1:32 B-24 bomb racks

Eduard 1:32 B-24 bomb racks, photo-etched bomb racks

An aftermarket accessory, not a kit. The set deals with the inside of the bomb bay of a model of the B-24 bomber in 1:32 scale: photo-etched beams and bomb racks, their struts and fittings. It is precisely these truss structures that are always needlessly thick in plastic, because they cannot be cast any thinner. The metal version gives the bomb bay the correct airiness and transparency, thanks to which you can see through the structure to the other side.

The real subject

The Consolidated B-24 was an American four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War with a high-set wing of great aspect ratio and with a characteristic pair of bomb bays closed by roller doors. The bombs were hung in the bomb bay on vertical beams at the sides of a central catwalk, which is the arrangement this set reproduces.

Building and painting tips

Assemble and paint the bomb bay before you close up the fuselage, as afterwards you will no longer get inside. Cut the photo-etched parts off on a hard surface with a sharp knife, make the bends in a bending tool and check the right angles, otherwise the long beams will twist. Glue with cyanoacrylate drop by drop; on large surfaces a glue with a slower set helps, so that there is time to align things. Go over the metal with primer, otherwise the paint will not hold. The inside of the bomb bay benefits from light shading so that the structure does not merge into a single plane, and from fine dusting or oily traces around the mountings.

Who the set is for

• Builders of a large bomber in 1:32 scale who want the bomb bay open
• Modelers who object to the coarse thickness of the plastic beams
• More experienced builders: the set contains longer bent parts that call for accuracy
• Those who build a model for a cabinet with parts of the structure exposed

This is an accessory for modelers, not a standalone model. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package.