Airfix Model World – September 2019

Doolittle preview

Airfix’s latest re-box of the Mitchell is due for release in autumn this year, and

will enable modellers to build a B-25B variant. In addition to the new decal sheet,

which will offer two schemes, there are also two new runners. These provide

replacement glazing for the main canopy, fuselage sides and tail dome, while the

new parts include an early-style engine exhaust, incendiary bombs, ‘broomstick’

tail guns and a rear skid. The two markings options are:

• B-25B-NA Mitchell, 40-2249 Hari Kari-er, 89th Bombardment Squadron (Light),
  USS Hornet, Doolittle Raid, Apr 18, 1942


• B-25B-NA Mitchell, 1417B, 34th Bombardment Squadron, 17th Bombardment
  Group, Louisiana Manoeuvres, USA, Sep 15-28, 1941

H8 Silver, before adding the
separately painted H339 Engine
Grey-coloured gearbox covers
and accentuating the integrally
moulded ignition wires with
H72 Dark Earth. A dark grime
wash was added to highlight

detail, after which the engines

were fixed into their respective

cowlings. Rather than attach

them to the wing at this point,

they were left off until after

painting and decaling had been

completed, to make access easier.

Greenhouse effects

With main construction and

seam tidying completed, it was

time to add the extensive glazing

to the nose. The main canopy

and upper nose piece were first

attached with liquid cement and

left to thoroughly dry. The fit of

both was very good, although

the parts had very slightly soft

corners which did leave one or

two tiny gaps. Mr. Surfacer was

liberally applied around the joins

to rectify this, before carefully

smoothing the seam areas once

it had cured. All the smaller

windows were fitted at this point,

although many modellers might

prefer to add them after the

painting stage. At the tail end, a

plastic card blanking plate

H8 Silver, before adding the
separately painted H339 Engine
Grey-coloured gearbox covers
and accentuating the integrally
moulded ignition wires with
H72 Dark Earth. A dark grime
wash was added to highlight

detail, after which the engines

were fixed into their respective

cowlings. Rather than attach

them to the wing at this point,

they were left off until after

painting and decaling had been

completed, to make access easier.

and upper nose piece were first

attached with liquid cement and

left to thoroughly dry. The fit of

both was very good, although

the parts had very slightly soft

corners which did leave one or

two tiny gaps. Mr. Surfacer was

liberally applied around the joins

prefer to add them after the

painting stage. At the tail end, a

plastic card blanking plate

INTERMEDIATE BUILD

B-25 MITCHELL Mk.II

 The wing landing lamp covers weren’t

flush and required treatment. Also, the

raised leading-edge detail was removed, as

Grumpy was not fitted with de-icing boots.

 Addition of Master Models’ brass gun

barrels were a huge improvement and

simply required the kit barrel to be snipped

and a hole drilled to insert the new item.

 Once painted and washed, the engines appeared most effective. Each had the centre part

filled with lead fishing weights, as it appeared the model needed more nose ballast.

“the

fuselage

seams were

virtually

flawless”