1:72 B-25J Mitchells

Bombers that played themselves

The North American B-25 Mitchell was among the few combat types of the Second World War of which so many stayed flying that film scenes could be cast from them. It is to such a pair that this sheet is devoted. The first machine, a B-25J-25 with the military number 44-30210, carried the shortened form 430210 on the vertical tail surface, the code marking 8U on the fuselage and the name Big Bad Bonnie on the nose. At the time of the filming the American authority listed it under the civil registration N9455Z.

The second Mitchell came out of the J-20 production series under the number 44-29121 and as a civil aircraft carried the marking N86427. Its nose art celebrated a girl by the name of Brenda and the boys of her crew. Both machines were repainted for the needs of the camera into the guise the American groups wore over Western Europe, so this is a combination of an authentic aircraft and a costume created for a period story. The late J series are told from the older Mitchells by the glazed nose without the fixed gun installation and by the pair of side gun packs, which is an important pointer for the builder when choosing a kit.

The printing is carried out on a continuous carrier film, from which the individual motifs are cut only just before transfer. It is enough to immerse the paper for a few seconds in lukewarm water and let it rest until the motif starts to slide by itself. On a gloss paint base the art will seat without silvering, and on the riveted areas of the rear fuselage and the engine nacelles a drop of decal softener will help. Once dry, the whole surface is usually sealed with a matte or semi-gloss overcoat, which hides the edges of the film.