@BlackWidow Looking good my friend! I’m still on the lookout for this kit here, but they are few and far between, unfortunately! I’m really looking forward to seeing it progress. I love what you’ve done with it so far buddy! I’ve never had any issues with Monogram landing gear failing and like you, I’ve added substantial weight to the nose to get some of the kits not to tail sit. I usually rehome my built kits so I can’t verify their longevity.
@AussieReg Just checked my records D and like you, it would seem I’ve got three to be built, two Monogram, and one Revell re-issue. I’ve got resin nacelles with engines and replacement resin grills for the underside of the booms for one of the builds and if it looks okay I may get sets for the other two builds. I also have two sets of decals for the P-61 as well just in case the Monogram sets fail.
@magnusf I agree with you magnus! I’ve built so many Monogram kits over the years that I have a real soft spot for them. And there’s the desire to rebuild them now to see what I could do with them now with the skillset I’ve built over the years. I always keep my eye on the local auction sight just in case something pops up.
Thanks for your kind words, D and Chris! Regarding the P-61, back in 2010 I had one original Monogram kit and a Revell Germany rebox. The decals I took from the Revell kit for both. All the years now I still think about getting a Hobbyboss kit but I have so much other stuff in my stash …
Chris, the B-26 kit had a price of 17,99 Euros back in 2003, today I guess it would cost twice as much if you get it somewhere. It’s long oop, so the prices at Ebay or elsewhere will be high, no matter how good or bad the kit is. Hope, you have luck to find one for a reasonable price.
PS, I would never give my models away. It would break my heart after all the work I put in it. At the moment I have 86 finished aircraft models and 17 finished military vehicles on my shelf …
The Marauder is proceeding well now. Paint is on now! No more green plastic! Painting was less difficult with 28°C inside than I expected. Everything went smooth. First the usual primer over all on 2 evenings …
… hope this is sufficient masking. Have started with painting OD which will take a few days. The paint needs a few layers to become opaque. Wish me luck …
During my research I found out that there were at least two B-26 “Idiot’s Delight” registered in the USAAF. One was with the 320th BG, 444th BS, 12th AF …
Just a quick intermediate note of the Marauder. Quite a lot of Vallejo 71043 Olive Drab rushed already through my new airbrush and this is the result after 2 sessions yesterday and today afternoon. Still a bit “cloudy” but the fuselage is mainly painted. And as you can see she wants to stand on the nose even without the front wheel attached …
It has cooled down a bit here in Germany, I only have 25°C inside, that makes airbrushing a bit easier. We even get some rain nearly every day, something our friends especially in Greece need desperately.
Torsten,
Paint does look smooth and consistent. BTW, congrats on your new airbrush.
Converting 25c to 77F is a little warm but certainly cool enough to paint in. For me it’s the humidity that use to cause the major air brushing issues.
And as you said she really want to stand on her nose which is certainly a good thing. Well done my friend.
Thanks Joel! Yes, the airbrush does good work but on the other hand it’s the fourth of that type, so I knew what I was buying at my trusted dealer …
Yes, humidity is also here a problem. I thin my Vallejo paints between 25 and 30 % with Sidolin window cleaner. That helps always, also in cooler temperatures.
Just a small info without photos. Have finished painting OD today after 4 sessions. Will leave it to dry for a day and have a look where corrections (and counter corrections … ) are needed. Found already one.
Does anyone know what brand the propeller blades of the B-26 were? Revell doesn’t offer any decals for them but a good friend gave me some extra blade decals in 1/48, though the sheet says 1/72. I have Hamilton, Curtiss and Aeroproduct. A quick search in the www wasn’t successful.
As we can see on the photo of the original “Idiot’s Delight” in Post 763 there seems to be something painted on the front wheel hub cap but the crew member hides it with his leg. It’s always the same dilemma with these guys! Why don’t they think of us scale modellers? So I will leave it metallic.
As I said before I have finished painting Olive Drab on the Marauder. This weekend I did the corrections with Neutral Grey (and counter corrections with OD again ) …
I will now paint some green blotches on the upper side of the wings with US Dark Green FS34079. Then it’s also about time to take care about the front clear part, masking and painting. Working on the bomb racks and gun packs is also under way. So there’s a silver lining on the horizon visible …
Torsten
Edit:
Why didn’t I have a look into my Walk Around before asking the question about the propeller blades? The aswer is in the book. The blades were Curtiss Electric.
Thanks for looking, Quint! Weather here has cooled down a lot and is not worth to be called summer. Today we have only 18°C and rain nearly every day.
The Marauder has made some big steps toward the finish line this week. First I painted the green blotches on the upper wings, using Vallejo 71016 US Dark Green FS34079, which was thinned by 60 %. Normally I thin Vallejo only by 25-30 % …
Another update of my work in the past days. First I masked the plexiglas nose and noticed that the Eduard masks fit nearly nowhere here. They are far too small. So I had to add some stripes of Tamiya Tape which also includes the parts which Eduard marks with “liquid mask” … I used only a very small amount of Revell Color Stop (same as Humbrol Maskol) around the machine gun socket.
In the last days I finished the decal job. Though they were “living in the box” for 20 years all went on easily and are not brittle or something else nasty. Have used Revell Decal Soft …
Still a few things to paint here like the machine guns but that’s all not big work. I’ll be away for the weekend so final bits and pieces will be done next week and I hope to finish the Marauder next weekend.
While the Marauder is nearly finished and waiting for the last few bits and pieces, I thought it’s time to think about my next build. Had this one in mind for some time and with the model show in Thionville in October I hope to get this F4U-7 Corsair done in time. It’s the 2005 Revell Germany re-release of the Hasegawa kit in 1/48. So another long time resident in my stash …
The kit offers 3 decal options and I have decided not to take the one from the Suez Crisis, which you can see on the box art but to go for this Aeronavale Flottille 17F Corsair from the Algerian War, a dark episode of french history …
Paiting should be easy with US Navy Blue all around. Will use the same Vallejo paint as on the RN Hellcat Mk. II. As I said, I would like to finish this build right in time for the model show in Thionville in the end of October. I know it’s quite ambitious with my 3 weeks summer holidays in September away from the work bench. If I can make it in time, that would be great, if not, well, then the blame is all on me. I hope, some of you will again join me along the way.
Happy modelling!
Torsten
Finally a very, very sad news for those who still haven’t heard it. Please save a prayer for our modelling buddy HG Barnes, who has died on Sunday. He leaves a big gap in our community and is a huge loss for the whole Kitmaker Family. His last post in this thread was on the 1. May …
Please check Brian’s “B-17 Lucious Lady” thread for more informations. He’s in contact with HG’s roommate in Edmonton.
Sooo … while looking at the photos I already notice, that I have forgotten to demask the windows in the rear bomb bay, but other than that, after 3 1/2 months building time I call this beauty finished.
Martin B-26 B Marauder “Idiot’s Delight”, 391st BG, 575th BS, 9th AF, RAF Manching, England, August 1944
Kit: Revell-Monogram 1/48
The original aircraft was built at the Martin factory in Baltimore and was accepted by the USAAF on the 4. Nov. 1943. It flew its first of 138 missions on the 25. Feb. 1944 and the last on the 22. Mar. 1945. It survived the war and the final entry in the USAAF aircraft records was on the 4. Jan 1946. Probably scrapped afterwards …
Used paints:
Vallejo 71010 Interior Green
Vallejo 71016 US Dark Green
Vallejo 71043 Olive Drab
Vallejo 71051 Neutral Grey
Vallejo 71073 Metallic Black
Revell 9 Anthrazit
Revell 15 Yellow
Revell 42 Yellow Olive
Revell 46 Nato Olive
Revell 74 Gunship Grey
Revell 83 Red Brown
Revell 89 Beige
Revell 90 Silver
Revell 91 Steel
Revell 99 Aluminium
Revell 302 Black
Tamiya X-23 Transparent Blue
Tamiya X-24 Transparent Yellow
Tamiya X-27 Transparent Red
Yes, I think that are all …
Final assembly of the plexiglas nose was a bit tricky with the Norden bomb sight and 2 guns inside. Looks a bit cramped but I followd the instruction plan. Same for the waist guns because I couldn’t see the pin holes but I think, I got it right. Final Coating was again made with a 70/30 mix of Revell Clear Gloss and Clear Matt which caused a bit of silvering on some decals.
… the B-26 at her parking position on my shelf of pride waiting for the first model show in October. Just have to check if she fits in the transport box …
After more that 110 w.i.p. photos this build finally comes to an end and I hope you’ve enjoyed the ride. Thanks to everyone who followed the blog with comments and/or likes. Hope to have you also by my side with the Corsair. Now I will demask the bomb bay windows …
Not a lot of comments from me as it’s not quite my cup of tea but can’t ignore the quality and amount of work that went into this one. Looking very good Torsten.
) are needed. Found already one.
) …
He leaves a big gap in our community and is a huge loss for the whole Kitmaker Family. His last post in this thread was on the 1. May …
