1:48 Mitsubishi G4M1 “Betty”

A Japanese long-range bomber over the Pacific

The Mitsubishi G4M came about as a naval machine with exceptional range, which it managed to reach at the expense of armor and protected fuel tanks. Allied airmen gave it an unflattering nickname for that and the type carried it throughout the war. All the same it was precisely this bomber that in the first months of the Pacific conflict made the greatest impression on the Allies.

Six machines from three groups

The range begins with a pair of aircraft from Rabaul on New Britain in June 1943, that is from the time of the hardest fighting for the Solomon Islands. Two further machines belonged to a group operating from a home base in Japan in the same year. The last pair is the oldest and at the same time the most interesting historically: aircraft operating from Clark Field in the Philippines in the spring of 1942, that is shortly after the islands were taken.

White numbers on a green finish

All six machines are told apart by white markings on the fuselage, completed on the later variants by a letter code of the group. On a dark green upper finish white holds good contrast, but it is precisely for that reason that it will not stand being shifted. The spacing and the slant of the numbers are best checked dry.

A large area, a steady hand

A model in 1:48 has a fuselage over forty centimeters long and the red national insignia on the wing are among the largest decals a modeler will commonly come across. The large discs are laid on a perfectly smooth gloss, the excess water is drawn off from the center toward the edge and the matting down waits for them to dry completely.