**** DONE: GB-52 1:72 North American B-25J Mitchell - Heavy Hitters IV

[Totalize]

Guys, here's what I got for the nose weight. The round balls I didn't use but the pencil sinkers worked great. I started by cutting off the end pieces then placing one on the cockpit section. It still leaned back so I put another one on and that did it.

As you can see from the pictures I dropped some CA glue into the tunnel for the bombardier and slide one of the pencil weights in. Then for the other one the landing obstructed me from pushing the second pencil weight in. These are round so I sanded once slide flat and it slide right in. A healthy dab of CA glue and now she sits on her nose. I will post the final result. Wings are on and drying at moment.

 

[Totalize]

Okay. As I said I have the wings on and nose bulkhead ( I chucked the white metal one as I didn't need the extra weight and replaced it with the kit one as it fit better) and its now sitting as it should. I really thought the weighted parts I purchased would do the trick but not so. I intend to buy another Hasegawa B-25 but won't buy that upgrade set again. Will just dump weight into the nose. Lesson learned. There is a bit of gap on the starboard wing root that I might fix if I can. The height of the wing might be a millimeter lower than the port wing.



Some progress pictures.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Totalize]

Bendix Turret. I painted this one in a bronze green. Maybe not accurate but I saw these pictures and I thought it looked neat so decided to do it.

 

[Totalize]

The top semcircular PE Piece broke off. Have to look for that.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[le_steph40]

very nice !

 

[Totalize]

Thanks Guys.

Anyone have some good pictures of the Bendix Top turret as fitted to the B-25J. I have been able to get a few from my references and some from the internet but on some the whole rear of the perspex dome is clear in others there is a metal plate covering the rear up to the top which is clear my instructions say paint the rear alll the way up to the top
including the top. I think some of the clear ones are restorations to provide as much of a clear view as possible but not sure. Any help would be apprecisated.

Here's how I am plannign to paint the rear. Look correct?

 

[rochie]

looks good.

scroll down here to see pics of your bird about to crash land, turret looks clear to me ?

Zotz 1/72 B-25J Mitchell at War Pt. I Reviewed

Scale models, model reviews, tamiya, 1/32, 1/48th , aircraft modelling, model building, tank model, car model, figure model, 1/72nd scale, star wars,

www.themodellingnews.com

 

[rochie]

better pic here

B-25J Mitchell 310th BG 12AF Italy | World War Photos

Mitchell "Angel of Mercy" 43-35982 of the 310th BG, 381st BS, 12AF, Fano Airfield Italy 1945

www.worldwarphotos.info

 

[Totalize]

Thanks for that. It does look clear. Also in the picture of the lady leaning out of Sheridan's express the rear of the turret is clear.

 

[CATCH 22]

Thanks for that. It does look clear. Also in the picture of the lady leaning out of Sheridan's express the rear of the turret is clear.

IMHO it's solid.

It's not painted though but NM.

Some of the other B-25 in the squadron had the same plate, could be factory installed or a field mod.
Cheers!
P.S. Attached are 2 original high resolution photos of the crash for further review.
Both photos are from Fold3.

 

[Totalize]

Oh wow. Great pictures. For sure there. The box art has the back solid too.

 

[Greg Boeser]

Scrolling through the B-25 weapons thread, it looks like earlier turrets lacked the armor plate found on the J model.

 

[CATCH 22]

Scrolling through the B-25 weapons thread, it looks like earlier turrets lacked the armor plate found on the J model.

The explanation for this is simple: the plexiglass domes of the upper turrets (Bendix amplidyne A-4 later A-9) for B-25C/D and B-25H/J have completely different structure.
B-25C/D/G:
Front

Side

Back

Note that the dome has only one plexiglass brace across (glued on the inner side of the dome) and no metal framing. The cutouts for the guns are reinforced with plexiglass strips only.
B-25H/J:
Front

Side

Back

Top

Note the heavy metal framing and the plexiglass reinforcement (braces) glued to the inside of the dome.
The back steel plate (armour) was added instead of the rear plexiglass portion and attached to the metal frame. It is not possible to mount such plate to the earlier dome with no framing.
Cheers!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Totalize]

Great!. The masks that come with the kit do not have a mask for this back area so I will create one to paint it like the picture I posted.

 

[CATCH 22]

Great!. The masks that come with the kit do not have a mask for this back area so I will create one to paint it like the picture I posted.

View attachment 655648

To paint with metalizer (NM) I believe.
Without trying to give any advice here (not being much of a modeller), I do framings with aluminum foil (self-adhesive), gluing a strip of foil over the turret and cutting out the areas with transparent parts, thus leaving only the frame. It's basically the reversed of cutting masks. In this particular case the foil (if slightly sanded with 1000) will imitate the NM.
I'm not that far with my model for this GB but intend to do the same for its canopies.
Cheers!

 

[Wayne Little]

good stuff going on here...