1:72 No.22 Sq. RAAF (DB-7B), Pt.1

Australian Bostons over New Guinea

No. 22 Squadron RAAF was one of the units that flew low and fast in the Pacific war. Its Bostons attacked Japanese positions in the jungle of New Guinea from heights at which the crew saw the treetops up close. It is from these sorties that the best-known story of the squadron comes, when one of its pilots was awarded the Victoria Cross.

What the sheet contains

• Thirteen aircraft of the DB-7B version, that is, the export form of the Boston originally ordered by France
• Serial numbers of the Australian A28 series, from A28-3 to A28-22
• A single unifying theme of one squadron, so the models form a coherent group
• The first of two parts; the second follows on with the later A-20 versions of the same unit

Compared with other twin-engine aircraft the Boston has large unbroken areas, above all on the engine nacelles and on the top of the fuselage. Decals go on there easily enough, but at the same time there is nowhere to hide a mistake. Degrease the surface before work and lay the film on a coat of gloss clear so that the edge does not stay visible.

On RAAF aircraft the serial numbers are unusually prominent and on a model they read as the main identifying feature. If you are building several aircraft of the squadron side by side, it pays to choose numbers that differ at a glance, otherwise the collection will merge into one.

The Boston was popular with Australian crews for its speed at low level and for the good view from the cockpit. A finished model therefore looks well in a scene with a taxiway laid with the steel matting that was used in the Pacific.