paintbrushes. Exhaust stains
and general grime were applied
with my black/brown airbrush
mixture, backed with careful use
of a Tamiya pigment set, until
the finish looked as close to the
photos as I could get. Finally,
heavily thinned XF-19 Sky Grey
was again employed to add light-
coloured stains and define the
exhaust streaks.
Last-minute mods
Having completed the weathering
to my satisfaction, it was time
to remove all those pre-cut tape
covers from the windows. At this
point, and despite careful masking
and cleaning of the interior, the
dreaded window misting was
found inside the main canopy.
This wasn’t a problem, as the nose
cone and astrodome had been
left off to allow access specifically
for this possibility. Unfortunately,
the rear cockpit bulkhead made
it impossible to reach the glazing
behind the pilots’ seats, no matter
what was tried. Drastic measures
were needed and (after taking a
big ‘brave pill’!) I set about drilling
the pilot’s window. This was
removed and then carved to the
outline, allowing access to those
naughty windows. Obviously, the
glazing had to be replaced, and
a new one was cut from clear
plastic sheet and the framing
sprayed as per the kit parts. This
was fitted in the open position,
with the aid of Gator’s Grip glue
(www.gatorsmask.com). While
in a scratch-building frame of
mind, a selection of new aerials
was fashioned from plastic card
and stretched styrene, since the
aircraft now boasts modern radios
and navigation equipment. Smaller
items, including the new PE crew
door and ladder assembly, resin
propellers and wheels and the gun
turret with brass barrels, werepainted and suitably weathered
where necessary at this point.Fitting out
Final assembly was a breeze, as
everything fitted and slotted into
place perfectly. Eduard’s resin
wheels were keyed to attach in
the same way as the kit originals,
which was a great touch and
simplified construction immensely.
It’s a credit to the excellent all-
round fit of the kit that so manymajor items were able to be left off
until after painting, aiding access
and handling throughout the build.
This was a great project, a really
interesting subject, and it was
nice to be able to leave the more
beaten path a little and show
something slightly different.
Although I’ve not created a
completely accurate replica dueto the available parts in the kit,
and my own mistakes, the finished
model is quite an eye-catcher.
Airfix’s Mitchell was an absolute
joy to work with and, while
everyone has a different tolerance
level for aftermarket accessories,
it’s sometimes useful to go the
‘whole hog’ and see what can
be done with a kit.INTERMEDIATE BUILD
B-25 MITCHELL Mk.IIhttp://www.airfi xmodelworld.com 69paintbrushes. Exhaust stains
and general grime were applied
with my black/brown airbrush
mixture, backed with careful use
of a Tamiya pigment set, until
the finish looked as close to the
photos as I could get. Finally,
heavily thinned XF-19 Sky Grey
was again employed to add light-
coloured stains and define the
exhaust streaks.
Last-minute mods
Having completed the weathering
to my satisfaction, it was time
to remove all those pre-cut tape
covers from the windows. At this
point, and despite careful masking
and cleaning of the interior, the
dreaded window misting was
found inside the main canopy.
This wasn’t a problem, as the nose
cone and astrodome had been
left off to allow access specifically
for this possibility. Unfortunately,
the rear cockpit bulkhead made
it impossible to reach the glazing
behind the pilots’ seats, no matter
what was tried. Drastic measures
were needed and (after taking a
big ‘brave pill’!) I set about drilling
the pilot’s window. This was
removed and then carved to the
outline, allowing access to those
naughty windows. Obviously, the
glazing had to be replaced, and
a new one was cut from clear
plastic sheet and the framing
sprayed as per the kit parts. This
was fitted in the open position,
with the aid of Gator’s Grip glue
(www.gatorsmask.com). While
in a scratch-building frame of
mind, a selection of new aerials
was fashioned from plastic card
and stretched styrene, since the
aircraft now boasts modern radios
and navigation equipment. Smaller
items, including the new PE crew
door and ladder assembly, resin
propellers and wheels and the gun
turret with brass barrels, werepainted and suitably weathered
where necessary at this point.Fitting out
Final assembly was a breeze, as
everything fitted and slotted into
place perfectly. Eduard’s resin
wheels were keyed to attach in
the same way as the kit originals,
which was a great touch and
simplified construction immensely.
It’s a credit to the excellent all-
round fit of the kit that so manymajor items were able to be left off
until after painting, aiding access
and handling throughout the build.
This was a great project, a really
interesting subject, and it was
nice to be able to leave the more
beaten path a little and show
something slightly different.
Although I’ve not created a
completely accurate replica dueMyriad Mitchells
Czech manufacturer DK Decals has produced a series of markings sets for Airfix’s
B-25s, and its RAF service product provided a wealth of choices. One decal sheet
provided generic roundels and fin flashes, while the remaining pair supplied
airframe specific serials, artwork nicknames and bomb tallies. The schemes were:- Mk.II, FV-905/MQ/S Stalingrad, 226 Squadron, RAF Sydenham
- Mk.II, FW-111/MQ-P, 226 Squadron, RAF Sydenham
- Mk.II, FV-938/VO/W, 98 Squadron, RAF Dunsfold
- Mk.II, FW-189/VO/A, 98 Squadron, RAF Dunsfold
- Mk.II, FL-176/VO/B Grumpy, 98 Squadron, RAF Dunsfold
- Mk.II, FW-218VO/F Sneezy, 98 Squadron, RAF Dunsfold
- Mk.II, FR189/NO/E, 320 (Dutch) Squadron, RAF Lasham
- Mk.III, HD392NO/A, 320 (Dutch) Squadron, RAF Lasham
- Mk.II, FL218/EV/W NulliSecundus, 180 Squadron, RAF Dunsfold
- Mk.III, KJ684/EV/J Jupiter, 180 Squadron, RAF Dunsfold
- Mk.II (B-25G), FR209/F, Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment,
RAF Boscombe Down - Mk.II, FV-913/SM/C, 305 (Polish) Squadron, RAF Lasham
- Mk.II, FV-954/FB, 111 Operational Training Unit, Nassau, Bahamas
- B-25C, MA956/E, 684 Squadron, RAF Dum Dum, Bengal, British India
- B-25C, N5-148, 3 PRU (India), RAF Dum Dum, Bengal, British India
Much fun was had adding the extensive oil streaking and dirty areas on top of the engine
nacelles. Enamel washes from both AK Interactive and MIG Productions were ideal for this task.
Just prior to final assembly, a group photo of the smaller parts, all of which slotted into
place effortlessly. Hang on a minute – who opened that pilot’s window?