1:72 B-25H/J Mitchells

A wartime code and a postwar registration on one fuselage

The machines captured on this sheet have not only the war behind them but also long decades at air shows. The first is the gun nosed H version with serial number 43-4432 and the name Berlin Express, the second the J version with the number 43-94512 and the name Dumbo. Both have the two character code carried on the vertical tail surface as well as the private American registration under which the aircraft fly after the war.

That duality is typical of surviving American bombers and gives a modeler a choice. Either you build an aircraft as it looks today, that is with a postwar registration and in carefully maintained condition, or you keep to the wartime appearance and leave the postwar elements out. Both routes are correct; they just must not be mixed together, because a combination that never existed is the commonest reason modelers lose points at competitions.

Large markings on the side: apply or spray?

The tail code and the large number can be handled in two ways. A decal is fast and accurate, but on a broken surface it needs thorough preparation. A cut mask and spraying give a harder edge and a more natural surface, but call for a steady hand and a reserve of time. A practical compromise looks like this: spray the large areas and take the small lettering from the sheet. Whatever you choose, measure both sides of the fuselage first and mark the position with a light line, so that the markings come out at the same height. Then carefully wipe the pencil mark away with a damp cloth once dry, while the surface is not yet varnished.