jD0EGtdVF9bxiOu8xSB%2FDDnAfhfcpzbcoz|tkp%3ABk9SR_a_q5j9YA

or just item number 175454076355 it's about $64 Cdn so that would be pretty close to your dollar. A bit pricey but that global shipping is annoying.

[Ed Russell]

10 minutes ago, busnproplinerfan said:

that global shipping is annoying.

The seller can opt out of it. It makes truckloads of money for Ebay.

https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Why-is-the-ebay-sponsored-Global-Shipping-Program-so-expensive/td-p/1044433

 

[busnproplinerfan]

3 hours ago, Ed Russell said:

The seller can opt out of it. It makes truckloads of money for Ebay.

https://community.ebay.com.au/t5/Buying/Why-is-the-ebay-sponsored-Global-Shipping-Program-so-expensive/td-p/1044433

 

I thought so. I asked sellers about a different shipping option and they almost always refuse. Over here, the item could be in the state just south of me, but go to Erlanger Kentucky(the U.S. hub) then to one of the places in southern Ontario and then on to me. Had one divert to Vancouver once(I'm over here, not there). It just adds needless mileage when as a world we are trying to reduce how far something travels. I know sellers like it for tracking but everything has tracking today.

[Graham Boak]

Falcon/Squadron did an early tail position for a B-26, although memory says that was only one of two different early tail gun positions.

[ilj]

I completed an early 1/48th scale B-26 Marauder (short-wing) conversion using the Monogram 1/48 kit.

 

http://www.aleutianplanes.com/B-26-Thornbrough.html

 

Regarding this project in 1/72 scale, I would suggest that other than obtaining (good luck) a 1/72 scale Marauder snap-time kit (and making extensive detail improvements of it), the route would be to kit bash the Valom kit's wings, tail planes et c. with a Hasegawa or Airfix 1/72 fuselage.  The adjustments to the tail gun position would not be too difficult, you could easily graft the Valom tail area to the donor fuselage.

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/monogram-1101-martin-b-26-marauder--1051819

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/valom-72044-b-26-marauder-tb--148344

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/hasegawa-00556-b-26b-c-marauder--104825

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/airfix-04015-4-b-26-marauder--130084

 

ilj

Edited October 18, 2022 by ilj
added / to 1/48

[derekS]

Hi,

Scale Models vol 4 no 5 (May 1973) has1/96 scale drawings byG.R.Duval

These include early & late variants.

 

HTH

 

Derek S

[tempestfan]

2 hours ago, derekS said:

Hi,

Scale Models vol 4 no 5 (May 1973) has1/96 scale drawings byG.R.Duval

These include early & late variants.

 

HTH

 

Derek S

Those are said to have some serious inaccuracies, IIRC in particular the engine nacelles - not sure if much too big or much too feeble. The ancient AMT 1/48 kit apparently was based on those drawings.

 

It's a long time since I looked at mine, but the Mono Snap kit was rather impressive for a snap kit IIRC, not an oversimplified toy but rather a quick build Monogram kit; the B-25 from the same range was very similar in approach. The problem indeed may be finding one, as I think it had a fairly short catalogue life.

[Bruce Archer]

Having a family tie to the B-26, here are a few thoughts....

 

I converted a Monogram 1/48th scale B-26 before the Lone Star conversion set. It takes more than shortening the wings and tail Windows are in different positions as are the hatches in the rear of the airframe. ,  The tail gun position is different, there are three( the first is a handheld gun in a tapering position, the second is stepped, and the third is a "ball" turret), additionally, the flaps are different. Also, you need to check to see if the early B-26 had spinners or not;, and to see if it has the intake filter housings installed. Do not forget the clear nose piece as it also changed.

 

The Monogram Snap-Tite B-26 represents a B-26B-2/4 as it lacks the earlier tail gum position. As a Snap-Tite kit lacks an interior and wheel wells. The Valom kit is a horrible, bloated misshapen caricature of the B-26 which will take lots of work to fix.

 

My Great Uncle Frank was an instructor in the Tampa area for B-26s, from the start of the training. He was there during the dark days of "one a day in Tampa Bay".  When Jimmy Doolittle (JD) arrived he talked to the instructors first. His investigation found three major areas which needed attention...1st- The props were not being maintained properly, causing props to run away which would most likely cause the loss of the airplane and crew. JD had Curtiss send Techs to retrain the maintenance crews. 2nd- The batteries supplied by the Army did not have sufficient capacity for the airplane and were not the size specified by Martin. These were changed. and 3rd the training syllabus was changed. The B-26 was a "hot" ship and it was decided to train the crew to fly the B-26 like a fighter, fly it onto the runway and fly it off of the runway. No long flat approaches or climb-outs. The loss rate fell dramatically.

 

Uncle frank preferred the short-wing B-26s. He called them the sports cars of the Army bombers and would run away from almost everything on the deck. He called the B-26B/C a flying pick-up truck and the B-26F/G a dump truck. He felt the Army caused the soul of the B-26 to be ripped out of the airplane. They actually had a B-26 (no suffix) with 2,250 HP R-2800s and were equipped with symmetrical paddle blade props. Uncle Frank and the instructors used it as a hack. He said it climbed as if there was no tomorrow, and nothing out-ran it down low.  It was lost after hitting a flock of pelicans over the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Bruce