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B-25 Mitchell

First look at Airfix 1/72 B-25 Mitchell

T

he B-25 Mitchell was the

most successful medium

bomber ever produced by

the United States. Entering service

just before the start of World War

Two, the type was most famous

for its attack on mainland Japan,

taking off from the carrier USS

Hornet on 18 April 1942. It served

with all the allies on all fronts

during the war, and remained

in service well into the 1960s.

THE KIT

Airfix have had a late-mark Mitchell

in their catalogue since the late

1960s, but like many kits in their

range these golden oldies are being

replaced by all new toolings. The

first new B-25 Mitchell released

covers the C and D versions

that entered service in 1941.

The plastic is typical of recent

Airfix kits, with a mix of raised

and recessed detail. The engraving

will be criticised by some for

being slightly heavy, but in my

view, it is easy to fill if you do not

like it; under a coat of primer and

camouflage they will look just fine.

The big difference between this

kit and preceding 1/72 Mitchells

is the level of detail that has

been achieved, especially in the

cockpit, bomb aimer/navigator

compartment, and bomb bay. This

almost rivals a resin production,

and with careful painting and

washes will be more than adequate

for most modellers. In fact, the

only items that really need to

be added are the seat belts.

Construction should be quick

and easy, helped by some clever

engineering, such as the large

wing spars and the bomb bay doors

moulded as part of the internal

detail. All of this is supported by

clear instructions that clearly

show the assembly

process, though

like all Airfix kits

the colours to be

used are only keyed

to the Humbrol

range of paints.

Two marking

options are supplied.

The first is an aircraft

assigned to anti-

submarine duties in

a green-over-white

camouflage pattern. I suspect,

though, that for many it is the

second option that will be of most

interest – “Desert Warrior”, painted

in sand pink over neutral grey.

The decals feature an impressive

mission tally, as well as a listing

of all the medals awarded to its

crew. This aircraft

is shown after

its return to the

United States in

1943, where it

carried out a tour

with its crew to

promote the sale

of war bonds.

CONCLUSION

Though the early B-25 was nowhere

near as colourful as later models,

Airfix have picked two interesting

schemes that will please most

modellers until the aftermarket

decal manufacturers start

releasing new sheets for this kit.

From the way the kit has been

designed there is no doubt that

later models will follow, though not

until 2019. This is a very impressive

release, and I am sure that many

modellers are hoping that the

B-25’s RAF equivalent, the Vickers

Wellington, will be produced later

this year to the same standard.

Our thanks to Airfix for supplying

the kit prior to its UK release.

WWW.SAMPUBLICATIONS.COM • APRIL 2018 • 45

FIRST LOOK!

042-47-FirstLooks-0418.indd 45 09/03/2018 16:15